MIGRANT
WATCH
Fil-Am Immigrants Launch U.S.-wide
Alliance
Around 350
Filipino-Americans met in Queens, New York over the weekend for a two-day
national conference and to form a national alliance that would address the
various issues affecting the Filipino-American community. The new alliance
agreed to address issues affecting the various sectors of the community.
BY BULATLAT
NEW YORK CITY --
Around 350 Filipino-Americans converged in Queens this city over the
weekend to attend a two-day national conference of Filipino-American
organizations and launch a U.S.-wide alliance that would address the
various issues affecting the Filipino-American community.
Some 30 organizations
from 24 cities all over the U.S. attended the conference held at the
Kalayaan Auditorium of the Philippine Forum in Elmhurst, Queens.
Of the participants,
30 came from outside New York and New Jersey. There were delegates from
Chicago, Illinois; Portland, Oregon; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Tampa,
Florida; Arlington, Virginia; Washington D.C.; Virginia Beach, Virginia;
Silver Spring, Maryland; Seattle, Washington; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Los
Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, San Bernardino, among others,
in California.
By the end of the
conference, the participants had agreed on a three-year general program of
action and elected a new set of officers for the new alliance, the
National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON).
The new alliance
agreed to address issues affecting the various sectors of the community
such as seniors, youth, children, domestic workers, war veterans,
professionals, and others. The delegates also agreed to campaign for more
humane immigration laws in the U.S., among other issues.
Elected president is
Fr. Benjamin Alforque, MSC. Rico Foz is executive vice president. Elected
national vice presidents are: Nerissa Nabua-Allegretti; Bro. Julian
Jagudilla, OFM; Robyn Rodriguez; Mara Mendoza and Julia Camagong.
Robert Roy of the
Philippine Forum is the national executive director while Nedo Valera is
the group’s legal counsel. Other officers are: Farida Ali, secretary; Fr.
Tony Abuan, treasurer.
Also appointed were
national directors for sectoral and special concerns such as academic and
scholars, seniors and children, church and faith-based, artists, domestic
workers, health, indigenous and Bangsa Moro, institutions and service
providers, labor, labor, media, seafarers, veterans, women, and youth.
Appointed initial
members of the national advisory board were Dr. Orlando Apiado, Fr. Art
Balagat, Dr. Benjamin Ileto and Fr. Dennis Legaspi. Bulatlat
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