...the Fil-Am 2nd NJ mayor

New Jersey borough elects 2nd Filipino American mayor

Don Tagala
ABS-CBN News | North America
07 November 2019

BERGENFIELD, New Jersey - Trump-style mudslinging from incumbent Republican Mayor Norman Schmelz did not stop Filipino-American candidate Arvin Amatorio from becoming the next mayor of Bergenfield, New Jersey on Tuesday's election.

Democratic council president Arvin Amatorio unseated Schmelz by at least 166 votes, making him the second Filipino-American to win as mayor of Bergenfield borough, home to more than 5,000 Filipinos.

"This is a great night for Bergenfield because of you... despite the malicious attack, despite the negativity that has been thrown to us we kept the fight positive," Amatorio told his supporters.

Just four days before the elections, Schmelz sent out a misleading press release using the words "alleges" and "guilty" in its title at the same time.

The said press release made it appear that Amatorio is guilty of violating a trafficking victims' protection act, when all there is was a motion to add his name in a lawsuit where he happened to be the immigration lawyer for the victim.

Another misleading accusation was that Amatorio allegedly did not attend a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, therefore he is not licensed to practice law in New Jersey.

"I’m very happy people did not believe those lies and it’s a vindication that all those things that were thrown against me are not true, people just didn’t believe that," he said.

Robert Rivas, who served as the first Filipino-American mayor of Bergenfield from 2000 to 2002, said he too was a victim of false accusations in his 2003 reelection bid. At that time, he was accused of favoring Filipinos and that he was going to bring Filipino police from the Philippines to patrol Bergenfield.

"We’ll have the good people remain in control not these racist, miserable, sad people who tried to win elections by tearing down the other side," Rivas said.

Another Filipino-American, Salvador Deauna, was also reelected councilman on Tuesday's elections with more than 3,000 votes.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy congratulated Amatorio for his victory through a post on Twitter.

Amatorio will begin his work as mayor in January.

...the Philippine president

Duterte is a gift to the Philippines


Maa Zhi Hong
Asia Times
03 September 2019



"the main reason behind his vast domestic support is his ability to fulfill the overwhelming desire among ordinary Filipinos for strong leadership to solve the myriad problems that plagued the nation for years prior to his election"



Rodrigo Duterte is at the halfway point of his presidency of the Philippines and since coming to power in 2016, he has made huge waves domestically and internationally for his tough talk and policies. The one policy that has defined his presidency is his signature war on drugs that has killed thousands and prompted fierce international criticism from Western countries and the United Nations.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his State of the Nation address at Congress in Manila on July 22, 2019. Photo: AFP/Noel Celis

If one had judged Duterte by his overseas reception and assumed him to be equally unpopular domestically, they should realize there is nothing further from the truth. He is one of the most popular presidents in the history of his country. And the main reason behind his vast domestic support is his ability to fulfill the overwhelming desire among ordinary Filipinos for strong leadership to solve the myriad problems that plagued the nation for years prior to his election.

The country suffered from weak political leadership and persistent massive poverty despite huge economic growth. The poverty directly fueled the drug menace as many poor Filipinos smoked shabu or crystal methamphetamine to keep themselves from feeling hungry. Many were pushed into the drug trade to make a living, and this caused the country to be in the deep grip of a drug crisis that required a multifaceted solution.

Whether Duterte has succeeded in solving these problems is another matter altogether. What matters is that he is seen to be doing something about them.

One gift Duterte has endowed on his country that many Filipinos have yet to appreciate fully is his decision to realign the country away from the United States toward China. It is a shrewd move on his part, as China has risen, and it is important for the Philippines to be nimble and stay ahead of the game as it adjusts to the new power dynamic within the region.

With a rising China that has become more assertive in defending and advancing its interests, the Philippines’ previous policy of allying itself with the United States for its security is neither wise nor sustainable.

Not to forget, the United States under President Donald Trump has proved itself to be an unreliable partner. It has walked away from international treaties like the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Iran nuclear deal. It has repeatedly demanded – and succeeded on occasions – that allies like Japan and South Korea pay more for keeping US troops in their countries. Trump has repeatedly slammed American allies and said the US had incurred a huge cost protecting them and got nothing in return. He has persistently shown a dangerous ignorance of the historical and strategic values that allies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere provide to the United States.

The Trump administration has shown less inclination than previous administrations to uphold the US-based international order that was established in the aftermath of World War II. It has worked actively to undermine many of the institutions it built, such as the World Trade Organization by blocking the appointments of new judges, which has in essence caused the organization to grind to a halt. This is the very rule-based order that countries like the Philippines depend upon to survive and prosper.

And this is the very reason the Philippines referred the South China Sea dispute to a tribunal in The Hague. The court eventually ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016, but the ruling has been in essence ignored by China to no consequence.

The hard truth is that the US-built rule-based international order prior to 2016 was defective and not having its intended effects. The reason is very simple, as the United States set a bad precedent by refusing to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The convention in essence lists a set of international laws governing the passage of ships through international waters and respecting the rights of countries’ territorial waters. The United States refused to bind itself to the convention and yet it demands that other countries adhere to international laws. This bad precedent gave China the excuse it needed not to follow the convention, as it also wished to ignore international norms and rules to its convenience without facing real consequences.

This is the typical behavior of all big powers even as they try to portray an image of adhering to international laws. There is a saying from Thucydides, “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” If you apply this to countries, big countries are the strong ones and they can afford to ignore treaties and norms whenever it is convenient. But these international treaties and rulings are life and death to smaller countries like the Philippines. China knows these international institutions lack real teeth when the sole superpower, the United States, has no regard for them and no country in the world has the ability and the will to sanction it for its violations of laws.

Hence the US-based international order has been defective for many years as all big powers ignore international treaties and rulings when they are perceived to be against their own interests. The sad truth is that since 2017, the US-built multilateral system has come under serious strain as the United States embarked on a sharply different path than before the Trump era.

So as the US disengages itself from the world while fighting a harsh trade war with China, it is paramount for the Philippines to align itself toward China and ensure its interests are maintained in the new power dynamic in the Asia-Pacific region.

While many observers slammed Duterte for not standing up to China when one of its ships sank a Philippine vessel in June, the hard truth is that the Philippine military is no match for the modern sophisticated Chinese military and the United States is not going to come in to help the Philippines. Hence the best strategy is to be friendly with China by setting aside such disputes for the greater good. This approach has understandably caused many to be unhappy, but it is the best approach for the Philippines.

It is also important for one to know that despite improving ties, the Philippines will not be a firm ally of China. President Duterte is in essence aligning the country to the middle ground between the US and China. He is playing both sides, which could be seen when his administration reviewed and renewed its defense treaty with the US. The renewal came despite occasional anti-US remarks by Duterte.

And this strategy has become very effective in the light of the bitter US-China trade war. China is racing to win more allies and it doesn’t want the Philippines to join the side of the US. This is why China pressured its fishermen to issue a rare apology to the Philippines days ahead of Duterte’s state visit to country.

And this new approach also prompted the US to take the Philippines more seriously as it is dismayed to see its former close security ally drifting away from its orbit. The US should learn not to take its allies for granted and the only way to do bring this about is to send a signal to the Americans that they can switch sides at any time.

By playing two sides, Duterte has extracted maximum benefits for his country and it is the new and only way forward for the country’s foreign policy in the years to come.

...the First Filipino UK councilor

Filipina elected as borough and town councilor in UK

Agnes Constante

Asian Journal

12 May 2015

A BRITISH-Filipina was elected councilor of the Hertfordshire borough Hertsmere and town Elstree and Borehamwood in the United Kingdom on May 8, marking the highest level of public office any Filipino has ever held in the European state.

Cynthia Barker, originally from San Pablo City, Laguna, ran under the Conservative Party and garnered 1,513 votes in the UK national elections.

“I am really humbled to have been selected by the residents,” she said, according to the Watford Observer. “I never imagined I would be standing here. I am looking forward to the challenges and working with residents.”

Barker first moved to the UK in the mid-1980s to join her family. Her mother arrived first in the 1970s.

“[My mother] will always be my hero. She made the same sacrifice that most OFWs make, sent all her money home while she worked long hours to ensure that the family was well-fed and educated. We now have four generations of family in the UK,” she said in an interview with the magazine The Filipino Expat.

Barker said she has become accustomed to the British lifestyle since relocating and has immersed herself in the country through studying and exploring the city.

“I was quite insular before and I only went out with fellow Filipinos. This gradually changed as I continued my studies here. [I] realized we are all the same, people wanting to protect our country by becoming involved with our local community,” she said.

Still, Barker said she remembers the Filipino values her parents instilled in her and that they helped her in adapting to British society.

The newly-elected councilor is an experienced immigrant advisor who previously served as president of the Rotary Club of Elstree and Borehamwood, as well as other charitable organizations including the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. In her local town of Elstree and Borehamwood, she is actively involved in the local church and residents’ association. She is also chair of the town’s museum and is a school governor at St. Nicholas School.

“I have always been curious about everything that happens in our local town,” she said.

Barker said she has always found politics important. She said she has always supported the Conservative Party because of how it ran policy in her local town. Barker became involved with the party’s campaigns even before she became a full member.

The British-Filipina hopes her recent win will inspire more Filipinos to become more active in British politics.

“It is important to be a part of the political machinery – the British are open and they embrace us. But we Filipinos need to make the first step and adapt,” she said.

Gene Alcantara, an immigration adviser in London, called Barker’s victory “a very encouraging wake-up call to the Filipino community in the UK,” as it is indicative of Filipino empowerment and representation in the British community. Alcantara said more political involvement is expected from Filipinos after Barker’s election.

“The vital point about it is that British-Filipinos are participating in the political process,” he said.

Alcantara added that he hopes more Filipinos will also be encouraged to vote not only in the UK, but in the 2016 Philippine national elections.

Prior to Barker’s win, the highest public office ever held by a Filipino in the United Kingdom was a town councilor. 

...the PHL growth in the next decade

Phl seen growing 6.5-7.5% in next decade


             

By Kathleen A. Martin

The Philippine Star

February 10, 2014

 

 

UK firm warns of major setback in 2016 leadership change


MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine economy is expected to continue expanding between 6.5 and seven percent in the next decade but London-based Capital Economics warned that the change in leadership in 2016 could be a major setback for the country.

“Overall, we remain fairly upbeat on the Philippines and believe growth will average around 6.5 to seven percent over the next decade,” Gareth Leather, economist at Capital Economics, said in the latest Emerging Asia Economics Weekly.

“However, a note of caution is probably in order amid uncertainty over who will replace President (Benigno) Aquino whose term in office comes to an end in 2016,” he said.

Leather said that the current “reform-minded” government has opened doors for the economy to shore up investments and improve the business environment.

“Among the most important reforms have been a crackdown on corruption; new legislation to control population growth; public-private finance initiatives aimed at improving the country’s infrastructure; and a peace agreement with Islamic insurgent groups,” Leather said.

These reforms have allowed the country to move up rankings on the World Economic Forum and the Heritage Foundation’s surveys with regard to business environments and progress on implementing changes in the government, he added.

 

“The election of another reform-minded president would provide a major boost to the country’s prospects. However, there are clearly no guarantees this will be the case,” Leather said.

“Indeed, there is a danger that Mr. Aquino will be followed by a weak incompetent or corrupt leader who fails to build on, or even reverses, the progress that Aquino has made in his first few years as president,” he said.

The Philippine economy expanded by 7.2 percent last year, surpassing market and government expectations.

The country also boasts of its investment grade ratings received from global debt watchers Standard & Poor’s, Fitch Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service last year.

Aside from the uncertainty of whether winners of the 2016 presidential elections would sustain reforms, Leather said the country still enjoys a “reduced risk of an external crisis.”

The country’s balance of payments surplus amounted to $5.085 billion last year. While gross international reserves amounted to $78.939 billion in January.

“The large current account surplus and the resulting lack of dependence on foreign financing limits the country’s vulnerability to sudden capital outflows,” Leather said.

“It has been notable that the Philippines has been relatively unscathed by market turbulence of the last year. That has allowed the central bank to keep interest rates low to support growth, which stands in stark contrast to India and Indonesia, where central banks have been forced into raising rates,” he said.

Another positive factor for the Philippine economy is its improving fiscal position, the economist said.

The government debt to gross domestic product ratio has now gone down to less than 40 percent from a peak of under 70 percent in 2003, an indicator that the possibility of a sovereign debt crisis is very small, Leather said.

He added “with less money now being spent on debt repayment, the government has more resources to spend on infrastructure, education and healthcare, which can raise productivity and drive long-run growth.”

The country’s healthy demographics can also provide a boost to long-term growth, a stark contrast to other economies with ageing population.

“Provided jobs can be found for this people, a rapid increase in the working age population can boost growth by increasing the productive potential of the economy,” Leather said.

 

...the Fil-Canadian senator

First Filipino-Canadian senator recounts rise through the ranks

By Matikas Santos
INQUIRER.net

Monday, January 27th, 2014

 

Senator Tobias Enverga Jr.

MANILA, Philippines – Canada’s first senator of Filipino descent was once a struggling overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who left the Philippines seeking adventure.

“I went to Canada for adventure, I took a chance,” Senator Tobias Enverga Jr. shared with INQUIRER.net in an interview January 24, while he was in the country leading a Filipino delegation of “winter escapees” from Canada.

“I never realized I will be a Canadian Senator,” he told the 240-strong delegation, mostly composed of Canadians of Filipino descent, that toured Kalibo, Boracay, Roxas City, Iloilo City, and Guimaras from January 18 to 23 as part of the first “Winter Escapade” tour.

Filipino roots

Enverga was born to a middle-class family in Lucena City. He shared that there were two clans of Envergas in Lucena, one was mostly composed of politicians and the other was mostly educators. “I’m part of the educators,” he said.

During college, he went to the Letran College in Manila where he graduated with a degree in Economics. He worked for less than a year in two banks in the country after he graduated.

He met his wife there in the bank, Enverga recalled. He however said that he felt “tired” about being in the Philippines.

“I got so tired about being here in the Philippines,” Enverga said. “When you are a young man you have so many things going on in your life.”

It was then that he decided to go to Canada to stay with his sisters even though he was not sure whether he would get a job there. He had told himself then that he would just be in Canada for a couple of years.

“My start in Canada was good because my sisters took care of me. But eventually I realized that I have to do some work,” Enverga said.

Starting from the bottom

Enverga applied for work at the Bank of Montreal, one of Canada’s top five largest banks, where he started from the bottom of the corporate ladder.

“The first work I did was actually in the mail room… then I worked my way up,” he said.

“Then I took up computer courses and became a computer operator,” Enverga said. He continued to rise up through the ranks and his last position before he became a senator was project manager for the IT department.

He worked for around 30 years in the Bank of Montreal. “I have a loyalty award,” Enverga said with a laugh.

Even though he has already reached top positions, he saw himself as among the millions of OFWs all over the world.

“I consider myself as an OFW. When I was working I send money to my mom through remittances,” he recalled.

“My younger brothers were still young and my father died earlier so I have to send a little money although my other sisters sent more,” he said.

In 2010, the Toronto Catholic District School Board appointed him as a trustee “which made him the first Filipino-Canadian elected to public office in the city and the first member of a visible ethnic minority elected to the Board.”

From there he involved himself in many socio-civic organizations such as Global Filipino Nation, Global Filipinos Canada, Canadian Multi-cultural Council—Asians in Ontario, Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC), and Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation (PCCF).

He held top positions, and in some cases was the founder, of many of those organizations.

“As a community leader in Toronto, I have to interact with the government there, it’s important, what is good for my community is good for the government,” Enverga said.

“I have to put them together to ensure that we are well connected and to get all the good stuff from the government, that’s how I got to know the government,” he said.

For his advocacies and work in the many charitable organizations, Enverga was among the awardees of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, a medal created in 2012 that commemorates the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II ascension to the throne.

The award is given to people who “have made significant contributions to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community within Canada, or for an outstanding achievement abroad that has brought great credit to Canada.”

Appointment

Enverga was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2012. He is the first Filipino to be appointed to the Canadian Senate.

In Canada, senators serve until the age of 75, which means he has around 20 years left as a senator.
He recalled that he was so shocked after receiving a call from the Prime Minister that he had to ask to be given 24 hours to think over the “life changing decision.”

“The beauty about being appointed is that we can say no to whatever the government says. There’s no partisanship. You know how it works for politics, if you’re in this different political frame of mind you always go against the other one,” Enverga said.

“Ours is not, we are the free thinkers. We are called the second sober thought of Canada,” he said.

When asked whether he heard about recent controversies in the Philippines, such as the billion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, popularly known as the Pork Barrel scam, he said that more accountability and transparency are needed.

“I’ve heard about it. If only they will apply more accountability, transparency, great reporting, I think that will be a big help,” he said.

Offer to the world

As one of the almost 10.5 million Filipinos that are abroad, Enverga said that the present diaspora of Filipinos to all over the world was a good thing because Filipinos have so much to offer.

“We want the Filipinos to populate the world, because Filipinos have so much to offer the world. We have our culture, we have our values, we have our faith,” Enverga said.

“Leaving the Philippines is a good thing, but of course it’s a bad thing too, because it’s more like a brain drain for us,” he said.

Even though majority of the OFWs going abroad are domestic workers, nurses, and caregivers, Enverga said that Filipinos are more than just “white or blue collar workers, nurses, nannies, caregivers or doctors.”

Filipinos are “also leaders of the world,” he said.

Asked what he would tell the millions of OFWs all over the world, Enverga said: “Keep on going, do some more adventures like me and maybe you’ll find the right path eventually.”

 

...the PInoy in NZ politics

Pinoy enters NZ politics

 

By Helen Flores

The Philippine Star

February 2, 2013

 

 

 

                                                                  Gazo

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino has entered New Zealand politics, and he is just 23 years old.

Ephraim Gazo, who hails from Bacoor, Cavite, currently serves as a member of the Community Committee in Lower Hutt in the capital Wellington, the 10th largest city in New Zealand.

Gazo is bent on extending his public service to Philippine shores and is helping improve Filipinos’ lives through tourism.

“As far as I am aware, I am the only Filipino involved in the New Zealand government in my capacity as a council member. However, I have heard of various Filipinos who have been involved through running in previous elections but were not able to get elected or appointed to office,” Gazo told The STAR.

Gazo said the Community Committee serves as the bridge between the people and the city council.
“A community committee member’s working day normally involves meeting constituents and attending community groups, particularly those that the members are involved with through their portfolio,” he said.

Gazo is presently handling the Naenae Computer Clubhouse, the Keep Hutt City Beautiful Committee, Youth Affairs and Ethnic Affairs.

A committee member earns about $1000 per meeting. They have about six to seven meetings in a year, Gazo said.

“Another thing that I’m currently pursuing is how I could utilize my position and connections towards promoting the Philippines as an ideal tourist destination to many Kiwis – some of whom have never heard/been to the Philippines,” he said.

Gazo also wants to take advantage of the so-called “gap year,” which refers to the time out to travel between life stages. It is very popular among students in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.

“It is part of the culture of the young people in New Zealand that after high school they do backpacking for a year,” Gazo said.

He said he feels disappointed whenever he meets people and they tell him that they have been to countries near the Philippines.

“Through my involvement in the council, together with some Filipino youth, we formed a network to promote the Philippines as a tourist destination,” Gazo said.

“I was also inspired by the recent visit of President Aquino in New Zealand when he called on leaders from both countries to strengthen their relation, particularly with the working holiday schemes in New Zealand,” he added.

“My first campaign began in 2007, a day after turning 18, I decided to run as a city councilor in the local body elections at Hutt City Council,” Gazo said.

In 2007, Gazo was elected to the Hutt City Youth Council, which is equivalent to the country’s Sangguniang Kabataan.

“One of the biggest challenges that I saw at the time was that I was the youngest candidate as well as the only Filipino,” he said.

There are also senior politicians who criticized him for being young and for being a Filipino.
“There would always be a certain stereotype of Filipino politicians, that they are corrupt. But instead of being discouraged, I keep my head up and make sure that my voice is heard.”

“A particular event which was quite memorable to me was when I attended a ‘meet the candidates’ event hosted by the local Grey Power, as there was an ongoing perception that most of the elderly in our community were not quite supportive of young people and people of different ethnicities,” Gazo said.

Grey Power is an advocacy group for people aged 50 and above.

“I was initially very nervous upon entering this forum, but all my worries and fears subsided when I realized how warm and welcoming this group was and how they were quite supportive of my candidacy and my purpose for running – which was to give young people and migrant communities a voice in the council,” Gazo said.

His interest in politics started when he was in high school at the Naenae College, after he participated in the Sir Peter Blake Youth Environment Forum.

In the forum, Gazo wrote an essay about environmental sustainability.

“In my essay I compared Bacoor, my hometown, and Manila to Wellington which is very clean and green. My article was one of the essays selected in the whole (Wellington) region,” he said.

“After that I opened my mind not only to environmental issues but also to helping the community.”
His performance as a member of the Youth Council was basically the reason for his appointment to the Community Committee.

“Our mayor is very supportive of the young people. Five former members of the Youth Council, including me, were appointed to the Community Committee. Our ages range from 20 to 25,” he said.
“Because the city councilors have no term limit, our mayor believes that it is time to give the young people a chance to serve,” he said.

Gazo migrated to New Zealand in 2004 when he was just 14.

Gazo had an opportunity to migrate to New Zealand through his mother, Feria, who works as a nurse for the local hospital in Hutt Valley District Health Board.

He lives with his mother and aunt Hedilisa Gazo, who works as a baker for Air New Zealand at the Wellington Airport.

“My mother is a single parent and I have no siblings. Although I have three half-brothers on my father’s side with whom I have had no contact with for a very long time,” Gazo said.

“I initially wanted to be a doctor as my mother is working as a registered nurse and so I saw health services as an avenue to help my community,” Gazo said.

He studied in a number of schools in the Philippines including Bacoor Unida Evangelical School, Child Development and Guidance Centre, Bacoor Parish School and Statefields School Inc.

“I left the Philippines after finishing second year high school and was a high achiever then, mostly ranging from 1st honor to 4th,” Gazo said.

...the first Pinay Senate Prez in Hawaii

Donna Kim makes history as first Filipina-American Hawaii Senate President

 

 

ANDREI MEDINA

GMA News

January 16, 2013

 

 

 

Hawaii Senate Vice President Donna Mercado Kim will make history on Thursday as she is installed as the first Filipina-American State Senate President.

Kim will be replacing Senator Shan Tsutsui who became the Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii.

“It is truly humbling and an honor to be chosen by my fellow Senate colleagues,” Kim told GMA News Online in an email.

Kim hopes to be a role model for Fil-Ams and to show “them that anything is possible if you put your heart and mind to it.”

As the Hawaii Senate President, Kim wants to focus on job creation and encouraging sustainability, especially because of Hawaii's location, being 2,390 miles from California.

She hopes to achieve food resiliency by "increasing food production and consumption of locally grown food."

She is also aiming for a more transparent government.

“One of the key things for me would be retooling government — how we make government smarter and more efficient,” she said, adding that she will continue to pursue accountability and transparency."

Political career

Kim started her political career when she was elected to the Hawaii State House of Representatives in 1982.

She won a special election in 1985 for the Honolulu City Council and served for five years.

Since then she has been chairing the Zoning Committee for 12 years and has been a strong voice for Hawaii for over 30 years.

Filipino heritage

Although not born in the Philippines, Kim thinks that the Fil-Am community is a strong, hard-working community.

“They value the importance of family, hard-work, and a sense of camaraderie. They are proud of both their Filipino and American heritages, and they continue to have strong ties to the Philippines,” she said.

She believes that Filipinos' strong work ethics significantly contributed to the nation’s flourishing economy.

Kim was raised in Kalihi, Hawaii. Her father is Korean while her mother is Spanish-Filipino-Portuguese.

She has visited the Philippines thrice and hopes to come to the country again.

She is also a fan of Filipino food and was taught by her mom recipes which were passed on from her grandfather.

“I enjoy many kinds of Filipino foods. I grew up eating all types of Filipino dishes – from pancit to adobo,” she said.

Philippine politics

As for the rise of American politicians with Filipino heritage, she says this is a testament that Filipinos could assimilate well with the American culture while maintaining their Filipino values.

“They are cognizant and grateful for the many opportunities America has to offer, and it is through those opportunities coupled with their incessant drive to attain the American Dream that cultivates this generation of Filipino-Americans,” she said.

If she had the chance to become a politician in the Philippines, Kim said she would address closing the economic gap between social classes.

“A discrepancy exists between the economic classes in which the gap between the wealthy and the poor is large,” she noted.

Kim also revealed her big plans to represent not just Hawaii in the near future.

“I do aspire to someday expand that representation in Washington D.C., and will consider seeking the US Senate Seat in 2014,” she said.

To aspiring politicians, Kim said they should join their local communities, volunteer for causes, and take a stand on issues they feel strongly about.

“Government is only as good as its people. So get involved in any way possible,” she said adding, “No matter what area in politics you wish to enter, keep a strong work ethic, cultivate a good and honest character, and never let your bad days cloud the sunny ones ahead.” - VVP, GMA News