Monday, March 18, 2024

Climate change forcing Pacific islanders to leave their homes

USGS
Seawater regularly tos the manmade perimeter berm on the island of Roi-Namur in the
Republic of the Marshall Islands, 

For the people of the Pacific, climate change is  is not a theory. It is happening. Climate change is so real that people are leaving their ancestral homes to escape the rising ocean waters degrading marine life and increasingly violent typhoons. 

Severe tropical storms, or typhoons, sweep across the Pacific Ocean causing great destruction.

Because of their unique climate and location, the islands of the Pacific are at increased risk for severe weather, including tropical storms, typhoons and hurricanes – and that’s a major reason residents moved from 2015 to 2020, During this five-year period, from a quarter to nearly a half of their residents moved to a new residence, according to recently released 2020 Census of the Island Areas tables.

The nations and territories in the Pacific region are experiencing an approximate increase of 4 millimeters of sea level rise annually in certain regions, which is higher than the worldwide average of 3.4 mm per year, the World Meteorological Organization reports in its 2022 State of the Climate study.

Between 2015 and 2020, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared major disasters in all four U.S. Island Areas — American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).

In the three Pacific Island Areas (American Samoa, CNMI, Guam), over 27.0% of movers reported natural disaster(s) as their primary reason for moving. In the USVI, over 41.0% reported moving because of natural disasters.

Between 2015 and 2020, American Samoa had one declared disaster, Tropical Storm Gita. The CNMI experienced three declared disasters — Typhoons Soudelor, Mangkhut, and Yutu. In addition to Typhoon Mangkhut, Guam experienced two additional declared disasters: Typhoons Dolphin and Wutip. And the USVI had two declared disasters, Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Tropical cyclone Lola battered the island nation of Vanuatu in 2023.

Globally, "2023 is currently the third warmest year to date at 0.43ÂșC above the recent average, with the average global temperature in July at 1.5°C above pre industrial levels.” said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of theEuropean Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service,

The WMO report said that many regions in the Pacific region, including the Solomon Sea, Banda and Timor Seas, and regions east of the Philippines and the southern shoreline of Indonesia, have experienced significant warming, with the rates two to three times higher than the global average.

Radio Free Asia reports the glacier size in the western part of the Indonesian island of New Guinea decreased by 15% from 0.27 to 0.23 square kilometers between July 2021 and April 2022, while ice thickness dropped 24 meters from June 2010 to early 2021, with only 6 meters remaining in December 2022.


In 2022, the South-West Pacific experienced 35 recorded natural disasters that killed more than 700 people, with floods accounting for over 70% of these incidents, according to the report.

These events impacted over 8 million individuals, inflicting an economic toll nearing  $9 billion. In the Philippines and Fiji, increasingly violent and more frequently occurring storms were the predominant reason for the high death toll and the many affected individuals.


Geographic mobility in the island areas

  • Roughly a quarter to just over a half of residents (age 5 and over) in the four U.S. Island Areas moved from 2015 to 2020:American Samoa had the lowest (21.3%) mover rate.

  • The Commonwealth of Northern Mariana had the highest (50.5%).
  • In Guam, more than a third (34.2%) of people in households (excluding those in military housing units) moved.
  • One third (33.0%) of residents in households reported moving in the US Virgin Islands.

Table 1. Geographic Mobility Status by Island Area

Climate change wasn't the only reason for residents from the Pacific region to migrate. The top seven reasons for moving are: 
  1. Employment.
  2. Military.
  3. Housing.
  4. Family-related.
  5. Natural disaster.
  6. To attend school.
  7. Other.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.


Friday, March 15, 2024

'Larry the Musical' premiering March 15 brings Larry Itliong's story to the stage




The life and times of Filipino American labor leader Larry Itliong will be told by Larry the Musical, which will have its world premiere March 16 in San Francisco. 

With a cast and production team of Filipino Americans, the musical of a real historical figure has been years in the making building support and anticipation among the Filipino American community.

“This is probably the most meaningful project of my career as a Filipino American theater artist,” said veteran director Billy Bustamante. 

Larry the Musical was created by a Filipino American creative team led by Gayle Romasanta, writer and executive producer, and Bryan Pangilinan, composer and executive producer. Inspired by the book "Journey for Justice: The Life of Larry Itliong," authored by the late historian Dr. Dawn Mabalon and Romasanta, the musical pays homage to Itliong's remarkable legacy.

The San Francisco premiere will be March 16 at the Brava Theater and run through Aparil 4.

Itliong's key role in the formation of the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez is not well known outside of the FIlipino American community despite California declaring Oct. 16 as Larry Itliong Day. A handful of cities celebrate the day and a few schools have been named honoring the labor leader.

In order to find financial support, the creative team had to educate the funders of the importance of Itliong's role in US history.

A grant from the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) allowed the creators and artists continue their work on the musical with 20 songs and dance numbers.

“We first heard about Larry The Musical from an online fundraising event they were hosting,” said Don Young, Director of Programming at CAAM. “We attended and were just mesmerized by the musical numbers, but as importantly, just so inspired by the team and their commitment to both creating great art and building a community foundation for the future. We decided we had to do what we could to be part of this amazing collaboration and support their efforts as best we could.”

Larry has since received grants from other organizations such as the San Francisco Arts Commission, SoMa Pilipinas, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more. They’ve also received support from individuals within the Filipino American community, as well as the wider Asian American community.

FACEBOOK
Appropriately, the cast of 'Larry the Musical' are all union members.

Other producers include community activist, publisher, and filmmaker Mona Lisa Yuchengco; Dr. Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, professor of Ethnic Studies, Filipina/x/o American Literature and Art at San Francisco State University and founder of Pin@y Educational Partnerships (PEP); and Dr. Kevin Nadal, professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, psychologist, author, activist, and President of the Filipino American National Historical Society.

Both Romasanta and Pangilinan have previous background experience in theater, particularly with the San Francisco-based Filipino American theater, Bindlestiff Studio.

The creative team of Larry the Musical includes Director and Choreographer Billy Bustamante (assistant director, Here Lies Love; assistant choreographer of Stephen Sondheim’s last musical Here We Are on Broadway), music director and co-composer Sean Kana (music director, Hippest Trip - The Soul Train Musical, associate music director, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations), and writer Kevin Camia (Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Frankie Quinones Show, The Dress Up Gang).

Larry comes a few months after the close of Here Lies Love on Broadway, created by Broadway veterans David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. Despite the all-Filpino cast and the infusion of celebrated Filipino and Filipino American producers, the Broadway musical stirred a debate within the Filipino American communitiy for supposedly glamorizing Imelda Marcos, the wife of the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The responsibility of proper representation is not missed by Romasanta. She feels the responsibility of spotlighting a story that has implications, both politically and culturally. “So it’s a lot [of] trying not to feel all the pressure, but it is a huge ask; a huge, huge ask that we didn’t know that we were going to tumble into. But here we are.”

Bustamante adds: “ G can help fill the integrity ingredient in representation. ... This will be the first time I’ll have been a part of an all-Filipino American theater project where that doesn’t just put Filipino bodies on stage, but puts words and notes and ideas, visual creativity that come from other Filipino Americans that they get to share. That has been a missing piece, that idea of who’s writing the words, who’s writing the notes.”


FYI: Larry the Musical will be playing at the Brava Theater in San Francisco from March 16 to April 14. Get more information and buy tickets at Brava.org. Some performances are already sold out.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.


Thursday, March 14, 2024

Who is Robert Kyoung Hur, the DOJ's spcial counsel investigating Hunter Biden

 



It seems that no one, neither Democrats or Republicans, was pleased with Speical Council Robert Kyoung Hur's report on President Biden's handling of classified governmentt documents.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee criticized Hur's assessment of Biden's memory and Republicans didn't like that Hur ultimately vindicated Biden's mishandling of the documents.

"What I've observed in this hearing is that one side thinks you're trying to get Trump elected and the other side thinks you're trying to get President Biden elected," said Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colorado. "Welcome to Congress."

"I did not sanitize my explanation, nor did I disparage the president unfairly," he said in defending his report. "I explained to the attorney general my decision, and the reasons for it. That's what I was required to do."

 In Januaary 2023 Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Hur, a Republican, to conduct the investigation of the alleged unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents discovered at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and the Wilmington, Delaware private residence of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

Hur testified in front of the Judicial Committee as a civilian. The day after he issued  his report, Hur resigned. 

Democrats on the judiciary committee accused Hur of deliberately mentioning Biden's alleged memory lapses a political act.

“You could’ve written the report about his comments with specific recollection of a set of documents but you chose a general reference to the president. You understood when you made that decision, that you would ignite a political firestorm with that language, didn’t you?” said Demorat Adam Schiff,D-CA.,

“What you did write was deeply prejudicial to the interests of the president,” Schiff said. “You say it was not political and yet, you must have understood — you must have understood — the impact of your words.”

His parents are Haesook Hur and Dr. Young Hur of Monroe Township New Jersey, The New York Times reported. Her father is an anesthesiologist, according to a NYTimes article.

Republicans were just as critical at Hur's decision to not file charges against Biden. Hur felt that there was not enough evidence to convince a jury of any crimes. However, after the hearing, Hur said his reporte did not exonerate the President.

As a US Attorney, one of the high-profile cases he “led criminal cases against former Mayor Catherine Pugh, a Democrat, and two state delegates,” reported The Baltimore Sun. Pugh was convicted of wire fraud and tax evasion, according to a press release from the  DOJ.

In 2022 he was appointed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to head a commission to investigate hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Before his appointment as Special Counsel last year,  Hur was a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Crisis Management Practice Group. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.




Tuesday, March 12, 2024

AAPI Victory Fund joiin Latino and Black PACs to commit $30 million for Biden's reelection


President Joe Biden got a boost with the endorsement of three major PACs representing people of color.

Three major political action committees representing Asian American, Black and Latino voters ndorsed President Biden’s reelection bid last week and commit $30 million to mobilizing communities of color.

The AAPI Victory Fund, The Collective PAC, and Latino Victory Fund announced their endorsement during Biden's rally in Atlanta.


“President Biden and Vice President Harris have delivered for Asian American Pacific Islanders, and that’s why the AAPI Victory Fund stands strongly behind the Biden-Harris ticket,” said Joe Nguyễn, President and CEO of the AAPI Victory Fund. 

“Asian American voters are going to be key to the success of Democratic candidates up and down the ballot in 2024," said Nguyễn. "Between now and Election Day, we have robust plans to persuade and mobilize AAPI voters in culturally competent ways to speak to our communities’ values – while also aggressively calling out the harmful, xenophobic policies and rhetoric coming from Donald Trump and extremist Republicans.”

The Biden-Harris Administration has delivered historic results for communities of color in their first term in office:

  • Canceled student debt for more than 3.9 million borrowers and created new rules that will cut the average Black borrower’s payments in half, after Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court stopped President Biden’s larger debt forgiveness plan.
  • Created 2.6 million jobs for Black workers and achieved the lowest Black unemployment rate on record.
  • Covered almost two-thirds of births for Black mothers, helped to address Black maternal mortality, by expanding Medicaid coverage after birth from two to 12 months in most states.
  • Asian American unemployment has fallen by more than half since Biden took office. The Small Business Administration has distributed more than $16 billion in loans to AA and NHPI entrepreneurs. The number of Asian American owned businesses increased by 18% compared to pre-pandemic.
  • AANHPI Americans are represented throughout the Biden-Harris Administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris, the first vice president of South Asian descent.
  • Created nearly 12 million jobs, achieving the lowest unemployment rate on record for Latinos.
  • Cut Latino child poverty by 43% through the American Rescue Act and Inflation Reduction Act.
  • The Administration invested $450 billion and provided emergency relief to more than 6 million small businesses - leading Latinos to start new businesses at the fastest rate in the last decade.
“The stakes of this election could not be higher for voters of color, and President Biden and Vice President Harris could not be more honored to earn the support of these three national organizations that represent both the diversity of our party and the backbone of the coalition that stood up and voted in record numbers to defeat Donald Trump in 2020,” stated Biden campaign manager Juile Chavez Rodriguez.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.


Monday, March 11, 2024

FilAm food entrepreneur finds an investor on Shark Tank'

SCREEN CAPTURE / SHARK TANK
Jake Deleon was successful in winning over a Shark Tank investor.


A Filipino American's food business, Fila Manila, is about to get bigger after an appearance on Shark Tank, the TV show that links businesses with investors.

“I’ve been a fan of Shark Tank for more than a decade,”  said Fila Manila founder Jake Deleon in an interview. “I remember watching during my time in corporate and being inspired by the entrepreneurs who bared their life and business on the carpet and learning from the shark’s questions.”

Fila Manila makes Filipino foods, which are hard to find in the most mainstream grocery stores.

"Where Filipino cuisine is today is where Korean and Japanese cuisine was 10 years ago," Deleon said during the March 4 episode of Shark Tank.

“I’ve always been in the food business. We come from an immigrant family and with most Filipino families, food is always the center of the household,” New Jersey resident Deleon told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s no surprise that a lot of our entrepreneurial efforts as kids or even with my parents started out with food. We just made food in our kitchen and would sell to friends and family for extra income.”

“One of the cases I made [for Filipino food] on Shark Tank is that we’re actually the fastest growing cuisine in the U.S. right now in terms of popularity,” he said. “What’s working in our favor is that if you go to most groceries, there’s not really any Filipino representation at all.”

Deleon, a graduate from Drexel University, founded the company in November 2020, having previously created an almond milk brand that he discontinued due to setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic. In just a few years, he has been able to grow Fila Manila into a million-dollar business.

Before becoming an independent businessman, Deleon learned the food industry business while working Procter & Gamble,  developing products and managing brands for Starbucks, Pringles and the pet-food brand Iams.

"I'm a 1st generation FilAm," Deleon writes on the company website. "who was born in the Philippines and raised in NJ with countless memories of joyful family gatherings. His family's recipes were the basis of Fila Manila's products.

"At the center of each gathering was a table overflowing with home-cooked Filipino dishes. I remember the delicious flavors of our food together with the laughter of my family bringing comfort and joy to my heart.

"I created Fila Manila to celebrate the joy of Filipino family, culture, and our delicious cuisine," he says.

Fila Manila's condiments include a banana-based ketchup, the increasingly popular ube and coconut spread, adobo marinade and sauce, creamy peanut sauce, and pineapple rum sauce. All of the spreads are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan with no artificial colors or flavors. The products are sold by grocers in 25 states at stores including Whole Foods, Target, Stop & Shop and Mom's Organic Market.

FILA MANILA


Deleon said he fully expected to have to negotiate with the sharks to get a deal done.

"You come into the show and then you expect that you have to negotiate. And then you're familiar with how the sharks negotiate as well, so you have to come in with that mentality because if you do make a deal, you're probably starting from way up here and they're going to want to bring you way down here. You have to think about the mentality of meeting somewhere in the middle."


"I'm super psyched I got a deal with Daniel. He was the Shark I was targeting, and I think Daniel's experience building Kind is going to bring Fila Manila where I want it to be," Deleon said during the Shark Tank episode.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.


Monday, March 4, 2024

FilAm teacher chosen as California's Teacher of the Year

CBS
Joseph Alvarico, center ,was chosen as one of California's Teachers of the Year.


A Filipino immigrant brought to the US to help fill the teachershortage was named one of the top teachers in California.

Robotics teacher Joseph Alvarico, who taches at Ygnacio Valley High School in the SF Bay Area, is one of the five 2024 California Teachers of the Year, as selected by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

“I am both thrilled and humbled at the same time to have been selected as one of the 2024 California Teachers of the Year," Alvarico said. "This distinction is a reflection of the long hours and unwavering commitment that I have put into my teaching career"

It has been a year of honors for Alvarico, who was hired in 2004 by the  Mount Diablo Unified School DistrictAlvarico was named a Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year in September and one o the Teachers of the Year for the Mount Diablo school district in the Spring of 2023.

He teaches high school Engineering Essentials, Introduction to Engineering Design, and college level "dual enrollment" courses through a partnership with Diablo Valley College, and is also the advisor of the school's robotics club, "Femineer" STEM club and Interact Rotary Club for youth.

"My gratitude extends to multiple people in my life who have guided me along my professional path and supported my classroom every step of the way. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat! ("Thank you all!" in Tagalog.)" said Alvarico. Without you, I wouldn't be able to give my students the greatest service that I possibly could. I am excited to continue making a positive impact on the lives of my students, our local community, and the educational world at large.”

California Teachers of the Year are considered to be "ambassadors for the profession and serve as representatives of the state for the calendar year," according to the California Department of Education (CDE) news release announcing Alvarico's selection.

Thurmond said he was pleased to recognize the "remarkable educators, who all display deep commitment and innovation in their work—all while supporting their students through a difficult time. They make profound differences in their students’ lives and provide both inspiration and the practical tools that students need to succeed. They’re all prime examples of the exceptional work going on in California schools.”

Alvarico is the only Northern California teacher to receive this distinguished honor this year as the other four teachers reside in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties.

Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said she was proud that a Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year was named one of the state’s top educators. “Joseph is a great example of the high-quality teaching and learning going on in Contra Costa County schools every day and it’s a great honor for him to be selected as a California Teacher of the Year," she said. "Congratulations to him, his colleagues and MDUSD for the support they have given him throughout this process and his career.”

Born in the Philippines to a family of educators, Alvarico has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Secondary Education degree. After answering an MDUSD ad seeking teachers in the Philippines, Alvarico immigrated to the United States in 2004 and initially began his MDUSD teaching career at Oak Grove MS, along with several other teachers hired from the Philippines.

After 12 years, Alvarico transferred to Ygnacio Valley HS, where he has worked for seven years. He combines previous on-the-job experience in the tech industry in the Philippines into his lessons while also focusing on community-building with his students. He strives to show all his students their potential and the possibilities available when they leave high school, no matter their economic status.

Alvarico may be the best argument for recruiting foreign teachers to offset the teacher shortage. The recruitment of teachers from other countries has been done for decades to help fill a teacher shortage of teachers caused, in part, by the retirement of Baby Boomers and those who have left the profession for better pay or burnout. The US lost 370,000 teachers since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reports the Washington Post.

Foreign teachers are being hired by school districts across the country, especially those who can teach STEM subjects. In 2022 the Philippines provided the most teachers for US classrooms.

In the years 2015 to 2021, the most recent statisticss availalbe, there were 19,491 teachers from 114 countries teaaching in teh US during that six-year period. Filipinos, because of their English fluency and economic conditions in the became part of the Philippines diaspora. The greatest numbers have come from:
  • Philippines, with 4,338;
  • Spain, with 3,614;
  • Jamaica, with 2,213;
  • China, with 1,816; and
  • France, with 1,431.
SuperintendentThurmond chose the state Teachers of the Year based on CDE selection committees review of applications; evaluation of the teachers’ rapport with students and their classroom environments, presentation skills, and teaching techniques; and interviews with the teachers. 

As part of his application, Alvarico submitted this video, in which he explains how he engages his students in learning and helps to develop their leadership and career skills. He begins with a traditional Filipino "Mabuhay" greeting, which is a formal way of saying, "hello," and includes laying the palm of his right hand over his chest in a welcoming gesture. He was also featured in a KPIX news report here.

"As a Filipino immigrant who didn't have much growing up, I believe education is a way out of poverty," Alvarico wrote in his CDE application. "Education has brought me here to the US And it's through education that I find myself among the best educators in California."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.



Saturday, March 2, 2024

Asian American shoppers love Costco and the retailer caters to the AsAm market

Asian American shopers are a key market target for Costco.


While shopping at Costco recently, I was surprised to see one of the Philippines' classic dishes, pork adobo, for sale. Just heat and serve, the instructions on the box said. I began to keep track of the Korean pork BBQ, Taiwanese ramen, the Indian curried chicken,frozen dumpings and the big bags of rice. 

There is certainly a trend among retailers to cater to Asian American shoppers, And why not? As consumers, Asian Americans are outperforming other ethnic groups. 

Costco, the big-box retailer offering goods in bulk and discounts, has certainly noticed the Asian American consumers. Through the years, the Asian food selection, especially in its frozen and prepared food items, have become more expanded way beyond frozen pizza and hamburger patties.

In 2021, Business Insider reported that the average Costco customer is a 35- to 44-year-old Asian American woman.

Even though Asian Americans only make up only 7% of the US population, even higher in states like Hawaii and California where Asian Americans make up 48% and 16% respectively, according to the market research firm Numerator, Asian Americans make up 10% of their customers in 2023.

While Asian Americans only make up 7% of the population, they comprised 10% of Costco’s consumer base in 2023, according to Numerator, a market research firm that creates data snapshots of some of the country’s biggest retailers.

The reasons for Asian American consumers are numerous: Immigrants from Asia make up the fastest growing segment of the US population; Asian American househohlds tend to be larger than the US average which makes buying in bulk more sense; and according to US Census data, on average, Asian Americans have a higher household income than other segmentst of the US.

The Numerator study also found that Costco shoppers are 81% more likely to be of Asian descent.

“For Asian Americans, their rate of population acceleration certainly lends to this idea that ... they’re going to be creating major market shifts,” Kymberly Graham, head of diversity initiatives at NielsenIQ, told CNBC in 2022. “Their needs are being served, it inherently becomes very profitable for anyone that’s serving them.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.


Sunday, February 25, 2024

People Power revolution anniversary comes and goes with barely a mention in the Philippines


One Feb. 25, 1986m thousands of Filipinos on EDSA Blvd. holding up their extended thumb and forefinger to form an "L" for L"aban" (Fight!)





If he had his way, Philippine President Bong Bong Marcos would have the Filipino people forget the People Power revolution that kicked his family out of Malacanang Palace.

Last October Marcos Jr. issued issued Proclamation No. 368 which eliminated February 25t the anniversary of the bloodless revolution as a national holiday.

Critics say that it is Marcos' attempt to diminish what he previously said was one of the "darkest days" for his family when his father, the dictator Ferdinand Marcoswas, and his family fled from the People Power revolution in 1986.The only official mention of the anniversary was a proclamation from the National Historical Commission of the Philippine which issued a statement on Facebook.

Much of the protests took place on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue,the highway encircling Manila, giving the actions the name of the EDSA revolution.

“The EDSA People Power Revolution was a series of demonstrations from 22 to 25 February 1986. It was a civil resistance campaign against the regime of violence and electoral fraud. The peaceful revolution led to the departure of former President Ferdinand Marcos ending 20 years of dictatorship and restoring democracy in the country.” .

The Marcos family and their supporters have spent years and part of their ill-gotten fortune rewriting history of the 20 years spent under the Marcos dictatorship. The success of the disinformation campaign led to the election of Marcos, Jr. to the Philippine presidency two years ago.

In 2023, his first year in office, Bong Bong Marcos observed the anniversary, saying “I once again offer my hand of reconciliation to those with different political persuasions to come together as one in forging a better society – one that will pursue progress and peace and a better life for all Filipinos."

This year, there was no official statement from Malacanang.

It is a watershed moment in in Philippine history that should not be forgotten. For those of us in the United States, it was a moment of pride and visibility, knowing that Filipino presence in the US media was almost zero. The protestors in EDSA were our cousins, brothers, sisters, titos and titas. 

        READ: As editor of the Philippine News, I had a unique perspective of that day.

In the US it was Feb. 24. We watched on television, with baited breath, minute by minute, as the events occurred leading to the eventual Marcos family's departure.




Following is the Feb. 25 timeline (as reported on Wikipedia):

FEBRUARY 25, 1986

  • 12:00 MN:
    • Marcos loyalist soldiers fire through barbed wire barricades on Nagtahan Street, injuring several people.
    • Some of Marcoses’ belongings are taken out of Malacañang.
  • 3:30 AM: Marines rejoice as orders to attack Camp Crame are canceled.
  • 3:45 AM:
    • Airplanes carrying reinforcements ordered by Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Fabian Ver head for Clark Air Base.
    • The troops stay there for the duration of the revolt.
  • 5:00 AM:
    • On the phone to Washington, President Marcos asks US Sen. Paul Laxalt if he should resign. Laxalt's reply: “I think you should cut, and cut cleanly. The time has come.”
    • Marcos tells Labor Minister Blas Ople, who is in Washington lobbying for the Marcos regime, that he is not stepping down because first lady Imelda Marcos does not want him to.
  • 5:15 AM: Marcos gives the go-signal for his family to prepare to leave.
  • 6:00 AM: Rebel soldiers advance towards the Broadcast City complex with hundreds of people with them, accompanied by a rebel S-76 helicopter
  • 8:00 AM: People are called to guard Club Filipino in San Juan in case Marcos attempts to disrupt Aquino's inauguration as president.
  • 10:00 AM: Aquino arrives at Club Filipino. Opposition lawyer Neptali Gonzales reads a resolution proclaiming her and former Sen. Salvador Laurel as duly elected President and Vice President.
  • 10:46 AM:
  • 11:45 AM: Marcos enters Malacañang's Ceremonial Hall for his own inauguration.
  • 11:55 AM: Just as President Marcos addresses the crowds at Malacanang Palace, RPN-9BBC Channel 2 and IBC-13 all sign-off as rebel soldiers capture the Broadcast City complex, transmitters and studios of said stations. The New TV-4 and GMA Network continue airing as usual. The President had just taken what would be his final inauguration oath of office beforehand.
  • 3:45 PM:
    • Loyalist soldiers try to ram down barricades set up at Tomas Morato and Timog Avenue in Quezon City, but people power prevails.
    • On Nagtahan, pro-Aquino groups and loyalists coming from Marcos’ inauguration clash.
  • 4:30 PM: Imee Marcos’ husband, Tommy Manotoc, relays the offer of US Brig. Gen. Ted Allen to use American helicopters or boats to move Marcos from the Palace.
  • 5:00 PM:
    • Marcos calls Enrile again to coordinate his departure from Malacañang.
    • His aides start packing not only clothes and books but also boxes of money that have been stored in his bedroom since the start of the election campaign. Prime Minister Cesar Virata negotiates Marcos’ departure with Aquino.
  • 6:30 PM: Imee and Irene Marcos plead with their father to leave Malacañang after he tells his remaining men that he has decided to die there.
  • 7:00 PM:
    • US Ambassador Stephen Bosworth asks Cory Aquino if Marcos can be allowed two days in Paoay, Ilocos Norte province, before heading abroad. To prevent possible regrouping of Marcos loyalists, Aquino refuses.
    • In Malacañang, luggage are loaded on boats, which proceed to Pangarap golf course across Pasig River where US helicopters are to collect the Marcoses.
  • 7:30 PM: The families of Ver and Eduardo Cojuangco motor to Clark Air Base in Pampanga province.
  • 8:40 PM: A convoy of heavily secured vehicles makes a beeline for Clark.
  • 8:45 PM: The Marcoses and other government officials board helicopters. Some of their possessions are loaded on the choppers.
  • 9:05 PM: President Marcos and his family leave the Malacañang Palace and are now on Clark Air Base, Radio Veritas and The New TV-4 announced the departure. As news of their departure reaches the people, the millions who gathered at EDSA rejoice, since their departure sparks the conclusion of the revolution. Crowds already position along Mendiola Street, Recto Avenue and Legarda Street, having arrived there late in the afternoon to await the departure of the First Family and had already encountered the pro-Marcos crowd at Nagtahan earlier
  • 9:20 PM: Within minutes of the announcement of the departure of the Marcos family, President Aquino makes her first ever live address to the nation as chief executive via Channel 4
  • 9:30 PM: Remaining members of the presidential household and employees begin to pack up and leave the palace complex while the pro-Aquino crowds began to walk to the gates
  • 9:45 PM: Marcos lands in Clark and is met by Bosworth. People in the area welcome him with chants of “Cory! Cory!”
  • 9:52 PM: DZRH announces: The Marcoses have fled the country.
  • 10:00 PM: US Air Force TV station FEN confirms Marcos’ departure.
  • 11:30 PM: Pro-Aquino crowds force the opening of the Malacanang Palace gates, as they open thousands of Aquino supporters and participants of the revolution storm the palace complex with little resistance

Nuns stopping tanks. Girls giving flowers to the soldiers. Soldiers refusing to fire on the crowds. The phone calls to the White House. The shoes. What a day.

The next day, I remember the sun was shining in California. A reporter asked me how I felt. I responded, "See this smile? I can't stop smiling." 

We will not forget. We must not forget!

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.


SAG-AFTRA: More acting accolades for Steven Yeun and Ali Wong

SCREEN CAPTURE / NETFLIX
Ali Wong and Steven Yeun won SAG-AFTRA awards for their work on the series 'Beef.'

Who better to judge an actor's performance than other actors? Steven Yeun and Ali Wong won Best Actor and Best Actress in a Screen Actors Guild'sTelevision Movie or Limited Series  for their work as the lead actors in Beef.

"I want to thank my 83-year-old mother, who's here tonight in her pearls and her Tevas because she doesn't give a f---," Wong said as she accepted her award.

Speaking directly to her mother, Wong said: "I know it was really hard when I told you I wanted to do stand-up comedy. I hope you feel like it's all worked out."

TheSAG-AFTRA awards Feb. 24 makes it a clean sweep for Wong and Yeun. The dramedy series created by Lee Sung-jin already won the actors awards from the Golden Globe, Critics Chioce and Emmys.

        FYI: For the complete list of SAG-AFTRA award winners, click here.

The seris, which is streaming on the Netflix channel, is noteworthy because it presents a different side of Asian Americans that  strays from the model minority stereotype usually depicted in maistream media. A road rage incident spirals into a one-upmanship series of revenge acts between the two mentally and emotionally flawed characters portrayed by Yeun and Wong.

The SAG-AFTRA awards honor the best film and TV performances of the year at the 2024 SAG Awards, with the motion picture Oppenheimer and TV series The Bear led in their respctive categories. It was streamed live on Netflix.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.


Friday, February 23, 2024

Dance workshops with Vincent Rodriguez III can transport fans into the world of 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'

SCREEN CAPTURE
Vincent Rodriguez in a musical number in 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend fans have a chance to pretend they are part of the cast through dance workshops taught by one of the show's stars. 

Vincent Rodriguez III, who plays Josh Chan in the groundbreaking rom-com,  is offering fans an opportunity to learn the dance moves performed in the series.

Rodriguez's Filipino American character was the object of attraction of the series' obsessive character Rebecca Bunch, wonderfullly played by Rachel Bloom. It was one of the few times in mainstream media the Asian American male was a romantic lead, countering the stereotype of the sexless, unattractive male stereotype that haunts generations of Asian American male egos.

        RELATED: Why you should be watching 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'

The series lasted only three entertaining seasons and opened the door for a wider depiction of Asian American men.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was not the ordinary usual rom-com. It was a musical. At any moment or crucial juncture in the plot, the cast could break into song and dance to move the story along.

The singing and dancing came easy to Rodriguez because of his stage musical background honed on Broadway and Bay Area high school productions. Although he has been able to find other roles after Crazy Ex-Girlfriend wrapped, the Daly City, California native misses his first passion of singing and dancing.

        READ: The original article from The San Francisco Standard.

Since January, Rodriguez has been teaching fans dance moves through workshops dedicated to the choreography that award-winning chreographer Kat Burns created for the the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend series at Uforia Studios in Nob Hill, reports the San Francisco Standard.

"It’s really about giving back and reconnecting with my roots,” Rodriguez told the Standard. “I want to help the artists get to do what they love and discover what there is to discover about themselves.”

"I don’t care if you mess up the choreography,” Rodriguez told the reporter who took part in the class. “This is not a place for critique. This is a place for fun, creativity and play.”

SCREEN CAPTURE / SAN FRANCISCO STANDARD
Vincent Rodriguez (in checkered shirt) teaches fans dance moves from
'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.'
FYI: Vincent Rodriguez III teaches a Groov3 dance fitness workshop on March 23 from 12:00-3:30 p.m. at Uforia Studios in Nob Hill and the next ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ dance workshop at Uforia on March 24, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Follow @uforiastudios or @vrodrigueziii on Instagram for updates.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok@DioknoEd on Twitter or at the blog Views From the Edge.