Two Filipinos of substance had left a lasting legacy to their “Kababayans “ , including those millions scattered around the world, the OFWs, The expats and others in search of better lives, of good fortunes not found in their homeland to clothe and feed their hungry families back home and some more of them who are plainly disillusioned of the constant poverty and corruption they see in their native land.
Juana Tejada, 39, the diminutive but courageous caregiver stricken with colon cancer, passed away Sunday March 8.
Francis D. Magalona, 44, Pinoy rapper, TV host, actor and recording artist but known as an intense nationalist, died of leukemia(a form of cancer) two days earlier March 6 .
Both fought and struggled with the disease, Francis M, called his fight against the dreaded malady “the happy battle “ but lost it.
Tejada likewise succumbed to her own battle but eventually won a war or actually winning the war for all foreign caregivers .
Thus, both joins the long line of our modern-day heroes and the list grows each and everyday.
TEJADA’S LEGACY : Juana will be best remembered as the nanny who came in Canada in 2003 through the Canadian Live-in caregiver program which entitles person of her status to be granted permanent residency upon completion of a three-year work assignment. A requirement before attaining this is to pass police clearance and a medical test. Before coming to Canada, a caregiver also has to pass an initial medical test, which meant that all in all Tejada had to pass a second medical test.
In 2006 ,after undergoing that second test, she was diagnosed with colon cancer and was therefore deemed not qualified as permanent resident. The rejection of her application was based on her being a health burden on the government of Canada and therefore has to leave Canada.
Undaunted, she sought the help of friends and many Filipino community organizations to launch an appeal and won.
Her ordeal has sparked a community-wide campaign for reforms in the current live-in caregiver program of the government among which foremost is the dismantling of the two tiered medical tests or exempting caregivers from a second medical tests. This has given rise to what is now called as the proposed Tejada law. In this column, we declared Juana Tejada as the “woman of the year 2008” for her unflinching stand on reforming the caregiver law.
As we go to press, deliberations on the proposed amendments are set and the Filipino-Community is very optimistic this will pull through.
Just recently, another similar case was reported to us. Ms.Celia Mansibang, another caregiver who came to Canada last 2004 is also suffering from cancer of the stomach and officials are blocking her permanent residency status .
She is also appealing for help on her case plus the payment of her $17,000 hospital bills .
Aside from cases like these, caregivers are also victims of exploitations by some unscrupulous recruiters.
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FRANCIS M: HIS MESSAGE THROUGH HIS MUSIC: Not only did
Francis Magalona inspired people, specially the youth with his music, he imparted on millions of his fans a sense of pride for being a Filipino and this was reflected on his many compositions like “Kababayan Ko “ ,Three Stars and a Sun”.
A son of movie heartthrobs Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran( dubbed as the original love team off and onscreen), Francis pioneered in converting rap music in what is now called as Pinoy Rap or hip-hop. He inspired many young people to experiment with this genre of music and was in fact recognized by the leading exponents of Rap Music in America.
He guided budding young artists and singers to their careers and it was no wonder that hundreds of them owed their careers to the “Man “ or to “Kuya Kiko “, as he was fondly called.
A mainstay of the long running noontime show “Eat Bulaga “ for almost ten years, Francis M was said to have raised the level of rap music to patriotic and nationalistic planes.
Just as Little Richard said that “Rock and Roll is the music of emancipation “we believed Francis M used Pinoy Rap music to create awareness on Filipinism among the youth and used it as an avenue of freedom of expression.
At his wake, two former presidents, Cory Aquino and Joseph Estrada and a host of senators and congressmen and government officials hobnobbing with the masa paid tribute to him. President Gloria Arroyo is also set to grant him a Presidential Award or Medal of Merit in recognition of nationalism .
Here are some samples of lines from Francis M’s many compositions:
“Its been four hundred years of tears
For the brown man, still and all the fight has just begun
Three stars and a Sun “
He was referring to the years of our colonialization under foreign countries and in another :
“Some are rich because of fate and
Some are poor with no food on their plate…
Every color and every hue is represented by you and me “
And finally in Kababayan Ko, he wrote” Mga Kababayan ko, dapat lang malaman nyo, bilib ako sa kulay ko; Ako ay Pilipino,
I am the man from Manila, Kami ang Tinig ng Kayumanggi “
Indeed, as a showbiz personality, Francis M was a rarity for his deep sense of Filipinism. We can only say May you RIP (rap in peace).
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BEYOND ADOBO: Were Francis M present at the recently held State of the Filipino Union (SOFU), he would have imparted this message to those
gathered at the conference. “Take pride in being a Filipino “. If this were so, we would not be hearing comments from the youths about how confused they are about their being so and so and that they are embarrassed for not having this kind of identity.
Its not a case of being confused on what is a Filipino or what is the true gauge of being one. We only have to decide if we really want to be one.
If so, then a good place to start is to go back in history because it is the soul of every nation, its past defines what it is now. For instance, our young people may want to know why Rizal’s works is translated in 36 languages and why other nation’s great men’s are not. How did Bonifacio shaped our struggle for independence ?
The answer we believe is quite simple and we only have to draw from Francis M’s many compositions. Be what you are “ Take a look at the kaleidoscope, so many faces, so many races, different choices, different voices “ he wrote.
I’m amused at hearing young people say that hey have learned to eat adobo or survived balut and dinuguan . Its beyond running the gauntlet of enduring the food or traditions of your heritage that makes you a Filipino, it’s the appreciation and being proud of whatever peculiarities, oddities your parents
Had or whatever strangeness your own culture has.
Being Filipino is being proud if you are using “spoon and fork “ for dinner or drinking pop or soft drinks from a plastic bags or eating rice at breakfast.
But then, the SOFU has boldly treaded on sacred grounds and it has as Mithi Esguerra said “ broke ground “.
Lets continue the dialogue. We commend the Filipino Students of Toronto (FSAT), Migrante Youth and the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for initiating this watershed confab.
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MILESTONES: Our happy birthdays to Butch Galicia (march 12), editor of the Manila Media Monitor; Gie Alvarez (March 17),host of FrontPage Philippines and my brother Ed Soriano ,(March 17)animator, TVO.
And belated happy birthday to Folksinger Chito Sarabia.
PPCO Celebrity Star Night: The next Philippine Press Club (PPCO) star night is March 20 with Philippine Independence Day Council(PIDC) as the featured organization and Pidoy Pacis of Salad master as sponsors.
Featured singers are Inah Canlapan, Cassandra Malabanan and talents from Studio six. Congen Alejandro Mosquera will be a guest of honor and others.