PAGE 2 • THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017

MAY 19, 2017Bicol Club of Hawaii’s Premier ScholarshipFundraiser, Celebrates the Art & Music ofBicolano heritage. Filipino CommunityCenter. 428 Mokuola St. Waipahu, HI 5:30PM – 10:00 PM. $50.00 General Admission,VIP tickets available by sponsorship Level.Contact Person: Arnold Pontillas 391-9185

MAY 28, 2017Tyson Perry’s Fearless Funding 4 KidneyFunction Fundraiser Crab Shack Kapolei. 590Farrington Highway. 4:00 PM–9:00 PM;$25.00 Donation Contact Person: NancyOrtiz 285-0072

JUNE 1-JUNE 8, 2017Adobo Festival, the very first in Hawaiipresented by the Philippine CelebrationsCoordinating Committee of Hawaii (PCCCH)in Cooperation with the Filipino Chamber ofCommerce of Hawaii (FCCH) and the HawaiiRestaurant Association to promote localbusinesses and promote Filipino Culture andCuisine. Contact Persons: Cecilia Villafuerte780-4985, Bernadette Fajardo 342-8090,Amelia Casamina Cabatu 282-2033.

JUNE 9, 2017Earth Philippines Hawaii, an art show featuringthe abstract arts and paintings of EarthPhilippines Artists & featuring Actress andArtist Heart Evangelista together with herhusband Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero,The ARTS at Marks Garage 1159 NuuanuAvenue, Honolulu HI 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.Cost:$60.00; Contact Person: Indah FidesDelgado 724-0602

JUNE 10, 2017119th Phil ippine Independence DayCelebration presented by the PhilippineCelebrations Coordinating Committee ofHawaii (PCCCH) in cooperation with thePhilippine Consulate General, Hilton HawaiianVillage Resorts, Tapa Ballroom. 6:00 PM;Contact Persons: Cecilia Villafuerte 780-4985, Bennette Misalucha 398-5988,

MAY 4, 2017Hawaii Filipino Junior Chamber May GeneralMembership Meeting Max’s of Manila. RubyRoom 801 Dillingham Blvd. Honolulu, HI.6:30 PM; Guest Speaker: Alice Inoue Cost:FJC Member $10.00; RSVP, ContactPerson: Natalie Millon 366-9583

MAY 6, 201725th Annual Filipino Fiesta & (5th Flores DeMayo) Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. 9:00 AM –5:00 PM; Entertainment all day & a Sunduanat 11:30 AM. Contact the Fil-Com CenterArceli Reboll ido 808-680-0451 oremail:f i lcom@filcom.org for moreinformation

MAY 6, 2017Wahiawa Pineapple Festival 2017, WahiawaDistrict Park on California Avenue. 10:00AM – 4:00 PM. Admission to the Festival isFREE. The event will include a parade at9:00 AM, cultural and educational booths,food booths, the 2017 Festival T-shirt, acountry store, vendors, handcrafters, thrillingentertainment and keiki activities.TheWahiawa Pineapple Festival is sponsoredby the Wahiawa Historical Society. TheFestival is still in need of vendors andcrafters. Vendors should contact theWahiawa Historical Society. P.O. Box861500, Wahiawa, HI 96786 or visit thewebsite www.wahiawahistoricalsoc.com formore information. Contact Person: DonRobbins 225-7206

MAY 13, 2017Filipino Chamber of Commerce of HawaiiFilipino Entrepreneur of the Year and theFilipino Young Entrepreneur of the Year andScholarship Awards Gala. Fil-Com Center94-428 Mokuola Street Waipahu, HI. 6:00PM – 11:00 PM; Contact Persons: RockyAnguay, 387-5821, Bernadette Fajardo 342-8090

Bernadette Fajardo 342-8090, AmeliaCasamina Cabatu 282-2033.

June 11, 2017The Oahu Filipino Community Councilpresents the 2017 Miss Oahu FilipinaScholarship Pageant Sheraton Waikiki HawaiiBallroom. 5:30 PM; No Host Cocktails, 6:30PM Gala Banquet, 7:30 PM. Pageantrychaired by Miss Deedee Melchor-Paguyo inassociation with the Miss Oahu FilipinaSisterhood. For Sponsorship, Advertising, &Ticket Reservations Call Deedee at 554-2897

JUNE 17, 2017Operation Manong/OMSS (Office ofMulticultural Student Services) 45ThAnniversary. 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Universityof Hawaii Manoa Campus Center Ballroom.$10.00 per person, Free for children 12yrsold and under open to the Public; RSVP byMay 31, 2017. Contact Information: 808-956-7348 or email opmanong@gmail.com

JUNE 23, 2017Rotary Club of Kapolei 2017-2018Installation of Officers and Board ofDirectors Fil-Com Center. 94-428 MokuolaStreet Waipahu, HI 6:00 PM; Cost: $50.00for Dinner, Entertainment, Door Prizes andRotary Foundation. RSVP to Rev. AlexVergara, RCK President at 808-5514303 oremail: alex@alexvergaraphotography.com

JULY 8, 2017Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii(FCCH) Installation of New Officers andBoard of directors. 6:00 PM; Hilton HawaiianVillage Resorts, Tapa Ballroom. ContactPersons: Bernadette Fajardo 342-8090,Brandon Dela Cruz 389-0517

JULY 10-16, 201711th Ambassadors’ Tour to the Philippines,Manila and Davao City. Join the annual tourto the Phil ippines with the Phil ippineDiplomats and explore the cultural heritagesites of Manila and Davao City. Experience

STATEWIDE COMMUNITY CALENDARCompiled by AMELIA CASAMINA CABATU

Amelia Casamina Cabatu is a community leader and a familiar face, often hosting community events and celebrations. She is a veteran radio announcer andhosts the “FIL-AM COURIER COMMUNITY HOUR on 1270 KNDI Radio every 1st Sunday of the month. In addition to other affiliations, Amelia is the former Chairof the Philippine Celebrations Coordinating Committee of Hawaii. She owns and operates an adult daycare business and is happily married to Arnold Cabatu.They live in Salt Lake and are blessed with one daughter, Armay. Please send your event information to acmina808@gmail.com or call her at (808) 282-2033.

OAHU

MAY 20-21, 2017Philippine Consulate Outreach Mobile TeamVisit in Hilo County of Hawaii Aupuni Center,Conference Room 101, Pauahi Street, Hilo.May 20, 2017 (Saturday) 8;00AM – 5:00 PM,May 21, 2017 (Sunday) 8:00 AM – 12:00 PMAppointments highly recommended ContactPerson: Tulpe Day (808) 961-8220 thisservice is made in collaboration with CoHImmigration Information Office.

BIG ISLAND

thePhil ippine culture, cuisine andentertainment. Starting from $1813.00 (hoteltwin sharing basis) and price is on a firstcome first served basis. For more informationplease contact the Philippine ConsulateGeneral Honolulu (808) 595-6316 to 19, AlohaTours & Travel 845-2218, EverlastingServices Inc. 841-2881, Nobel Travel (808)244-4609, Panda Travel Inc.732-6691press3, or Philippine Airlines Honolulu (808) 840-1109

AUGUST 26, 2017Philippine Cultural Foundation of Hawaii(PCFH) Recognition Night honoring the2017 Parents/parent of the year, recognizingthe 2017 outstanding achievements ofgraduating high school valedictorians in publicand private schools & presentation of thecontinuing scholar recipients,andannouncement of the Trailblazer of the yearaward to Mr. Roland Casamina. EmpressRestaurant. 100 North Beretania St. 6:00PM. We are currently searching for theparents/parent of the year who sacrificed tosend their children (3 minimum) to collegeand/or universities & have attained theirprofessional chosen careers. ContactPersons: Janice Sevilla 595-8000, LinaLongboy 421-7381, Leo Rojas Gozar 630-6268, Maggie Domingo 783-0068

August 26, 2017Filipino Nurses Organization of Hawaii(FNOH) Annual Awards and BiennialInstallation Banquet Hilton Hawaiian Village.Coral Ballrooms IV & V 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM;Contact Person: Stephanie Chung 221- 6212

SEPTEMBER 2, 2017Filipiniana Ball and Scholarship Awardpresented by the Philippine Women’sAssociation in Hawaii (PWAH). 6:00 PM atthe Ala Moana Hotel Hibiscus Ballroom.Contact Persons: Letty Saban 255-9429,Jenny Quezon 292-8105, Edna Alikpala282-3669

SEPTEMBER 16, 2017Filipino Women’s Civic Club (FWCC) AnnualMaria Clara Ball 2017. Ala Moana HotelHibiscus Ballroom. 6:00 PM; ContactPersons: Rose Galanto 688-4458, CeciliaVillafuerte 780-4985

OCTOBER 1, 2017Santa Lucia Academy Aloha Grand Reunion,Filipinana Night. Ala Moana Hotel, HibiscusBallroom. Contact Person: Tina Salvador 808426-6183

OCTOBER 20, 2017Filipino Community Center, Inc. BayanihanGala Fundraiser honoring extraordinary Actsof Service for more information andsponsorship opportunities contact Fil-ComCenter (808) 680-0451

OCTOBER 29, 2017Philippine Nurses Association of Hawaii(PNAH) Halloween and Masquerade BallFundraising at Ala Moana Hotel, RumuorsNightclub. 5:00 PM-10:00 PM. Cost: $30.00heavy pupus and one drink included. ContactPersons: Tina Salvador 426-6183, RamonSumibcay 489-7148, Tina Fernandez 721-1721

NOVEMBER 4, 2017Filipino Business Women’s Association(FBWA) presents the Annual Kimona Balland the Business Woman of the YearAwards Ceremony Dole Cannery PomaikaiBallroom 735 Iwilei Road, Honolulu, HI 6:00PM Contact Person: Elsa Talavera 358-8964

NOVEMBER 19, 2017International Filipino-American Asian CulturalAssociation of Hawaii’s 6th Year AnniversaryBall Pacific Beach Hotel Grand Ballroom Makai8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Cost: $40.00; donation.Contact Persons: Wilma Ibay 221-2407,Linda Jakosalem 679-9511,Becky Schmidt 291-4579

By BENNETTE ESPINELIMISALUCHA

THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017 • PAGE 3

PUBLISHERSMary Llanos Cordero

David Cordero

MANAGING EDITORBennette Espineli Misalucha

DIRECTOR OF DESIGNArmando Dela Cruz Busmente

PRODUCTION MANAGERAlice Llanos Busmente

ASSISTANT EDITORRadiant Cordero

COPY EDITORDanielle Evangelista

PHOTOGRAPHERS/GRAPHICSBrandon dela Cruz

Noah FelipeGabe de Liso

Jeff OrigJames Ramos

COLUMNISTSEdna Alikpala

Rhoda Yabez Alvarez, Esq.Jesse Bacon IINancy BernalCesar Bonilla

Alice Llanos BusmenteAmelia Casamina CabatuAnabel Gasmen Cabebe

Dr. Rickie CamaraDr. Patricia Halagao

Zeny MuyotAngie Santiago

Perfecto Yasay Jr.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSConrad Abuel

Ric AgnesPaul Alimbuyao

Ria BaldeviaEriza Bareng

Marnelli Joy BasilioBernie CaalimRandy Cortez

Radiant CorderoMary Cruzada

Jaime de JesusBrandon dela Cruz

Christian EvangelistaImelda Gasmen

Veronika GeronimoLeo Gozar

Ben GutierrezKathleen Lee

Carmela MinayaGladys Quinto Marrone

Gladys MenorJohn PagaraganPaola Rodelas

Judy RelosimonSandra SagisiNicole VelascoJason UbayMichi Villaruz

NEIGHBOR ISLAND BUREAUMaui

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Big IslandMil Asuncion

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CIRCULATIONFlorence Tan (Oahu)

Ron Oshiro (Leeward Oahu)David Cordero (Maui)

Marynel Valenzuela (Kauai)Milli Asuncion (Big Island)

LEGAL COUNSELAlfredo Evangelista, Esq.

Atty. Ernesto Urbano (Phils.)

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Opinions expressed by the columnists are their ownand do not necessarily reflect those of the Fil-AmCourier. Publisher reserves the right to edit lettersto the editor and other material submitted. Repro-duction of material and ads appearing in the Fil-Amcourier is forbidden without written permission. Allphotos submitted become the property of the Fil-Am Courier.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1987

Interestingly enough, even as mychildren grew up, they gave me clearsignals it was okay to expand myworld beyond them, in other words, tolet go. And slowly, I did. As the yearspassed, ours became a rhythmicdance of a mom’s love, with momentswhere I would step aside to teach mychildren independence followed bymoments of tight handholding andreassurances, whilst still dancing insync and harmony. In the background,my banking career — the industry Ichose to escape the vicissitudes ofmedia— turned out to be a great placeto develop and nurture my evolvingskills. As the children required lesstending, my dormant ambitions stirredand slowly re-emerged.

By the time Christian was nineand Danielle was four, I was offeredthe first of many managementresponsibilities. Those early yearswere one of the most difficult periodsof my life. I had to make tough choiceson a daily basis. Guilt became aconstant companion. Was I spendingenough time with my children? Yet,on the other hand, was I delivering onmy promise to my company as aresponsible manager?

Before Christian went away tocollege, I asked him point blank, in

The happiest moments in mylife? That’s easy—they were when mytwo children, Christian and Danielle,were born. No career milestone cancompare to that awe-inspiring momentwhen you cradle your child for the firsttime and behold the deep, strongemotions overcome you as you gazeinto those sweet innocent eyes whilean incredibly tiny hand instinctivelycurls around your thumb. You’vechanged. Forever.Perhaps for thebetter.

I have to confess: ever since Ican remember, I was always driven.In school, I graduated salutatorian ofmy class. Guilty of the classic oldestchild syndrome, I strove to exceedexpectations. Encouraged by parentswho supported my vision, I set off ona quest of career success. I knew Iwanted a marriage and children alongthe way but I arrogantly thought itwould be a breeze.

Oh boy, was I wrong! When mychildren were born, my world viewshifted. What career? I did not feelthe need to pursue my ambitions anylonger. The selfish strivings weresubjugated and my children’s welfarebecame primary. Unfortunately, I couldnot afford to stay home. I lefttelevision—the only career I knew—to go into banking with its predictablehours, no weekends and all-holidaysschedule. Sure, I had to start fromscratch and take a pay cut. Yes,banking did not present the glamourand cache that television supposedlyoffered. But never mind. I could pickup my children at 3:30 pm (after thebranch closed) and spend wonderfultimes at the playground, hear thepealing laughter as we raced home toenjoy an evening meal together.

THE MAY EDITION OF THE FIL-AM COURIER COMMUNITY HOUR RADIO PROGRAMON 1270 KNDI RADIO WILL BE HEARD ON MAY 14, 2017. JOIN US FORA SPECIAL MOTHER'S DAY SHOW FROM 3;30 PM - 5:30 PM HAWAII TIME.

LOG ON TO WWW.KNDI.COM, WATCH US ON FB LIVE ONFIL-AM COURIER COMMUNITY HOUR PAGE AS WELL AS

AMELIA CASAMINA CABATU FB PAGE.

HEAR THE STORIES OF AMAZING MOTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND GET TOKNOW UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL THE CONTESTANTS FOR THE UPCOMING

MISS OAHU FILIPINO PAGEANT. SEE YOU THEN!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

one of those heart-to-heart moments,whether he minded the fact that he didnot have a “traditional” upbringing. Helooked at me quizzically and askedwhat is “traditional?” His insightfulanswer astounded me: “Mom, I knewyou were happy doing what you weredoing, and you would have beenmiserable staying at home, so I washappy that you’re happy. Besides, I’venever known any other life, so howshould I know?” I felt reassured. Thosedays when I dragged his sister andhim to my office to finish a report on aSaturday did not seem to have lastingimpact. Ahh… the resilience of youth!

Looking back now, I know thereis no magical formula. All of usmothers do the best we can with whatwe are given. Since fifty percent ofthe work force are women— majorityof who are mothers— I am mindful Iwas not alone in the daily struggles ofbalancing. We all juggle. We all killourselves with guilt. We daily navigatethe two worlds, usually successfullybut with a great deal of worry. Who isto say what is right for one mom isright for the other? We all aspire toembrace our choices and moreimportantly, we need to embrace ourfellow mom’s choices with nojudgment.

In this issue of the Fil-AmCourier, we feature the stories ofMothers who inspire, who teach uslife lessons, and provide us a templatefor everyday greatness. Weappreciate these mothers who openedtheir hearts to allow us a glimpse ofwhat makes motherhood work for them.

As Mother’s Day approaches, Iview my life choices from a differentlens from those a decade ago. Today,I am at peace with my own choices.My children are now grown. Christianat 30, works at a non-profitorganization, lives in DC and recentlygot engaged to a wonderful youngwoman from Boston, Carolyn Dunlea.Danielle is 25, who after living in NewYork for six years, has decided toreturn to Hawaii and now holds aresponsible position in the politicalarena.

I have a close relationship withboth and we all choose to spendvacation days with each other,exploring new sights and sounds. Wetruly enjoy each other’s company. Joyand laughter fill our days when weare together.

Motherhood is never easy. But Ihope my example will someday teachDanielle the valuable lesson thatmotherhood does not mean giving upwho we are or letting go of our dreams.But I do tell Mothers to think of theircareers with a long-term view. Whilethe children are young, they need ourpresence. Motherhood is the best jobin the world.

For everything, there is a season.I had my time to devote and focus onthe children when they were little. Ihave no regrets.

Someone once gave me thiswonderful analogy that Mothers arelike water vessels and they are calledupon to fill everyone’s cup. But if thecontainer is empty, if the Mom has notfound fulfillment or happiness —whatever that may be— there isnothing to pour, nothing to share.

In my house, I am confident thatmy vessel will always be full.

Happy Mother’s Day to all thewonderful mothers!

Confessions of a Working Mom

PAGE 4 • THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017

ABOUT OUR COVER

This beautiful photo of three

exemplary mothers was taken at

the East West Center grounds at the

University of Hawaii Manoa.

For this Mother's Day issue, we

feature the stories of this mother and

her two daughters who all have

equally incredible stories of

motherhood: Left to right, Dr.

Caroline Davide, Paula Davide and

Dr. Tessie Davide Amore.

Photo Credit to the talented Alex

Vergara.

Photo Concept by Noah Felipe of

Orig Media. Mahalo to Jeff Orig of

Orig Media. Both Noah and Jeff can

be reached at www.origmedia.com

or by calling (808) 447-9559.

By BENNETTE ESPINELI MISALUCHAF i l - A m C o u r i e r M a n a g i n g E d i t o r

the family came first. So no, Ido not have regrets. I amhappy with the choices Im a d e . ”

Paula’s choice to setaside her ambitions was in sosmall part, also because shewanted to support herhusband Jorge as he aspiredto comfortably provide for thefamily. He had an impressiveresume: BS Agriculture fromthe University of thePhilippines, a Masters inScience from CornellUniversity and a PhD from NCState College (now NC StateUniversity). For many years,after their return from theUnited States, he commuteddaily between Makati and LosBanos for work, a commutethat meant leaving early in themorning and not being ableto return home until late atn igh t .

During those years, it wasPaula who had to be theanchor of the family even astheir four children were goingthrough their formative years.

She must have done wellon all accounts because herchildren turned out to besuccessful in their own right:Caroline, 58, is a doctor whohas a practice in Waianae;Teresita, 55, who graduatedfrom the University of thePhilippines magna cum laudeand a PhD from the University

Philippines with a chemistrydegree, she headed to UPLos Banos to be an assistantat a research lab. She hadgrown up in Caloocan, asuburb of Manila to parentsof humble means. Herparents did not completehigher education but to theircredit, they valued educationand saw to it that all sevenchildren finish college. It wasfrom this background thatPaula was determined thather future children wouldaspire to higher learning.

While at UP Los Banos,she met Jorge G. Davide, anagriculturist who was part ofthe UP faculty. Shortlythereafter, Jorge received ascholarship and the coupleheaded to Raleigh, NorthCarolina. Paula enrolled aswell in a graduate studiesprogram, but in the middle ofher studies, she becamepregnant with Carolina. Infact, as the children startedcoming, although shecontinued to work in her field,she did not complete thatgraduate degree.

When asked whether shehad any regrets at all aboutthe career choices she made,Paula was unequivocal:“When I had my babies, theywere my priority. I was withthem full time. My husbandand I decided that caring for

both of whom are successfulmothers— instil l ing disciplinein their children whileproviding love, are the basicingredients to raising goodchi ldren.

“You have to start whenthey are young, “ said Paula,“no spoiling of children.” Sheadded that the best part ofmotherhood is “when you seeyour children do what is right,especially as they becomesuccessful in school as wellas in life.”

Both her daughters agreealthough, there seems to besome good-natureddisagreement on the varyingdegrees of expectations.

“Yes, our mothering stylesmay be similar to my mom, butmy expectation is rooted onreality. My mom expectedperfection from her kids, whileI tell my daughter, ‘be thebest’,” Carolina laughed asshe explained.

How does one raisesuccessful high-performingch i ld ren?

Here are the stories ofthese three Davide womenand their philosophies onMotherhood .

PAULA SANTOS DAVIDEPaula Davide was always

academically driven, and so,after graduating from theprestigious University of the

In the Davide household,being a “tiger mom” is abadge of honor.For the uninitiated, the term“tiger mom” refers to “a strictor demanding mother whopushes her children to besuccessful academically byattaining high levels ofscholastic and academicachievement, using methodsregarded as typicalof childrearing in East Asia,South Asia and SoutheastAs ia . ”

For 85-year old PaulaSantos Davide and herdaughters Carolina Davideand Teresita Davide Amore—

THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017 • PAGE 5

she used to buy us a lot ofbooks. She raised us to begood readers and life-longlearners,” Tessie added.

Tessie also recalled thespecial way her mother wouldcelebrate the children’sbirthdays: “She would sew thebirthday girl, a dress, andthen she would bake a cake,usually with butter frosting,and the celebrant got tochoose the flavor. Then shewould cook a special mealand invite the small familytogether. The celebrant againgets to decide on the menu.”

One of the things thatTessie appreciated about hermother is her devotion to herfamily: “She sacrificed a lot forus. When my sister Carol wasborn, she quit graduateschool. She put family first.”

Tessie credits her mom forsteering her and her brothersand sisters towards the rightpath: “With my dad gone allthe time because of workdemands, my mom was ourmoral compass. She was verystrict, not just with school butwith everything. I used totake piano lessons, andsometimes, I l ike to doshortcuts, but my mom wouldnotice it while I was practicing,and would make me do thepractice all over again.”

“She wanted us to be well-behaved, so we had to speakin quiet tones; no loud voices.She taught us how to getalong with people. In fact,when I first moved to Hawaiito go to UH for post-graduatedegrees, I l ived with a localJapanese lady. That ladyreally liked me because shesaid I was neat and was veryhelpful. I thanked my mom forthe valuable life lessons.”

“I survived Anna’s teenageyears, thanks to my sense ofhumor. ”

“My goal was to raise achild who would not be aburden to society. In fact,when Anna was litt le, I readthis book by Stephen Covey,about the Seven Habits ofEffective Families.Interestingly enough, I foundthat the principles conveyedin the book were the exactsame thing that myGrandfather Ondo Davidetaught me.”

When asked what herbiggest challenge was whileraising Anna, Carolina said itwas “Time” or the lack thereof.“I made sure that Anna wasmy priority, but with a thrivingpractice and so many otherdemands on my time, it wasdifficult to raise her as asingle parent. So I draggedher along everywhere. Wewere joined at the hip. Inhindsight, perhaps it was alsoa blessing, because thatprobablywas where she gotthe idea of being involved ina lot of extra curricular andcommunity activities.”

These days, Carolinawaxes with somesentimentality about thetransition in her life, now thatAnna is living on her own intown, close by to UH: “That’swhat motherhood is all about.It’s moving the needle on yourcomfort zone. It’s adapting tothe new stage in life. It meansgrowth for mother anddaughter. ”

TESSIE DAVIDE AMORETessie Davide Amore

admits she learned a lot of hermothering skills from her ownmother, Paula.“When I gave birth to my firstborn, Matthew in 1992, mymother came to help me outfor six months. Even today, Istil l call her for advice.”

“My Mom had a stronginfluence in me throughout mylife. She was my first teacher,and we would read children’sbooks together; so I couldread by the time I went toregular school. I remember

without Anna, “ Carolinaa d d e d .

Anna is now 19 years old,a first year pre-med studentat the University of Hawaii –Manoa with a minor in Filipino.Last year, she graduated asone of 56 valedictorians ofher graduating class at MililaniHigh School. Her currentinterests include internationalrelations, conflict relations,and her advocacy is onhuman trafficking. A fixture inthe local community events,the talented Anna is oftenrequested to sing, and herrepertoire usually includesBroadway numbers, alongwith the occasional Filipinosong .

All of Anna’saccomplishments validate thestrength of the relationshipbetween her and her mom, abond that has been forgedthrough difficult and tryingtimes, particularly when Annawas diagnosed with AttentionDeficit Disorder (ADD) inthird grade, and with Dyslexiain the seventh grade.

“Anna was such a strongreader, and in second grade,was already reading HarryPotter or Greek Mythology.But as the symptoms of ADDstarted to manifest, she wasstruggling so I had hertested. With medication, hercondition stabilized and shecould focus more. We alsosought counselling, and Ipersonally wanted to knowhow to deal with her condition,“ Carolina added.

Carolina said she wantedto have the full information soshe can help other parents aswell, something which she iscommitted to doing for otherfamil ies.

When asked about copingtips as a single mother,Carolina admitted she was astrict mom: “I made sure Annawas scared of me when shewas little. My philosophy wasthat, I was the adult, I was notthere to be her ‘friend’. I gaveher tough love. “

Carolina revealed thatwhen challenges came, sheused humor to deflect tension.

of Hawaii, is today a professorat the University of HawaiiCollege of TropicalAgriculture; Susanna, 52,who received a Masters inBotany, now lives inHongkong with her family;Jorge Jr, 49, an attorney wholives in Los Banos.

Here is her advice toyoung mothers who areraising families: a) Imposediscipline from the start. Evenif you can afford it, be frugal.You will raise responsiblechildren; b) Teach yourchildren yourself so they willstudy hard. C) Raise yourchildren in Faith. Paula saidthat having religion in thefamily helped re-iterates thevalues she taught at home.

Today, Paula lives inMililani and connects with herchildren and six grandchildrenoften. They never miss anopportunity to gather forfamily celebrations.

“Motherhood is avocation. You cannot stopeven as your children aregrown up,” Paula said. “Ivowed that my children will bethe best citizens they can be,and to leave the world abetter place than they foundit .”

“Thank God, I think mypromise has been fulfi l led.”

CAROLINA DAVIDECarolina Davide was

approaching her 40th birthdayand in her last year of medicalresidency in Il l inois, whenshe discovered that she wasp regnan t .

Despite the fact that therelationship with the baby’sfather did not survive thetumultuous time, Carolinadelivered a healthy full termbaby and named her AnnaDominique on February 2,1 9 9 8 .

“I knew somehow thatthis was likely my only chanceat motherhood, so I prayedthat if this baby was for me,then please let the pregnancyproceed and let it beuneventful. And now, I cannotimagine what life would be

Tessie also recalled thespecial way her mother wouldcelebrate the children’sbirthdays: “She would sew thebirthday girl, a dress, andthen she would bake a cake,usually with butter frosting,and the celebrant got tochoose the flavor. Then shewould cook a special mealand invite the small familytogether. The celebrant againgets to decide on the menu.”

Like many moms, Tessiesaid her mind is full of favoritesayings that her mom used tosay. Her favorite? “My favoriteis one that said Life is full ofchoices. Choose wisely theone that is best for you.”

Tessie said that she tookthat advice to heart, even asshe makes daily choices onhow to be a good mom. Yes,she confesses that she is astrict mom. Tessie and herhusband Michael Amore areparents to 25-year oldMatthew who is now aFinancial analyst for Boeingafter graduating from theUniversity of Hawaii, and 23year old Lucia who is astudent at the UH College ofTropical Agriculture.

Both children areexcellent in school, aretalented singers andmusicians(both play aninstrument), and are wellliked. They also both embracetheir Filipino culturewholeheartedly, and canspeak Tagalog, despite thefact that they were born here.

“We want to ensure thatculture is passed on. As amother, I feel privileged to bethe vessel that could connectour Filipino traditional valueswith the present day needs.”

PAGE 6 • THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017

Bryan Jaco Gallarde is a professional

communicator, with over 10 years of political

campaign, government, and non-profit

experience, specializing in Asian American

community work. When not writing for the

Fil-Am Courier, he is eating his way through

a bucket list of restaurants in Hawaii and

abroad and practicing his Tagalog.

affected by autism, here in Hawaii too,”

explained Saidy. “Sometimes as a

parent with a recently diagnosed child,

you can feel very overwhelmed, and

so very much alone.”

Along with providing resources

and referrals, TACA has a parent

mentor program in which they pair

experienced parents with parents who

are just beginning their recovery

journeys with their children.

“When you join TACA, you’ll

never be alone,” Saidy said with

passion in her voice. “We are here to

help parents understand that they are

the best person to be their child’s best

advocate. For me personally, it’s not

just the role as a parent, but a more

deeper spiritual role as a mother.”

Saidy accentuated that one’s

journey to recovery with TACA is a

marathon, not a sprint. Progress

takes times, and many don’t see any

progress with their child until years

after engagement in recovery

programs and therapies.

“If we look toward the future we

should be alarmed – many children

do not get the medical, social, and

developmental help they need.”

Saidy pointed out that especially

in the Filipino community, many

children are left undiagnosed or not

always given the most direct

approach to treatment for autism.

“For us, a lot of it has to do with

having disciplined well behaved

children. Culturally that is what is

Buddings of A Loving Family

As the family found its way back

to Hawaii, Saidy eventually met her

future husband, Omar Saidy-- a local

of Afghan descent-- while attending

college.

“It was really different adjusting

to the culture of my husbands’ family.

I was raised a dedicated catholic; I

attended church, was very active with

church organizations, and followed

my mom’s lead,” said Saidy. “My

husband and his family are Muslim,

and it was very different from my

perspective.” They now have five

children, namely, Ali - 12 years old,

Azim - 11 years old, Maryam - 9 years

old, Suhayla - 5 years old and Aaliyah

Saidy - 3 years old and on May 15th,

2017, they will mark their 15th

anniversary of marriage. Today,

Patricia is a stay-at-home mom while

Omar works as a teacher and has a

second job in the tourism industry.

Throughout it all, their marriage has

remained strong.

Beginning Azim’s Journey

“When Azim was diagnosed with

autism was really difficult at first –

there was a lot of self blame involved

as a parent, as well as depression

and anxiety,” recalled Saidy. “I had

just had another baby when he was

diagnosed, and it was a bit

When her toddler son Azim went

years without speaking, making eye

contact, and began regularly having

frustrated outbursts, Trish Saidy lived

through every fear a mother could

have in trying to figure out what was

going on. She struggled to find a

definitive answer as she battled with

her doctor who refused to diagnose

her son with autism. They tried

everything from allergy tests, to

dietary restrictions, but in the end

Azim was finally diagnosed.

Saidy, local Filipina and mother

of five, began her journey as a scared

and overwhelmed parent with little

answers. But fate and perseverance

led Saidy to now become a

passionate advocate for autism

awareness and to undertake a

mission to help support other parents

and children who are on their journey

to autism recovery.

Spirit of A Strong Filipina

Saidy credits much of her sense

of family and fighting spirit to her

mother, Rosie Patton who moved her

family to the Philippines to be raised

in an environment where Saidy could

be raised with strong roots to her

heritage, and a concrete

understanding of the value of hard

work and sacrifice for ones family.

“I went to Catholic School in

Quezon City, Manila” said Saidy.

“Discipline was extremely important

growing up. You’re not given

everything you have to earn things,

something that I hope I can instill in

my kids.”

When Saidy’s father became

disabled, her mother Rosie became

the breadwinner of the family.

“My mother worked so hard to

take care of us, and I know that spirit

is in me now that I am a mother myself.

A lot of the work I do to promote autism

action awareness now requires much

of that energy and drive, that maternal

instinct to provide for our children."

A MOTHER'SRELENTLESS

PERSISTENCELEADS TO HELP

FOR SON

By JACO GALLARDE

overwhelming at first. I had a newborn

baby, but also my son who also needed

my attention for his autism.”

While shopping at a grocery

market Saidy ran into an old friend

who had a child with autism, whom

when she last remembered suffered

immensely. However, now years later,

Saidy remarkably discovered that her

friends son had made tremendous

recovery from his autism.

“It was remarkable,” recalled

Saidy. “I asked my friend what was

the key to her sons progress, and she

invited me to a support group event

for parents with autism disabilities,

and that was the start of my journey

with Talking About Curing Autism

(TACA).”

“For the first time I didn’t feel so

alone,” explained Saidy “I really felt a

sense of relief listening to stories

about children finding recovery from

autism, and success stories of

significant progress, despite the

amount of patience it requires.”

Starting as a seedling in the soil

of the welcoming homes of pioneer

parents of autistic children in 2000,

TACA is now operates nationally and

provides services and support for

over an estimated 45,000 families in

the United States.

“TACA has been so instrumental

in the journeys of the many children

expected, but the reality is that many

of these children suffer neurologically

and physiologically,” explained Saidy.

“That’s why TACA can be of help, we

help families address the root of a

child’s behavioral and developmental

issues related to autism. As a Filipina,

and as a mother, I want to be there to

help others get their kids the help they

need no matter what it takes.”

If you or a loved one wants to

learn more about getting the help they

need with their autistic child, please

visit www.TACAnow.org for more

information and ways reach out.

The five Saidy children, clockwisefrom top: Ali, Maryam, Aaliyah,Suhayla and Azim.

Patricia with Azim

Patricia with her husband of 15 years,Omar Saidy.

Grandmother Rosie Patton with Azim

THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017 • PAGE 7

Cover Story 2

Cachola’s mother went intolabor and delivered a healthybaby girl. It was a miracle thatthe baby was unharmed.Cachola left the imprisonmentcamp and was reunited withErlinda. Shortly thereafter, abomb demolished theimprisonment camp whereCachola’s father wasdetained, leaving Salud toraise her two daughters as asingle mother.

“The experience mygrandmother went throughtaught my mother and aunt tobecome strong and have thementality that nothing isimpossible. Growing up,whenever I complained aboutsomething being too hard, mymother would tell me, ‘Oh youthink that’s hard?’ and I wouldremember this story. I comefrom a line of strong women,”Prather declared.

Using her father ’s veteranbenefits, Cachola laterattended medical school andbegan practicing at her ownclinic in the Philippines before

By LALAINE IGNAO

accepting a medicalinternship position in Hawaii.

When Cacholaimmigrated to the UnitedStates in 1967, she had tostart from the bottom again.She interned at St. FrancisMedical Center, eventuallyworking her way into gainingher residency.

“Back then, doing one’sresidency meant actuallyliving at the place one workedso basically, my whole familylived at the hospital while Iworked crazy hours,”Cachola added.

Regardless of thechallenges, she persisted.

Despite her experience ofrunning her own clinic in thePhilippines, Cachola had topursue three more years ofspecialty training before shecould start her own practicein Hawaii.

In 1971, the CacholaMedical Clinic in Kalihi wasestablished and Cachola hasworked as her own boss forthe past 40 years,

In the end, it wasCachola’s determination thatwon the day: “I alwayswanted to be a doctor eversince I was little. It was adoctor that I would go to when

The Sacrifice and Loveof a Mother

until her husband gavehimself up.

“My grandmother wouldturn to her side away from thesoldiers whenever they wouldbeat her just so they could nothurt the baby,” Prathers h a r e d .

By the time her husbandcame to take her place,

Nothing can evercompare in measure to amother ’s love. Mothers makeincredible sacrifices to ensuretheir children’s happiness.They always come from aplace of hope, aspiring to givetheir children a better life thantheir own.

The powerhouse mother-daughter team doctors ErlindaCachola and Lyla Prather ’sstory exemplifies a greatexample of how influentialand powerful a mother ’s lovecan be.

Cachola and Prather ’slegacy began with Cachola’smother, Herminia Salud.

Cachola shared that herfamily lived in Batangas,Philippines during theJapanese occupation. Amidstthe war, her mother waspregnant with Cachola’syounger sister Zenaida whileher husband, Rufino Magsalinfought as a guerril la soldier.

One day, the Japanesesoldiers came to raid theirhome as they looked forCachola’s father. Salud toldher three-year-old daughterErlinda to hide in the closetand stay quiet; Cacholafollowed orders and hid therefor two days before aneighbor found her. TheJapanese soldiers took Saludaway and kept her in captivity,beating the pregnant mother

PAGE 8 • THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017

I was little who inspired meand I looked up to him.”

“What makes me happieris that my daughter chose tofollow my footsteps and workswith me at the clinic,” Cacholaa d d e d .

Meanwhile, Prather grewup hating the idea ofbecoming a doctor afterexperiencing many years offollowing her mother aroundas she worked with patientsfor long hours on end. She didnot like the idea of not havinga work life balance wherehealthcare professionalsneeded to sacrifice their timespent with family to tend theneeds of their patients.

Prather held a mindsetthat this particular workstandard remained as theonly option. Instead, she wentto pursue journalism and thenlaw. Eventually, the thought ofbecoming a doctor clicked inher head. “It was like I literallywoke up one day and toldmyself that I wanted tobecome a doctor. When I told

my mother, she laughed andwould not believe me.” Butonce she went back to schooland took a few classes,Prather forgot how much sheenjoyed the sciences. Now,she works alongside with hermother as a partner. “It’sgreat working alongside withmy mother and watching herhelp so many lives. She hasinspired me so much with myown work as I hope to make

an impact in the community asgreat as she has.”

Along with their busyschedule at the clinic, themother daughter team bothtake the time to serve thecommunity. Prather serves asa Chair for the Board ofDirectors at the Women’sFund of Hawaii as well asholding the position as anEvent Chair for the Board ofGovernors at the Philippine

Medical Association ofHawaii. Cachola volunteersfor the Bayanihan Clinic andhas joined the Belo MedicalMission for the Philippinesand has done it several timeswhile also volunteering at herchu rch .

Both women exemplify theduty of not just serving theirfamilies but the community aswell. Prather appreciates thefact that because of all thehard work and sacrifices hermother went through for her,Cachola has given her theopportunity to have a wellwork life balance.

“This was very importantto me because I wanted to beable to become an excellentmother to my children. Notmany professionals in thehealthcare industry have thatwork life balance opportunity.They have to choose one overthe other whereas my momgave me the ability to havebo th . ”

“I think as a mother, youhave to worry aboutdisciplining your childrenwhereas when you’re agrandma, you just have tospoil them and let the parentsworry about the discipline. SoI think it’s more fun being thegrandma,” Cachola commentswith a laugh.

If she could give amessage to her mother,Cachola would tell her, “Ireally appreciate everythingshe did for me and that I loveher. Sometimes you don’talways have enough time totell them how you care and soI think we need to telleveryone that we love asmany times as we can whilewe are stil l on this Earth.”

Lalaine Ignao moved to Oahu in 2016 withhopes of engaging with the Fi l ipinocommunity. A graduate from Seatt leUniversity with a degree in StrategicCommunications, she quickly rediscoveredher passion of storytelling after writing forArt+Flea. The ambit ious writer hopes tocontinue growing by contributing topublications such as The FilAm Courier andInternational Examiner. She enjoys writinglifestyle, cultural and profile stories alongwith reflective pieces that showcase hervulnerable and honest self. During her freetime, you can find her dabbling in art projects,graduate school or in wander lust.

She comments about herdaughter, saying that she hasdone a good job as a mother,daughter, wife, medicalprofessional and communityvolunteer. When asked whatto tell her mother, Prathersimply states, “she’s my hero.I appreciate everything thatshe has done for me. If I couldimpact half the people thatshe has, I would considermyself successful.”

To become a successfulmother, Prather said theymust have a lot of love and alot of patience. They need tobecome “selfless and put herchildren’s needs before herown and it is her job to makesure her children becomeindependent and give themthe skills and opportunities tobe more, be more and domore than what they everdid,” Prather states.

Cachola herself shares adeep gratitude andappreciation for all mothersaround the world, past,present and future. “

“I just want to commendall women for everything theydo and for those who arehaving a little bit of a hardtime. I encourage them tohang in there because theywill make it.”

THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017 • PAGE 9

Laceda continues toempower young people bycrediting individuals crucial tohis success. He appreciates“the selfless service of histeammates… just to make thisproject possible.” He adds that“without [my teammates] I ampowerless, these studentscome from provinces in thePhilippines as far as Isabela,Tarlac, Pangasinan, NuevaVizcaya and unto Bukidnon inMindanao. If our kababayanswould like to help us createmore impact in thecommunities we're helping,we're more than will ing tocollaborate with them, sharinghope, spreading love.”

Laceda believes that it’s“good to share my family'sstruggles and my dream ofcoming here and itsrealization, to provideinspiration to other youngpeople like me who are facingthe same circumstances. I amso blessed and therefore it 'smy duty to spread thatblessing to those around me.I envision a country that isboth prosperous, glorious,united and have [a] strongfaith in the Divine.”

would create a betterPhilippines and help people inpover ty.

After five years of waiting,Laceda recently received TheDuke of Edinburgh’sInternational Award – USA. “Ihave been proactively waitingfor this opportunity,” Elvincon fesses .

“I first heard about thisprogram in the Philippineswhen I was attending atraining in De La Salle –College of Saint Benilde. Thisenables young people to dotheir best and create habitthat will empower them tobecome good and greatleaders of tomorrow.”

The Duke of Edinburgh’sInternational Awards is theworld’s leading youthachievement award. It isvoluntary, non-competitiveand available to anyone aged14-24. The award is tough butit is about individualchallenge, not about reachingspecific standards set bysomeone else.

Young people designtheir own Award program, settheir own goals, and recordtheir own progress. Theychoose a Service, PhysicalRecreation and Skills activity,go on an AdventurousJourney and, achieve a GoldAward, also take part in aResidential Project. The onlyperson they compete againstis themselves, by challengingtheir own beliefs about whatthey can achieve.

Success is very much aproduct of teamwork.

Through RiceUP andother promising endeavors,

witnessed their dailysacrifices to make ends meet."

Laceda finished highschool at Lubao Institutebefore studying for two yearsat Bataan Peninsula StateUniversity - Abucay (BSAgriculture Engineering) as ascholar of former PresidentGloria Macapagal-Arroyo,working on weekends for herof f ice.

In 2013-2015, Lacedaspent two years as amissionary assigned inCagayan de Oro inMindanao. He said it was a"pivotal time in his life sincehe did not only learn spiritualthings but as I travelled andserved among the poorestcommunities in Mindanao, Iwitnessed how complicatedthe problem of agriculture is."

After his missionaryservice in Mindanao,Philippines, Laceda alsosought to settle somepersonal issues in his life. “Iwas determined to look for myfather. Fortunately, I foundhim in Casiguran, Sorsogonin a remote barangay. Seeinghis circumstances gave memore motivation to try harderto educate myself and pursuemy dreams.”

Those dreams by now,were not just for himself butnow also included those that

goes to the farmers. Weprofiled all our 50 farmers andwe found it devastating thatthey only earn $71.48 a month(net income).”

With these disappointingnumbers, Laceda isconcerned that farmers areleft with little funds to not onlysend their children to school,but even feed them.

Laceda's recentsuccesses is in sharpcontrast to the circumstanceshe was born in. Indeed,Elvin’s journey to Hawaii hasbeen long and arduous.

Born and raised in Lubao,Pampanga, PhilippinesLaceda endured poverty andfamilial challenges early on.

A product of a brokenhome, he was mostly raisedby his grandparents.

"I want to give inspirationto children who are frombroken families. I was aproduct of a broken family butthat did not hinder me inachieving my dreams."

"I was also aware from ayoung age about farmers andtheir hard work anddedication. I was raised by mygrandparents, my grandpaArturo Austria was a farmerand fisherman while mygrandma Geminia Lagmanwas a vendor in the market. I

Agricultural pioneer is thelast thing that comes to mindwhen people first meet 22year-old Elvin Laceda.

But once Laceda startstalking, his passion foragriculture surfaces and hemorphs into a staunchadvocate of realizing a betterPhi l ippines.

While currently enrolled atBrigham Young University –Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii), busymajoring in BS Biology andminoring in Entrepreneurship,Laceda recently won secondplace in BYU’s Great IdeasCompet i t ion.

Laceda util ized hisagricultural andentreprenurship knowledge todevelop an app for Filipinofa rmers .

At the competition, hisRiceUP app won in the socialenterprise category. Fiftycountries entered thecompetition hosted by theBrigham Young University(BYU)-Hawaii WillesInternational Center ofEntrepreneurship onNovember 17, 2016.

Laceda revealed thatRiceUP “is designed to createa direct access from thefarmers to the local marketsand local consumers withoutthe intervention of themidd lemen.”

He added that “One of ourgoals is to design a mobileapplication wherein farmerscan sell their produce in aspecified geographicallocation, basically in their localcommuni t ies. ”

More specifically, Lacedaexplained that “To bridge thegap of farmer-consumerrelationship, we are finalizingthe development of acustomized mobile app toenable consumers directlyaccess and purchaseproduce to the local farmers,and vice versa.”

He added that “Based onour research, 63% of theprofits go to the middlemenand only 47% of the net profit

BYU Student Wins Duke of EdinburghInternational Award

ELVIN LACEDA:Agricultural Pioneer

Empowering Young Peopleto RiceUPBy RANDY CORTEZ

Randy Cortez obtained a Bachelor of Artsdegree in Philosophy along with a Bachelorsin Filipino and Philippine Literature at theUniversity of Hawaii-Manoa. Currently, heis enrolled as a third year law student at theUHM William S. Richardson School of Lawand will be graduating this month.Previously, Randy served as President ofthe JCI-Filipino Junior Chamber (a.k.aFilipino Jaycees), and continues to devotehis time to the Knights of Rizal - Hawaii.

PAGE 10 • THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017

functioning and goal-directed actionscome from; and the Basal Ganglia(BG) which houses those habit holes.Habit formation is centered at the BG(think “Staying Alive” or “How Deepis Your Love”) while decisions happenat the PFC.

When habits take over, thatdecision-making part of the brain fallsasleep. Conversely, when you put thePFC to sleep like how they doexperimentally with rats usingoptogenetics or like how humans dowith drugs and alcohol, then habitswill take over. Literally, if you go

basis. It is an automatic behavior andallows for our brain to ‘conserve’energy and work more ‘efficiently.’

A huge part of our brain activityis unconscious; estimated to be up to95%; and forty percent of the actionswe perform each day aren’t actualdecisions but habits. Addictions andobsessive-compulsive behaviors canresult from our inability to switch fromacting habitually to acting in aconsciously deliberate way.

There is a constant competitionin the brain between the Pre-FrontalCortex (PFC) where executive

In a hole in the brain, there livesa habit. Not a nasty, dirty, turbid onefilled with the pull of obsessions(although there are those, too); but avery comfortable, secure habit. Thereare lots of them actually; like hobbitsliving in their comfortable holes.

Our lives are a stream of habitsput together like a band of hobbits offto a merry chase. What we think ofhabitually becomes what we speak ofwhich becomes what we do with ourtime which becomes what we are.Without even knowing it, we canbecome stuck in a rut; comfortableand secure, whistling our lives away.

Habits are a choice of action wemade at one point, and then stopthinking about that choice and keepcontinuing to do the action on a daily

Dr. RICKIE CAMARA

through life asleep at the pre-frontalwheel, you will be a creature of habit.We like to think of ourselves asconscious, free-willed beings; but agood 90% of what most people do inany day are routines so completelyfollowed that their behavior can bepredicted with just a few mathematicalequations.

Habits, from parallel parking tobrushing your teeth or peoplewatching, all follow the samebehavioral and neurological pattern:there is a cue or trigger that tells yourbrain to go into automatic mode, which

is followed by a routine behavior, andthen the sense of a ‘reward’ that thebrain likes and remembers. The brain‘chunks’ this process together andstores it in the Basal Ganglia. Thebrain does this to save effort and toallow our minds to chill. All the brainneeds now is the cue, and the rest ishistory.

The brain doesn’t distinguishbetween good and bad habits; and soif you have a bad one stored, it isalways lurking there waiting for theright trigger. But we don’t have to be aprisoner of ‘habits of our own device;’

THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017 • PAGE 11

Dr. Rickie Camara is a Board-Certified

psychiatrist and Bikram Yoga teacher. He

teaches yoga classes at Hotyoga8 in

Kaimuki. He has a yoga-aligned health

coaching and counseling practice in Kahala.

You can hear him every Friday on the radio

at KNDI between 8 and 8:30 a.m. on the

Medical Forum with Flor Martinez . Email

contact at rickiec@pixi.com.

they can be ignored, changed, orreplaced. This is how Rumi, thePersian poet, describes how a humanbeing can change: “There is a wormaddicted to eating grape leaves.Suddenly, he wakes up. Call it grace,whatever, something wakes him andhe is no longer a worm. He is the entirevineyard, and the orchard, too, thefruit, the trunks, a growing wisdom andjoy that does not need to devour.”

Yes, ‘waking up’ or being Self-Aware at all times so you know whatis going on in your body and brain isthe key to getting rid of bad or non-useful habits and instil l ing newhealthy, productive ones. The trick tochange a habit is to keep the old cue,deliver the old reward, but insert anew routine or behavior. Any behaviorcan be transformed if the cue andreward stay the same. It is whatunderlies the success of AlcoholicsAnonymous: the cue (distress) andthe reward (relief) are the same; butinstead of drinking, you go to a meetingand reinforce the belief that each timethings will get better with each secondof sobriety.

The belief that you can change ahabit and the ability to exert will-powerto effect that change takes advantageof the neuroplasticity of the brain tocreate new and better behaviors.Change is not easy; and humans arenotoriously slow to do so especiallyif the consequences are notimmediate or otherwise directlyvisible. We will change howeverwhen we believe in our bodies thatdoing so will preserve our self.

If your life is full of distractions,obsessions, and emotionality, thenmeditation is the method to get therewards of peace, expansiveness, andhappiness. With meditation, youdevelop the tool of self-awareness;and you will know each time whencue, routine, and reward come up.Each action becomes a choice in astate of relaxed awareness.

And in that state of wholeness,perhaps we can take in the lessonsfrom the Hobbit: have courage, behospitable, mercy is strength, thereis always hope; and my favorite one:“It is the small everyday deeds ofordinary folk that keeps the dark atbay. Small acts of kindness and love.”

Be well; get rid of those badhabits; but don’t throw the hobbit outwith the bathwater..!

Orig credits the support offamily and friends includinghis wife Lisa Orig, his dadCarlito Orig and hisOrigMedia team Noah Felipeand Larissa Franzen, forachieving this successfulmi lestone.

"We are able to do thisthrough the love, support,aloha, and bayanihan of youall. We merely stand on theshoulders of giants and reach

COURIER OFFICIALPHOTOGRAPHER WINS

AWARDWe are proud of the

accomplishments of one ofour own: Congratulations toJeff Orig of Orig Media forwinning another AmericanAdvertising Award or PeleAward. Orig received theaward for the trailer to a webseries called Upstream. Origis one of the Courier's officialphotographer who has beenpart of the Courier Ohana formore than three years.

for that which is just out ofgrasp. At the end of the dayand when it 's all said anddone it 's hard to think ofanother cliche to put at theend here", Orig said.

Congratulations Jeff!Jeff Orig

PAGE 12 • THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017

By NANCY BERNAL Up 2Day Morning Show andis well-known in theentertainment scene withcredits in radio and as anemcee for major events. Theirdance music at the receptionwas provided by the musicalgroup “Backbeat” with aspecial appearance by JordanSegundo. Best wishes to thenewlyweds – Chanel andKev in !

• • • •For now, That’s

Enter ta inment !(If you would like to submit

entertainment information,please contact Nancy Bernalat 947-5736 or e-mail her atNancyBerna l@aol .com)

Up” and beat the competitionin the band category. All threeof these young artists have apromising future in theentertainment business.

• • • •Sam Choy’s popular

television show - “In TheKitchen” on KHON2 will visitCelebrity Sports Person - EganInoue’s home on May 28 at6:30 p.m. Sam will create adinner with ingredients fromEgan’s refrigerator and willshare the experience with hisco-host - John Veneri andEgan’s wife, Marcia and theirchildren. Tune in to see thefood creations that Sam cooksup with the Inoue family!

• • • •The Hawaiian Humane

Society presented a beautifulfundraising Gala on April 15 atThe Royal Hawaiian HotelMonarch Room. The Tuxesand Tails 2017 Cirque desPaws was a huge success.The entertainment showcasedJordan Segundo with NuevaVida and Casey Fortuno anda stiltwalker and juggler. Itwas a fun evening for the sold-out audience!

• • • •Congratulations to Chanel

Moke Puha and Kevin Miuraon their wedding on April 22at The Hale Koa Hotel.Chanel is the ExecutiveProducer at KHON2’s Wake

around the world and his nextstop is the Philippines. Ronenjoyed his stay in Hawaii andloved the aloha spiritextended to him at his comedyshows and promotionalappearances. Congra-tulations to Producer/Promoter Wanda Shipp onRon Josol’s successfulcomedy shows in Hawaii!

• • • • Congratulations to thesister-act of Kaylee andNatalee Shimizu and to LyricMedeiros for winning TheIolani Fair Talent Competitionon April 22. Lyric placed Firstin the solo vocalist division forhigh school students with herrendition of “Don’t Rain on MyParade”. Kaylee sang whileNatalee performed onkeyboards with the song “Rise

Apaulo Music Productionspresents a Smooth JazzConcert featuring Guitarist –Peter White and Grammy-Award Winning Keyboardist –Gregg Karukas andSaxophonist Extraordinaire –Michael Paulo on May 27 atThe Hawaii Convention Center– Liliu Theater at 8 p.m. PeterWhite’s Allstar band from L.A.will be performing with theseheadliners. This specialconcert will be celebratingPeter White’s newest CDrelease “Groovin”. Tickets areavailable at TIX.com or call(951) 696-0184.

• • • •Ron Josol – Internationally

Acclaimed Filipino Comedian –kicked off a forty country tourin Hawaii in April and he wasa big hit! He will be performing

Lyric Medeiros

Natalee and Kaylee Shimizu Chanel Moke Puha and Kevin Miura at theirwedding reception

Peter White

Ron Josol and Wanda Shipp Left to right: Egan Inoue, Sam Choy and Marcia Inoue

For Advertising information,please call 595.8787

THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017 • PAGE 13

The officers of theAssociation are John H. DeLos Santos (President), CesarG. Bonilla (1st Vice-President), Rosemarie Aquino(2nd Vice-President), BeatrizSantiago (Secretary), GinaLardizabal (Treasurer),Warlita Baltazar (Auditor),Vicky Caraang (Asst. Auditor),Lydia Kamiya and CharingReyes (Public RelationsOfficers), Fely Burigsay, LettyTesoro, Teddy Reyes, LeeKamiya, Agustin Tolentino(Board of Directors), HermieTesoro, Edgar Santiago,Rolando Lardizabal, OrlandoDe Los Santos (Sergeant atArms), Estrella Cariaga andFroebel Garcia (Advisers)and Legal Adviser, Atty. BenMar t in .

The officers and membersof San Nicolaneos USA standunited and affirm theircommitment to support theirhometown and its community.

The San Nicolaneos USArecently conducted a freesurgical, dental, medical andhumanitarian mission in theirhometown of San Nicolas,Ilocos Norte.

Held last on February 18,2017 under the leadership ofits President John H. De LosSantos, the mission wasundertaken with support fromits officers. Among the patientswho were successfullyoperated on were Elizabeth V.Lucas (Curl Lips) and LuckyJane B. Dadiz (Cleft Palateand Cleft Lip), who were bothfrom Barangay 19, SanNico las.

San Nicolas Mayor Dr.Alfredo Valdez, Jr., warmlywelcomed the group andlauded the organization for itsphilanthropic projects to helpthe less fortunate in thecommuni ty.

The success of the publicservice project was partlyattributed to the assistanceprovided by local partners,notably the Ilocos NorteDental Chapter headed by Dr.Winalyn Tagabi, the IlocosNorte Medical Society headedby Dr. Ederlina Calangan, aswell as the Duterte Think TankGroup, Friends Indeed USA,Inc. and Serve careMissionary Group USA.

According to theorganizers, 24 barangays ofSan Nicolas were served withthe following results: Dental:480 recipients; Medical: 480recipients; Humanitarianmission: 1,200 distributions ofbags containing 2 kilos of rice,2 sardines, 2 corned beef and3 noodles packages.

By CESAR BONILLA

SAN NICOLANEOS USA CONTINUESTRADITION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE

For Advertising information, please call 595.8787

PAGE 14 • THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017

On March 25, 2017,

Kaulana O Waipahu held its

6th Annual Awards Dinner &

Fundraiser at West Oahu

Community College. The

event also honored five

individuals for their

contributions to the

communi ty.

One of the honorees was

Founder/President/Owner of

Group Builders, Inc., Anacleto

“Lito” Alcantra, who was

presented the award for

“Outstanding Businessman”.

Also honored were Rochelle

Kalil i for “Outstanding

Educator”, Guy Tamashiro for

“Makana O Pu’uwai”, and

Anne Chipchase and Dexter

Soares as “Outstanding

Community Contributors”.

Since 1998, Group

Builders, Inc. has consistently

been among Hawaii’s Top 250

Largest Companies,

according to Hawaii

Business; in 2007, Group

Builders was ranked 186th

By ANGIE DYTIOCO SANTIAGO

among the Top 600 Specialty

Contractors in the US; and, in

2008, the company took 5th

place for “Hawaii’s Best

Places to Work” among large

companies with 150 or more

employees .

Despite numerous

accolades and prestigious

honors for his successes,

Manong Lito Alcantra remains

humble and greets every

person he meets with a big

smile on his face. His rags to

riches story and his big heart

are well-known in the

community. Congratulations,

Manong Lito! You are an

inspiration not only to the

Filipino community, but to all

who know you!

Kaulana O Waipahu HonorsLito Alcantra as

Outstanding Businessman

Standing: Higuchi Sandy, Ceanne Englar, Ashley Hartsfield, Christyn Nicolas, and Jasmyn-Marie Corpuz. Seated: RegilongHetiback, Brian Hartsfield, Daisy Hartsfield, and Hayden Barcenilla.

Principal of Communities in Schools Hawaii Hercules Huihui, SenatorClarence Nishihara, Honorees: Dexter Soares, Guy Tamashiro, Lito Alcantra,Rochelle Kalili, and Anne Chipchase.

The Waipahu Intermediate Choir with Director Michael Engler.

Angie Dytioco Santiago, our Gathering Place

columnist, is a U.H. Manoa graduate. Angie

is currently a Governor of the United Filipino

Council of Hawaii (UFCH), the Recording

Secretary of the Bulacan Circle & Associates

of Hawaii (BCAH), and the Assistant

Treasurer for the Fi l ipino Chamber of

Commerce of Hawaii (FCCH). She served

as an Assistant Auditor for the Philippine

Celebrations Coordinating Committee of

Hawaii (PCCCH) from 2015-2016, as 1st

Vice President of the Oahu Fil ipino

Community Council (OFCC) from 2013 to

2014, and as BCAH President from 2010 to

2012. She is the daughter of Angel & Rubing

Dytioco and is married with two sons. She

enjoys photography and part icipating in

cultural and social activities and events.

Congratulations also to

Roland Casamina and Eddie

Flores, Jr. who were honored

as “Outstanding

Businessmen” in 2016 by

Kaulana O Waipahu. Kaulana

O Waipahu is sponsored by

Communities in Schools

Hawaii, headed by Principal

Hercules Huihui, Its mission

is to perpetuate Waipahu’s

living history and legacy of

service driven by the practice

of Malama (deep caring),

Kuleana (responsibility),

Laulima (working together),

and Aloha.

THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017 • PAGE 15

Seated: Kayla Colleen Uy, Joey Boy Alcantra, Bernard Alcantra, and Dennis Benitez.Standing: Patricia Ann Uy, Miko Uy, Lito Alcantra, Andrea Benitez, and Ely Uy.

Maggie Domingo, Andrea Benitez, Val and Letty Saban, Lito Alcantra, Edna Alikpala,Jenny Quezon, and Angie Santiago.

Seated: Jenny Quezon, Val Saban, and Dr. Lindy Aquino. Standing: Edna Alikpala,Maggie Domingo, Donnie Juan, Atty. Daisy Hartsfield, and Letty Saban.

Art+Flea. The ambitious writer hopes tocontinue growing by contributing topublications such as

The FilAm Courier and InternationalExaminer. She enjoys writing lifestyle,cultural and profile stories along withreflective pieces that showcase hervulnerable and honest self. During her freetime, you can find her dabbling in artprojects, graduate school or in wanderlust.

Lalaine is fueled by a generous spirit,the spirit of bayanihan and considerswriting for the Courier as a way ofconnecting to her roots, her culture, andher heritage.

The Fil-Am Courier is proud to welcomeLa la ine !

A community paper can only be asgood as the writers who contribute to it.

As you scroll through our Fil-AmCourier's impressive roster of writers, wehope you will appreciate the incredibletalent, the diversity of voices and thewealth of life experiences that they offer.

It is a joy for us to announce thenewest addition to the Courier ’s editorialstaff, Lalaine H. Ignao, who is a freelancewriter from Washington state.

She moved to Oahu in 2016 withhopes of engaging with the Filipinocommunity. A graduate from SeattleUniversity with a degree in StrategicCommunications, she quickly rediscoveredher passion of storytelling after writing for

Lalaine H. Ignao

W E L C O M E A B O A R D !

PAGE 16 • THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017

By MA. ROSARIO “SAREE”JOAQUIN

Celebrating National NickJoaquin: 100 Years

My memories of life in thePhilippines are few and farbetween. On occasion, thesounds of Sunday meriendaand playing hide and seekunder Lola Charing’s diningroom table come floodingback to me. I was only sixyears old when my familymoved to Hawaii and I, l ikemany Filipino-Americanchildren brought to the Statesat such a young age, lost myfluency in Tagalog and sadly,became distant from myFilipino heritage.

Recently, however, awave of nostalgia seemed tohit home. I began to revisitthe top shelf of our bookcasewhere English and Tagalogselections are nestled side-by-side. My parents’ collectionof Filipino literature has re-acquainted me with a world Ithought I had lost. Up until afew weeks ago, these bookswere all untouched by meexcept for a battered seriesof children’s short stories.

“Pop Stories for GroovyKids” was my first introductionto the works of my late grand-

uncle author Nick Joaquin.Given the title of NationalArtist of the Philippines forLiterature, Nicomedes “Nick”Márquez Joaquín was one ofthe most celebrated Filipinowriters of all time. His careerspanned over severaldecades; he was firstpublished when he was just17 years old and at the time

Joaquin’s most defining worksis “A Portrait of the Artist asFilipino”. Capturing themes ofcultural identity and familialconflict in pre-World War IIManila, the play has beenstaged several times, adaptedinto a film, and remains astaple text that continues tobe studied in English classesacross the Philippines.

In addition to being askilled story teller, NickJoaquin is remembered forhis humility, loyalty, andcompassion. Although I wastoo young to remembermeeting him myself, the spiritof Tito Onching, as he isaffectionately called,continues to thrive in the fondwords our family constantlyshares about him. While thecountry saw him as a literaryicon, Tito Onching was theman who brought thegrandchildren to church everySunday, shared spookystories at the dinner table,and would never leave weeklyfamily gatherings withoutgiving each child, the maids,and the drivers a few pesos.

In celebration of his 100thbirthday on May 4th, 2017,various events celebratingNick Joaquin’s legacy will takeplace across the world. Most

MA. ROSARIO “SAREE” JOAQUIN, 18 yrs. A graduating Valedictorian IB Senior at Henry J.

Kaiser High School. She is a grand niece of Nick Joaquin, She loves musical theater,

reading books, doing film projects in school and writing (must be in the genes). She is about

to fulfill her dream of attending college in New York after receiving acceptance and being

awarded scholarship at both New York University and College of Mount St Vincent.

Illustration of NJ by EDDIE N. JOAQUIN, JR, 19 yrs. Currently a freshman scholar at Kapiolani

Community College. Also a grand nephew of Nick Joaquin. He has a penchant for art since

he was young. He did summer studies at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. During Middle

School, he was selected among a hand few from his school to participate in the widely

acclaimed local Annual Mural Art Festival, Pow Wow at Ka’ Kaako. He is into music,

appreciates art and enjoys good thought provoking tv programs.

of his passing at 86 years old,he was stil l involved withmultiple publications, such asthe Philippine Graphic andMirror Weekly.

Although hissophisticated short storiesand poems were fresh andunparalleled within the literarycommunity of his time, one of

notably, publisher PenguinBooks will bring Joaquin’swork to the US for the firsttime with the addition of hisnovel, “A Woman with TwoNavels”, to the PenguinClassics collection. Joaquinwill join the likes of legendssuch as Jane Austen andTennessee Williams, andfollows the trails of none otherthan Philippine National HeroJose Rizal, whose novels“Noli Me Tangere” and “ElFilibusterismo” joinedPenguin Classics in 2006 and2011 respectively.

The growingrepresentation of Filipinos inmainstream literature haschanged the way I interactwith my culture. In thecharacters of thesenarratives, I start to see partsof myself, and connect me tomy personal history like a

mystery that has just beensolved. Names of importantpeople and places are nolonger a secret code.

I am inspired by my TitoOnching, who gave theFilipino people a beautifullywoven literary works of artthat can stand comparisonwith the western historicalliterature and folklore. In his

centennial year, there springshope that these narratives willbring a new generation ofFilipino-Americans closer tothe roots of their identity.

Illustration of NJ by EDDIE N. JOAQUIN, JR.

The new Nick Joaquin book published byPenguin Classics which came out on April18th. The book will be available for sale duringthe Honolulu Book and Music Festival on May6 and 7.

Photo credit: Cultural Center of the Philippines;taken when Joaquin received the NationalArtist award for Literature

A rare photo of the National Artist who he oftenrefuses to pose for a formal photo. Photocredit: Neal Oshima

THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017 • PAGE 17

creating jobs and providinghousing, so that arearesidents can continue to liveand work in Kalihi.

The committee envisionsmixed-income and mixedhousing – includingaffordable, workforce, low-income, and kupuna carefacilities, small grocery storesand pharmacies, and health/medical clinics. The visioncommittee also supportsincentives for investments inthe area, encouragingeducational and workforcedevelopment opportunitiesand coordinating large-scaleimprovements toinfrastructure and transitsystems. In addition, thecommittee expressed a desireto memorialize the historic

produced over the pasttwo years, 98 percent ofwhich are affordablerenta ls .

• Approximately 4,070 moreunits are in the pipeline,81 percent of which will berenta ls .

• $180 million was set asidein private activity bonds todevelop affordable rentalunits. This is more thandouble what was investedin the past.

• In FY 2016 – the state’sHawai‘i Housing Financeand DevelopmentCorporation (HHFDC)helped 814 families withMortgage CreditCertificates. This is dollarfor dollar tax credits forfirst-time homebuyers.This program hasassisted 4,660 families into ta l .

Vision for Kalihi:The 21st Century Kalihi

Initiative aims to re-imaginethe future of Kalihi, in theevent that we can relocate orreplace the O‘ahu CommunityCorrectional Center.

A “vision” committeecomprised of arealawmakers, neighborhoodboard members,representatives from theprivate and public sectors,social service agencies andcommunity organizations hasbeen created to work with theState Office of Planning onthis project.

The top priorities for the21st Century Initiative arefocused on economicdevelopment and housing tosupport and improve Kalihi.This initiative supportsinnovation and takes abalanced approach in

OUR STATE MATTERS

By GOV. DAVID IGEExclusive to the Fil-am Courier

Aloha!It is my honor and

pleasure to be able tocommunicate with youthrough the Fil-Am Courier,Hawai‘i ’s leading and longestrunning Filipino-Americannewspape r.

In these messages, I hopeto give you an idea of whatmy administration and I aretaking action to improve thequality of life in ourcommunities across thisbeautiful state. Our effortsinclude transforming ourpublic schools; reshaping oureconomy; addressinghomelessness; building moreaffordable homes; andmaking government moreefficient to better serve thepeople of Hawai‘i. Many ofthese are long-standing,complex issues, but there aresolutions, and we are makingprogress .

It is my hope that the Fil-am Courier will help meconnect with you, the hard-working Filipino community,so that I can provide you withthe latest updates on theseinitiatives and to hear from youas well. I encourage you tocommunicate with me throughthe governor ’s website ath t t p : / / g o v e r n o r. h a w a i i . g o v /contact -us/ .

Affordable Housing forHawai‘i’s Families:

For this issue, I’d like togive you a snapshot of oureffort to increase affordablehousing across the state andprovide information about myvision for more homes,businesses and recreationalfacilities in Kalihi.

So far, our efforts include:Hale Mohalu II, an affordablesenior rental project in PearlCity, Waipahu Hall, anaffordable senior rentalproject in Waipahu, andWaipahu Tower, an affordablefamily rental project alsolocated in Waipahu.

Under my administration:• Approximately 1,050

housing units have been

Ground breaking for Keauhou Lane in Kakaako, O‘ahu Governor Ige heads the ribbon cutting ceremony at the opening of Kaniko‘o Rice Camp --senior housing on Kaua‘i

Governor Ige with the seniors at Kaniko‘o affordable rental housing

and cultural sense of place inthe area, honoring theintergenerational andmulticultural community thatlives, works and plays inKal ih i .

If you have any questionsor comments, please don’thesitate to contact me at http://governor.hawai i .gov/contact-us / .

PAGE 18 • THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017

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THE FIL-AM COURIER • MAY 1-15, 2017 • PAGE 19

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