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NEW RP CONSUL GENERAL IN SAN
FRANCISCO DIALOGUES WITH BAY AREA-BASED FILIPINOS
By PEGGY PERALTA
September 11, 2004
San Francisco, California - The newly-designated
Consul General of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, Ms. Maria
Rowena Mendoza Sanchez, who formally reported to the Consulate on August 6,
2004, conducted a dialogue with some Filipinos in the San Francisco Bay Area
on September 4, 2004, at Carmen’s-by-the-Bay, located at the picturesque
Pier 40 on Townsend and Embarcadero streets in San Francisco.
 The dialogue touched on the following: (1) the role of the San Francisco
Consulate and the entire Philippine Foreign Service in pushing through a
“Tabang Pilipinas” initiative starting with the ongoing drive to mobilize
Filipino support to assist the victims of the massive flooding in Central
Luzon and Metro Manila; (2) the need and advisability for a formal,
dignified, relevant welcome by the Filipino-American community for her
designation as San Francisco Consul General; and (3) the possibility of
instituting an international forum in San Francisco to be attended by
experts on various issues impacting the Philippines in this age of terrorism
and economic hardships for the Filipino people with resource persons coming
from the Philippines and other parts of the world.
In her
introductory remarks, the Consul General informed the group that it would be
her policy to undertake periodic consultations with the various sectors of
the Filipino community in her jurisdiction to feel their pulse.
When
requested by UP Alumni Association of Berkeley President Jose Aliling IV for
her priorities, the Consul General replied that the Consulate is mandated to
protect, maintain, and enhance Philippine diplomatic, political, and
economic interests in California and provide all other traditional services
inherent in the office.
But the
Consul General has some innovations. These are projects that are in
the pipeline, such as the following: (1) a planned three-day workshop on how
to improve the process of sending disaster relief assistance and donated
funds to various organizations in the Philippines and how to make the
government a more effective facilitator and the recipient organizations more
accountable; (2) a concerted campaign in California to include the study of
Philippine-American history in the curricula of the school system to develop
greater awareness of the Filipino-Americans in their history; (3) renovating
the Consular Office so that there is more space for art exhibitions and
gatherings, and; (4) increasing the presence of Philippine art in the San
Francisco Asian Museum.
In addition, the group
suggested instituting a 1-800 number, which will
make information easily accessible to Filipinos and other clients of the
Consulate. Jose Caedo of the Filipino-American Democratic Empowerment
Council of San Francisco suggested the holding of a townhall meeting that
should bring information and services to the people as an outreach function
of the Consulate Staff, especially to the Filipino seniors who find it
difficult to visit the Consulate. A San Francisco Consulate website, similar
to the one the Consul General did in
Chicago
but with a Message Board, was discussed. The issue of undocumented Filipinos
was brought up. It was suggested that Identification Cards be issued similar
to those given to undocumented Mexicans so they can have access to the State
and the City’s health and medical services. The Consul General assured the
group that this matter is already in the pipeline. Towards this end,
Mr. Caedo offered assistance in sponsoring a possible legislation that might
be presented to the City of San Francisco or to the Legislature of
California. He opined that the agreement between the US and Mexico could
become a guide in this regard.
The
Consul General also assured the group that the Consulate would take the lead
in celebrating Rizal Day, to honor the Philippines’ foremost martyr.
Accompanied by Consul
J. Eduardo Malaya, the group that met with the Consul General included two
icons in the Filipino American Community in Northern California: 85-year old
Brigida Abuyen, President of the International Alliance, and Jose G. Caedo
III, President of the Filipino-American Democratic Empowerment Council of
San Francisco and a popular Filipino staff member in the City and County of
San Francisco.
 Others
who attended the dialogue were: Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez III, Program Director
of Professional Studies of Golden Gate University and the University of San
Francisco and a former San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commissioner; former
UP College of Business Administration Professor Jose Aliling IV who is
concurrently President of the UP Alumni Association of Berkeley; Morgan
Benedicto, former Vice-President of the Filipino-American Council of San
Francisco; Nerissa M. Fernandez, former editor-in-chief of The Manila
Bulletin USA and now a managing partner at International Media Exchange
(IMEX) in Burlingame; newspaper and radio executives Addie and Hanthur
Angeles of The Fil-Am Press; budding artists and social historians,
Lian Ladia and Pio Candelaria, who are documenting the life and culture of
Filipinos in Northern California in addition to coming out with a
documentary on the descendants of the “Manila Men” in Louisiana, and this
writer.
Doctor Gonzalez
offered the facilities of the Golden Gate University in downtown San
Francisco, as well as the University of San Francisco to the Consul General
and the group if the planned international forum on the state of Philippine
society or the formal welcome for the Consul General would be held.
A core group studying
the details of a formal welcome to Consul General Sanchez has been organized
with Mrs. Brigida Abuyen as Chair and Ms. Lian Ladia as Vice-Chair. The two
represent the senior and junior generations in San Francisco.
Assisting them are veteran Filipino organizers in the Bay Area. Mrs. Abuyen
and Ms. Ladia will be contacting their counterparts in the Consulate
concerning this event.
The dialogue was
initiated by former UP Political Science Professor Cesar Torres, the Acting
Chair of Pamana ng Lahing Pilipino Foundation-United Way.
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