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Nonoy Mendoza, organizer of the Twenty Outstanding Filipino Abroad (TOFA), recently thanked his supporters for what he said was the complete success of the award night (Sept. 1). He also took a dig at snipers who he said have criticized the program since 1990. Here is the ‘thank you’ email which the Manila Mail editor passed on to me:

Where are the hundreds of organizations of doctors in America? Why are they thunderously silent over the case of Dr. Romeo Chua, a Filipino American doctor, who seems to be a victim of discrimination in the state of Georgia? Dr. Chua, a graduate of Far Eastern University, has been in detention since September 2006 for allegedly causing the death of a patient. The Camden, Georgia district attorney took his own sweet time to bring the case to trial. Dr. Chua had been appealing to Filipino Americans for help and various organizations , including NaFFAA, have now joined his fight for justice. Fortunately, his trial is scheduled for next month. But so far none of the big national Filipino American doctors’ associations have voiced their support to him. Why? Because he is an FEU graduate? Wake up docs! You might even become the next victim of discrimination.

The crabs are at it again. They are scrambling all over the country, claiming credit for the passage of the Filipino veterans equity bill in the veterans affairs committees of both the Senate and the House. Some have started lambasting others for not doing enough or betraying their pledge to help. Others are digging up skeletons in their closets to denounce other leaders who have worked just as hard to help the veterans for the past several years. And as if it’s all over, others are asking various groups to account for funds collected for lobbying for the veterans.

It took visiting Senator “chatterbox” Richard Gordon in DC recently to galvanize the community into self-criticism and to act on critical issues facing the community. One issue he touched on was the Filipino veterans equity bill pending in Congress. And the other is the candidacy of Vellie Sandalo Dietrich Hall who is running for a public office in Fairfax county, Virginia. Here’s a sample from one observant observer: “If you hear some leaders in the community perorate about empowerment, one would think the Filipino Americans have arrived. But the reality is that we have not. We are still all talk and no action.

Hurray! This is not tsismis. Very reliable sources in Manila say the Manila Mail has been branded by the Philippine military and the police as “anti-Philippine government.” They add that some of the Mail’s staffers have also been included in the “blacklist.” The list, the sources add, was drawn up by military-police agents “who make frequent trips to Washington D.C.” They aver the reason for the blacklist is that the Manila Mail has been a perennial critic of the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the extra-judicial killings committed by the Philippine police and the military.

What impressed everybody at the parade and fair at the Philippine festival in Washington D.C. June 3 was the sight of Philippine Ambassador Willy C. and Mrs. Gaa leading the parade along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. while others scampered for shelter. And despite the whole-day rain, many people still came because they said “it is a happening that occurs only once a year.” As far as one can remember this was the first time in many moons that the festival was marred by a whole-day rain, leading some skeptics to ask: “Sino ang malas?” The superstitious believe the gods were angry because the date was well in advance of Philippine independence day on June 12. “Perhaps, Aguinaldo was turning in his grave,” one said.

No, there is no truth to the rumor that the Philippine embassy has not yet finished counting the votes for the May 14 election in the US. An embassy mole says the Philippine government spent more dollars than the number of votes the consul generals in the US brought with them to the embassy for canvassing. He adds there is their truth to some tsismis that there were flying voters among the embassy staffers. Most of the votes received by the embassy, according to this mole, came from the Guantanamo terrorist prison in Cuba. No, the some 60 Filipinos who voted by mail are not inmates of the prison. They are only construction workers.

Mistresses are now becoming acceptable in Catholic Philippines (see story about mistresses titled "Mistresses now acceptable in RP?"). Perhaps it is also time for mistresses of Filipino Americans in the US to come out of the woodwork and gain a modicum of acceptability! "There is no stigma to being someone's mistress, at least not in the Philippines," says Jullie Yap Daza, author of the best selling book Etiquette for Mistresses: And What Wives Can Learn From Them. "While we still have no divorce in this country mistress will always be seen as wife number two or three or four, depending on how many a man has," she said.

The Fiesta Asia is back again for 2007, right in the heart of nation’s capital, along Pennsylvania Ave., between 3rd and 6th streets, NW, Washington D.C.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has announced nomination of Soohyun "Julie" Koo as the director of the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (APIA). Ms. Koo was named to the post after serving as the office's interim director of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs since Fenty took office in January.

Miss Teenage Philippines USA Pageant Inc. will hold its premier Coronation and Ball for the “Miss Teenage Philippines 2007 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, Washington D.C. on Sunday, May 27, 2007, 6:00 P.M. Sponsored by the Ilocano Society of America, proceeds from the pageant will go to ISA's medical mission and scholarship award program. Donation is $55.00/person. For more info, contact: Trini Padama (301)705-8850 Nanette Suyat (301)292-0696, (240) 475-2411 Alice Andam (703) 768-6762.

The Filipino Cultural Association in the University of Maryland, College Park, will honor the achievements of two remarkable Filipino Americans in the Washington metropolitan area during its gala to raise awareness and funding for the Filipino American Studies Program on Sunday, April 29 at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center in the UM College Park.

The purpose of the gala is to commemorate the inauguration of Filipno American studies at the university and to make Filipino Americans actively involved in this historic milestone in the nation's capital.

An unfunny thing happened to us on the way to the human rights forum in the Philippine embassy March 22, writes community activist and Manila Mail columnist Jon Melegrito. Here’s how Jon reported the incident to Tsismoso:

This was the question some Filipino Americans involved in the lobbying activities for the Filipino Veterans' Equity bill are asking after Ambassador Willy C. Gaa was conspicuously absent from the historic committee hearing chaired by Rep. Bob Filner (D-California) last month. "It is inexcusable that the ambassador absented himself from an issue that he claimed to be on top of his agenda as envoy to the US," commented one observer at the hearing. "If he had another commitment, was it more important than the committee hearing in Congress?" Other lobbyists noted that in the past, Gaa's predecessors always made it a point to attend hearings in Congress. They deplored the fact that while Gaa sponsored the conference at the Philippine embassy to plot strategy on the veterans' issues several months ago, he was not at "the frontline" when the key committee meeting was held. "Rep. Filner might think that the Philippine government is not very much interested in pursuing the issue in Congress. . The ambassador merely sent in his second in command in the embassy who had scant knowledge of the issue," they averred.

Congratulations to Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy Gaa for being selected one of the "12 Most Outstanding Filipinos for 2006" by Philcentral, which claims to be "a leading Filipino web portal. The award said it was given to him by the Web portal for his professional excellence, exemplary character and selfless contribution to the advancement of Philippine national interest and the general welfare of the Filipino Global Community."

Aside from citing Ambassador Gaa's "service-oriented” approach to the Filipino and Filipino-American community in his prior assignments in New York and Los Angeles, Philcentral also commended the Ambassador’s efforts in reaching out to the community in spite his busy work schedule.