TRAFFICKED FILIPINO TEACHERS IN THE US URGED TO STEP OUT OF THE SHADOWS
23 October 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. is calling on some 500 undocumented Filipino teachers in the United States who were victimized by illegal recruiters to step out of the shadows so they could be assisted in securing immigration relief and in going after those who victimized them.
Our teachers need not be afraid. We are here to help, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. said after he was told of the sad plight of the undocumented Filipino teachers who were brought into the US by illegal recruiters several years ago.
At the same time, Ambassador Cuisia assured some 25 trafficked Filipino teachers he met with at the Philippine Embassy that authorities in the Philippines will continue to seek justice for them by going after their recruiter.
The recruiter, Isidro Rodriguez is facing multiple cases of illegal recruitment, alien smuggling, visa fraud and human trafficking filed against him in the Philippines and the US but is at large after he was released from detention a few months ago.
We will not stop until we get Isidro Rodriguez, Ambassador Cuisia told the teachers and other trafficking victims who came to express their appreciation for the assistance that the Embassy had been extending to them since 2007.
According to Ambassador Cuisia, the Embassy will also continue to provide consular assistance to the trafficked teachers, including the waiver of authentication fees and issuance of the necessary certification to support their request for immigration relief with the US Department of Homeland Security.
Labor Attach Angel Borja, who also attended the meeting, said the Embassy will also recommend that employment opportunities being offered to Filipinos in the US be first verified to determine if such jobs exist. This is intended to protect our kababayans from other Isidro Rodriguezes out there, he told the teachers.
Borja said Rodriguez remains on top of the watch list of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Bureau of Immigration.
A total of 21 illegal recruitment cases have been filed against Rodriguez while 41 recruitment violation cases have been filed against his company, Renaissance Staffing Support Center Inc. in Manila, said Borja.
Lawyer Arnedo Valera, Executive Director of the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), a non-governmental organization that has been providing legal assistance to many of the teachers, said cases have also been filed against Rodriguez with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Valera, who accompanied the teachers during their meeting with Ambassador Cuisia, commended the Embassys anti-trafficking efforts, saying it was the report of then Ambassador Willy Gaa to Manila in 2008 that eventually led to the arrest and detention of Rodriguez.
Since 2007, we have been engaged in a meaningful partnership with the Embassy in the investigation and filing of charges against Rodriguez as well as in other cases of human and labor trafficking perpetrated by other recruitment agencies and individuals, said Valera.
He said Rodriguezs victims could be as many as 1,000all of them teachers whom he allegedly was able to convince to pay from US$10,000 to US$15,000 each for non-existing jobs in various public schools across the US from 2003 to 2007.
Valera said that while some of the teachers decided to head back to the Philippines most of opted to take a chance by staying and working illegally in the US. He said these teachers had no choice but to take menial jobs to allow them to provide for their families and at the same time pay the high-interest loans they secured for their placement fees.
Although as many as 300 of the teachers have already been issued trafficking visas amd can now legally stay and work in the US, most are hesitant to surface because of shame and fear, Valera said. But they are now coming forward one by one.
BALLET PHILIPPINES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR REVS UP, WOWS AUDIENCES IN SAN FRANCISCO AND BAY AREA
17 October 2014 Ballet Philippines (BP), the resident ballet company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, is celebrating its 45th anniversary with a much-awaited North American tour.
The tour, dubbed Master Pieces, Celebrating 45 Years of Dance, coincides with the celebration of Filipino American History Month. This is the first time in 15 years that the Company has visited the United States, and the Northern California leg of their six-city tour was held on October 12 at the California Theatre in San Jose.
The 25-member contingent from Ballet Philippines is headed by its President, Ms. Margie Moran-Floirendo, and Artistic Director Paul Alexander Morales. Among the dancers in the tour are five of the Companys principal dancers: Carissa Adea, Jean Marc Cordero, Katherine Trofeo, Richardson Yadao and Earl John Arisola, all of whom are Philstage Gawad Buhay nominees and awardees for various performances.
In honor of this occasion, Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. hosted a reception to welcome Ballet Philippines to the Bay Area on October 10 at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center. In his remarks, Consul General Bensurto expressed the importance of the work being done by Ballet Philippines and its relevance in the celebration of Filipino American History Month.
Over their 45 years of performing, Ballet Philippines has made a deliberate effort to preserve Filipino culture by using ballet as a platform to tell our story, and share the beauty of our culture, the Consul General said.
During the reception, guests were treated to a surprise performance. Principal Dancer Richardson Yadao and Soloist Denise Parungao performed a pas de deux entitled Dulce Estrangera, which was choreographed by BPs resident choreographer Alden Lugnasin.
The audience at the California Theatre, among of which were Consul General Bensurto and his family, and California Assemblymember Rob Bonta, were amazed at the powerful and breath-taking performance of Ballet Philippines. The two-act repertoire featured dances choreographed by the Philippines renowned choreographers Alice Reyes, Agnes Locsin and Tony Fabella. It showcased various ballet styles such as classical, neo-ethnic, neo-classical and contemporary. Some of the dances also reflected aspects of Philippine culture and history through its music and storylines, such as the Bungkus Suite which made use of traditional and popular folk songs and Lakambini, a rendition of the love story of national hero, Andres Bonifacio, and his wife Gregoria De Jesus, or Oryang.
Master Pieces highlighted the exemplary technique, elegance and grace which is characteristic of dancers belonging to Ballet Philippines. It not only commemorates 45 seasons of Southeast Asias first dance company, but also celebrates Filipino talent and artistry.
Ballet Philippines California tour is produced by the Federation of Filipino-American Associaions, Inc., GodinUs Music and PAE Live! Proceeds from the performances will benefit the Ballet Philippines Foundation, Inc. and the apl.de.ap Foundation. Upcoming performances will be held in Portland, Oregon, Olympia and Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, Canada. For more information, visit www.ballet.ph and www.facebook.com/balletphilippines.
