January 2018 · Vo l2 N o1 FREE inside New Trends€¦ · Since gamin tendencies are well-received...

thousand inhabited islandscelebrate an annual fiesta.When you add birthdays, an-niversaries, graduations, wed-dings, and other celebrations,one can see why it really is

“more fun in the Philippines.”Though not without enormouschallenges, such as more thana dozen typhoons a year,heavy flooding in low-lying ar-

n a world of growinguncertainty, we are in-vited to examine thetrends of the New Year.

The Fil-Am Voice staff ex-tends to our readers bestwishes and good cheer for2018, as we touch on thenewest trends in six arenasof central interest across theglobe—education technology(Edtech), fashion, politics,sexual harassment, socialmedia and superfoods. Withinstantaneous connectionto most locales on the planet,at the touch of a button, wecan for example, watch in real time on televisions andvarious mobile devices, along

with millions of curiousviewers, as Britain's PrinceHarry and American modelMeghan Markle announcetheir engagement and aspring wedding in London.Hours later we are informedby the media that the jacket,dress and shoes worn by thefuture member of British roy-alty has already sold out innumerous local outlets. Suchis the magic of modern me-dia!

Education Tech-nology (Edtech)

In its relatively short his-

New TrendsVince G. Bagoyo, Jr. & Elizabeth Ayson

I

At the touch of a button, we can watch in real time on televisionsand various mobile devices as Britain's Prince Harry and Americanmodel Meghan Markle announce their engagement and a springwedding in London.PHOTO COURTESY SLATE.COM

ome have called thePhilippines, “the land offiestas.” And no other

festival is so rich, so joyful, someaningful and so... well, solong, as Christmas in thePhilippines. From the momentthe calendar changes fromAugust 31 to September 1,Christmas is not far away inthe Philippines. That’s right,Filipinos love to celebrateChristmas as long as possible;and they do. Although the for-mal Christmas celebrationstarts on December 16, infor-mally, Filipinos proudly pro-claim that their Christmas cel-ebration is the longest in theworld, with the beginning ofthe “ber” months. No, not“brr”, as in cold weather, but“ber”, as in Septemberthrough December. In spite ofno winter snow, few pinetrees, no traditional yule logsor most of the usual trappingsthat decorate Christmas cele-

brations in the West, Filipinoswill not be outdone in theircelebration of Christ’s birth.But it’s not just the length ofthe holiday season that cre-ates a unique Filipino Christ-mas, it’s the culture itself thathas developed its own, one-of-a-kind Christmas spirit. Whatmakes Christmas in the Philip-pines so unique?

The PeopleFilipinos are, by nature,

joyful, celebrative people. Afew years ago the nation’stourism industry marketedtravel in the Philippines withthe slogan, “It’s more fun inthe Philippines.” The moniker,“land of fiestas,” attached tothe Philippines is truly appro-priate. The year 2017 includ-ed twenty national legal andnon-working holidays. Marchand July were the onlymonths that did not include anational holiday. As well,every barangay in the two

Ballistic Missile ScareBloggedLiza Pierce blogs abouther morning of “ the”emergency alert Hawai‘ifaced on Jan. 13.

see PASKO p.3

January 2018 · Vol 2 No1 FILIPINO AMERICAN VOICE • UPLIFTING OUR COMMUNITY

This gentleman has led alife to be admired. ReadSakada Offspring!p.7

Putting aside our “ 1st-world problems” to see aworld in need of our help.p.8

Trump says to the world,no to chain migration.What Do You Think?p.15

inside

Pasko Sa PilipinasDavid Crim

FREE

Page 6

S

People gathered in the lighted streets during the “ ber” months atthis Naga Lantern Parade at the 2015 Naga City, Bicol, Philippines.PHOTO COURTESY NAGA SMILES TO THE WORLD FACEBOOK PAGE

see TRENDS p.2

Trends for2018The new rapid exchange of technology and information givesrise to a new anddifferent society.

“Ber”months examinedChristmas bringsfood, fun and “ swag”to all things Filipino.

Page 1

tory, technology has come to mean“disruption,” to long accepted educa-tional traditions. In the words ofZishaan Havath in the October 18,2017 issue of Inc 42, Disruptions inthe education technology sector are nowthe next logical step. Advanced learningmethodologies are being applied for stu-dents, while simultaneously elimi-nating bottlenecks faced by educa-tors. The article is entitled, “Hereare the Catalysts That WillChange the Education Domain in2018”:

1. Mobile Learning. Thesmartphone is identified asthe strongest disruptor intechnology, which is now em-powering students to em-brace technology despitetheir geographical and socio-economic boundaries. By giv-ing students good qualitylearning materials, it is alsoeliminating disparities in thequality of students' educa-tion. In India, for example,mobile learning is found toenhance the learning curve of stu-dents, as it generates data whichare analyzed by teachers, who canthen personalize the content of-fered to students.

2. Cloud-Based Technology. As acentralized repository of knowl-edge for teachers and studentsalike, cloud-based technology liftsthe problems inherent in previous-ly limited classroom only usage to

grant them the flexibility to inter-act and share data with each oth-er—anytime, anywhere. Therefore,educators are helped to increasetheir reach without bearing theburden of expenses. while also re-ducing the end-cost for consumers,while adding considerable value totheir education.

3. Big Data, Machine Learning,and Artificial Intelligence.“Big data helps to deeply analyze

the usage and performance of stu-dents. By using machine learningand artificial intelligence togetherwith big data, educators can createan adaptive platform that person-alizes learning for students. Bystudying data sets, algorithms cre-ate behavior models. Based onthese behavior models, educatorscan better understand students'strengths and weaknesses and pre-

dict their unique learning curve.Educators can “create a personal-ized training path that meets theprecise needs of each student. Thislets students learn at a pace con-ducive to their own growth andkeeps them motivated.”

4. Gamification is known to deliversuperb results across applicationsand industries. In the form ofgames, it provides people a goal-based approach to their day-to-day

tasks. To achieve this,gamification uses anima-tions and interactive me-dia. In education, eachlearning task is convertedinto smaller stage-like seg-ments, which offer re-wards or incentives uponsuccessful completion.Since gamin tendenciesare well-received by stu-dents since childhood,they respond to this ap-proach much better, evenin academic learning.Compared to the tradition-al classroom learning set-up, gamification also de-creases fatigue and in-creases their overall out-

put considerably.

5. Augmented and Virtual Real-ity. Manifestations of AugmentedReality (AR) and the market de-ployment of Virtual Reality (VR)are now ubiquitous (being every-where at the same time) across theglobe. The education technologysector is also leveraging them tooffer an enhanced and evolvedlearning experience for students.

Compared to the traditional setup,AR and VR offer a more experien-tial learning experience to stu-dents. This experience registersmuch better in their minds, en-hancing their retention and in-creasing their engagement. The in-creasing use of state-of-the-arttechnologies in both AR and VR isinstrumental to evolve learningand increase the true academic po-tential of students. The edtech sec-tor is proving itself to be very ca-pable as an auxiliary support toclassroom learning for studentsand an independent learning av-enue for others. As technology in-creases its footprint in the market,the ed-tech sector will give us aglimpse of the ultra-modern edu-cation system of the future.

FashionWe begin with the fashion trends

for 2018, guided by the gurus of fash-ion design who look to the runways infour cities every year, beginning withNew York City, then on to London,Milan, and Paris. What showed up inNew York recently is a return to the1980s, with acid washed jeans, bikeshorts, chokers and slip dresses. In thepresentations by Popsugar there wereabundant examples of flannel, sockswith shoes, short suits, and shimmer-ing fabrics. There is also a comebackof the feminine stylings from JaneAusten's era, in a modern day ro-mance version of billowy sleeves,corseted waists, and soft floral prints.There is evidence of a lavendertakeover, as well as dress-over pants,

2 | Fil-Am Voice | January 2018 | Vol 2 • No 1

50 properties across Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii Island, South Lake Tahoe and Orlando.

Call our Hawaii-based destination specialists808.564.7618 or toll-free 855.945.4092 aqua-aston.com

Trends…from p. 1

see TRENDS p.5

The smartphone has become an essential learning tool.PHOTO COURTESY G•CUBE

eas during the rainy season, intenseheat in the dry season, crushingpoverty in many locations, huge over-crowding in urban areas, and horribletraffic in the cities, Filipinos are ex-perts in finding a reason, and a way,to celebrate.

Filipinos are also a highly religiouspeople. The Philippines is known as

the only Christian nation in Asia. Thisis largely based on the high percent-age of Filipinos who claim to be Ro-man Catholic—more than eighty per-cent. There are also large numbers ofProtestant and Evangelical ChristianFilipinos too. Some missiologists andsociologists suggest that more than

ninety percent of Filipinos are Chris-tians. The influence and impact of re-ligion largely colors every fiesta in thePhilippines, especially Christmas.

Without a doubt, secularism hasmade its mark in the Christmas seasonin the Philippines. There is a risingmiddle class in the Philippines, and re-cently, the economy has seen historicgrowth, especially in the cities. Morepeople have more financial resourcesthan, perhaps, ever before, affordingthem the possibility to do more than

their share of Christ-mas shopping. Yet,unlike Christmas inthe United States andother Western na-tions, Christmas inthe Philippines hasmaintained a largelyreligious tone.

Filipinos are fami-ly-oriented. For mostFilipinos, there is ab-solutely nothing andno one more impor-tant than family.Strong familial tieshold people together.For example, if onefamily member be-comes successful, he

or she will make significant personalsacrifices to help others “level up.”One of our friends in Manila has per-sonally financed five of her nieces andnephews to get their college educa-tions. This is but one of many exam-ples of the strong family ties amongFilipinos. Children are cherished. The

aged are honored and respected.Everyone is loved. So these joyful, re-ligious, family-focused people knowhow to celebrate. And Christmas istheir best.

The FoodFilipinos love to eat. And if you

taste the food here, you’ll know why.Fabulous eats, created especially forChristmas, are spread on most everyFilipino table.

Lechon (roasted suckling pig) is theculinary centerpiece at every celebra-tion, fiesta, family event (wedding,birthday), and is also popular aroundChristmas time. Lechon is prepared bystuffing the inside of the animal withherbs and vegetables. The pigs areslowly roasted, usually by hand-turn-ing over hot coals for hours, until theirskin becomes crispy and turns reddish

brown, while the inside flesh becomestender and flavorful. The crispy skin isalways a favorite. The dish is oftenserved with a thick liver sauce that issimmered with vinegar, sugar andherbs.

Perhaps the most popular rice deli-cacy during the Christmas holidays inthe Philippines is puto bumbong. Pur-ple rice is steamed in bamboo tubes,stuffed with butter, sugar and co-conut, and served with grated coconutand brown sugar (usually muscova-do).

Bibingka, although a year-round fa-vorite, is another important rice deli-cacy traditional to Christmas celebra-tions. Sellers of bibingka line thestreets during the Christmas season.This rice cake is traditionally cookedin clay pots lined with banana leaves,

Vol 2 • No 1 | January 2018 | Fil-Am Voice | 3

see PASKO p.4

Pasko…from p. 1

A few years ago the nation’s tourism industry marketedtravel in the Philippines with the slogan, “ It’s more fun inthe Philippines.”PHOTO COURTESY BARANGAY.LIFE

Lechon is the culinary centerpiece at every celebration, and is very popular during theChristmas season.PHOTO COURTESY DAVID CRIM


Tante UrbanEDITOR & PRESIDENT • FIL-AM VOICE

Editor’s DeskFrom the

he year 2018, known as theYear of the Dog, will chal-lenge us once more to de-

clare our New Year's Resolutionswith optimism that everything willbe much better. We share withothers what we want to improveor change.

This yearning for change startsfrom one's self, whether it is forself-improvement, or physical, ortaking a jump on aneconomic opportuni-ty or financial wind-fall, such as invest-ing, or putting up apersonal business orlooking for a betterjob. A lot of choicesbut it is always agood idea to writethese down as newyear's resolutionsand at the end ofthe year, evaluatewhat you have ac-complished.

The list of resolutions expandsto think of one's family, includingrelatives and inner circles. Whatwe can offer to our family andclose friends such that the yearwill be more meaningful to them?What can be done to improve orstrengthen our relationship andwell-being? The people within ourinner circles have great influenceon who we are and it may be thistime of the year to reverse the di-rection and lead them to greaterheights.

Our resolutions radiate andmay have a connection to the so-ciety or perhaps to organizationsaround us. Undoubtedly, there isno better path to follow than theGolden Rule: “Do unto others asyou would have them do untoyou.” Growing up as a child in thePhilippines, my mother always in-stilled upon me the Golden Rule

and it has always been my guidingpath my whole life.

A group of people sharing thesame ideals and mission may alsoadopt a resolution as a whole. Inour dealings with one another, letus strive to uplift every Filipinowho needs a helping hand in get-ting a business started or in climb-ing the ladder of success.

Ultimately, the incoming yearshould be the mo-ment for our resolu-tions to revolve in365 days on thecore of Faith, Hope,and Love. Faith in asense that we be-lieve to have a se-cure place in the fu-ture with the talentsand skills that wepossess. Hope be-cause we never giveup; we always lookat the brighter sideof things and believ-

ing that something better is yet tocome. Love conquers all things; letus yield to love.

Here are some favorites quotesthat motivate and inspire me inmy daily life:

1. Start your day with an Atti-tude of Gratitude.

2. It’s all in the frame of mind.

3. Focus on the blessing insteadof the burden.

4. All our dreams can come trueif we have the courage topursue them.

5. It is in giving that we receive.

6. To err is human; to forgive isdivine.

Last but not the least: May yourdays be a gathering of Love,Laughter and Happy Memories.

Happy New Year!

L O C A T I O N24 Central Avenue

Wailuku, Maui, Hawai‘i USA 96793

Editor • PublisherTante [email protected]

Treasurer • Co-PublisherVince Bagoyo, [email protected]

Secretary • Co-PublisherAlfredo [email protected]

Co-PublisherElizabeth Ayson, [email protected]

Art Director • Co-PublisherLawrence [email protected]

Account ExecutiveCo-Publisher

Sharon [email protected]

Contributing Writers

Elsa Agdinaoay-Segal

Elizabeth Ayson, Ph.D.

Vince Bagoyo, Jr.

Joaquin “Jake” Belmonte

Alfredo Evangelista

Susan Halas

Gilbert Keith-Agaran

Lawrence Pascua

Vernon Patao

Lucy Peros

Liza Pierce

John Tomoso

Tante Urban

Sharon Zalsos

DistributionPaul Manzano

C O N T A C T

Tel: (808) 242-8100Email:

[email protected]

I N T E R N E TWeb:

www.filamvoicemaui.comFacebook:

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The Fil-Am Voice, a newspaper focusing on issues concerning our Filipino American community here on Maui, is published every month.©2017 Fil-Am Voice Inc. All rights reserved. The Fil-Am Voice is valued at $1 per issue. One complimentary copy per person is available at is-landwide distribution locations. Multiple copies may not be taken without the permission from the Fil-Am Voice. Disclaimer: The views andopinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Fil-Am Voice,Inc. Any assumptions made within these articles are not reflective of the position of Fil-Am Voice, Inc.

with hot coals positioned on both topand bottom of the pots as the heatsource. Depending on the region, youwill find a variety of expressions ofthis traditional Filipino treat.

Keso de bola, cheese balls with redwaxy coverings (also known as Edamcheese) are also a favorite food dur-ing the Christmas season.

If you celebrateChristmas with a Fil-ipino this Christmas,you might also enjoyeating other deliciousdishes, such as fruit sal-ad, ham, adobo, pancit,and much more.

The TraditionsBesides traditional

foods, there are othertraditions that setChristmas in the Philip-pines apart from anyother. Though mallsand shops begin play-ing traditional Christ-mas carols as soon as the “ber”months start, the religious life shapesmany of the Christmas traditions.

Christmas officially begins on De-cember 16. On this day, many peopleattend the first of nine consecutivepre-dawn masses called SimbangGabi. Each of the first eight massesstart as early as 4:00 a.m. The tradi-tion was introduced by the Spanishfriars during colonial days in order toallow farmers to attend mass before

starting their work in the fields.Sometimes the masses are called bythe Spanish name—Misa de Gallo(“mass of the rooster”). Accompany-ing the roosters that crow everymorning in every village, churchesring their bells, welcoming the faith-ful through their doors. The last ofthe nine masses is a midnight masson Christmas Eve. Simbang Gabi isnot just a tradition, the faithful viewit as spiritual preparation for Christ-mas, in celebration of the birth of Je-

sus Christ. Most peoplebelieve that if onecompletes the wholeseries of nine SimbangGabi masses, theirwishes will be granted.

Following theChristmas Eve mass,traditional delicaciescan be purchased infood stalls just outsidethe church doors. Re-member? Food playsan important role inFilipino fiestas. Oncethe mass attenderswalk outside, their

noses, and appetites, will be tanta-lized by traditional food favorites:bibingka, puto, puto bumbong, sumansa pasko, suman sa ibos, and usuallyserved with hot tea or coffee. Hotpandesal is also very popular. Thefood stalls provide a fitting segue in-to another Filipino tradition—a mid-night feast.

Noche Buena (the midnight feast)is like a big, open house celebration

Pasko…from p. 3

New Year’s ResolutionT

Perhaps the mostpopular rice delicacyduring the Christmas

holidays in the Philippines is

puto bumbong.PHOTO COURTESY

DAVID CRIM

Bibingka is another important rice delicacy traditional to Christmas celebrations.PHOTO COURTESY DAVID CRIM

see PASKO p.11

Christmas officially begins on December 16. On this day, many people attend thefirst of nine consecutive pre-dawn masses called Simbang Gabi.PHOTO COURTESY DAVID CRIM

“Keso de bola,cheese ballswith red waxycoverings (also knownas Edamcheese) are also a favoritefood duringthe Christmasseason.”– DAVID CRIM

“The people withinour inner circleshave great influence on whowe are, and itmay be this timeof the year to reverse the direction andlead them togreater heights.”

– TANTE URBAN

Western cowgirl, and an array ofboots. Not totally erased, there issome use of monochromes and thetraditional classic colors from Pantone,such as Sailor Blue, navy like; HarborMist - mid-tone dove gray; WarmSand - neutral, comforting; and Co-conut Milk - white/off-white mainstay.

From Pantone we are introduced toan attitude of boldness, defined in “12call out shades,” to underscore a feel-ing of optimism and confidence in“colorful self-expression, kaleidoscopicflurry of uplifting shadesand feel good tones.” Pro-viding the palette includes aspecific name for eachshade with a brief descrip-tion, which appear next in acondensed summary.

1. Meadowlark - subtleyellow

2. Cherry Tomato - orangered

3. Little Boy Blue - azureblue as promise of anew day

4. Chili Oil - earthy brownbased red

5. Pink Lavender - soft,romantic violet rose, asoothing tone

6. Blooming Dahlia - understatedpink

7. Arcadia - green with blue under-tone

8. Ultraviolet - a complex purpleshade

9. Emperador - rich chocolate in-fused brown

10.Almost Mauve - gentle, delicateephemeral

11.Spring Crocus - flamboyant, tan-talizing fuchsia

12.Lime punch - sharp, pungent,striking citrus.

In the popularization of the over-sized jacket, some men's fashion isblended into women's designs. Eachdesigner presented some version ofThe Naked Dress, sheer fabrics fortransparency, some with jackets, slipsor jeans. Some controversy arose withthe appearance of the runways of plussizes, and revealing pregnant bumps,leading one onlooker to comment“perhaps the catwalk is not the placefor women in this period of theirlives.” Of some surprise was the fre-quent show of fanny packs, as astrong trend being designed directlyfor use with specific dresses. In addi-tion were creative styles with sequins,tassels, designer denim, geometric cut-outs, bold, graphic prints and a greatvariety of suits.

Filipinos are known for their keeninterest in fashion, as from around theworld they keep abreast of fashiontrends, and we can expect this priorityto continue in 2018.

PoliticsThe changing landscape of political

terminology gives us reason to pay at-tention to word usage. More specifi-cally, what was once called “liberal” isnow labeled “progressive,” while forsome unexplained reason, “conserva-tive” remains the same. Most agreethat everyone basically wants the

same things in life. The differencecomes in disagreements about how toachieve these basic wants. What aresome of the things we all want?Among the most noted on the shortlist are

1. healthy children,

2. a chance for prosperity,

3. little or no suffering,

4. no crime and

5. freedom.

According to Tom Hanks, in his re-cent interview on CNN with David Ax-elrod, what sets America apart fromother nations is the freedom to ex-press oneself without fear of repercus-

sions. This kind of freedom is the envyof millions on the planet, many whoseancestors arrived on American shoresto make a better life for their childrenand families.

An examination of contrasting be-liefs between progressives and conser-vatives can be described briefly as fol-lows: progressives look to the govern-ment to solve problems, to take ac-tions that make possible equal oppor-tunity and equality for all citizens; toact on its duty to improve social dis-crepancies and to protect civil liber-ties, as well as individual and humanrights. Additionally, the government isgiven the role to guarantee that no cit-izen is in need. On the other hand,conservatives believe in empoweringindividuals to solve their own prob-lems through personal responsibility, astrong national defense, free markets,individual liberty, limited governmentand traditional American values. Gov-ernment is given the role to providepeople with the freedom required topursue their own goals and dreams. Ingeneral agreement, the two major po-litical parties are usually termed asprogressive for Democrats and conser-vatives for Republicans.

As we look to 2018, we see a grow-ing divide between progressives (De-mocrats) and conservatives (Republi-cans) in America. Despite the fact thatboth houses of Congress are dominat-ed by Republicans, as is the WhiteHouse, coming to agreement remainsa difficult task. The recent victory tonarrowly pass the tax reform bill inthe Senate is the only major win so farthis year for the Republicans. Thetrend points to more division and awider rift between progressives andconservatives in the coming months.

One bright spot is the higher visi-bility of women in elected office at alllevels of government, although stllgrossly under-represented in govern-ments both nationally and internation-ally. Sadly, even though the U.S. is anation known globally for promoting


HAVE A PROSPEROUS AND

From the Officers, Directors and Members of the

Jeana GamboaPRESIDENT

Jorge TironaVICE PRESIDENT

Melen AgcolicolSECRETARY

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Sharon ZalsosIMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Richard MinatoyaLEGAL COUNSEL

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Benjamin AcobLeo AgcolicolAris BanaagKauanoe BatanganClayton FuchigamiJan PaaLawrence PascuaElsa Agdinaoay-Segal

Become A Member! Visit...www.mauifilipinochamber.com/join

Officers and Board Members were sworn in by Judge Richard Bissen, Jr.

of the rights of women and girls, ithas yet to elect a woman President.The modern day list of female headsof other nations remains short. Amongthe more familiar are: Kim Campbell,Prime Minister of Canada; Edith Cres-son, Prime Minister of France; JuliaGillard, Prime Minister of Australia;Gold Meir, Prime Minister of Israel;Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Ger-many, Isabel Peron, President of Ar-gentina; and Dilma Rousseff, Presidentof Brazil, Margaret Thatcher, formerPrime Minister and Theresa May, cur-rent Prime Minister of the UnitedKingdom and from the Philippines,former Presidents Corazon Aquino and

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Thereare 22 women world leaderscurrently in power.

Sexual HarassmentNo doubt, one of the most

troubling revelations on the dai-ly news is the mounting numberof allegations of sexual harass-ment in the workplace, bringingreactions of surprise, if notshock, to viewers. The U.S.Equal Opportunity Commission(EEOC) defines workplace sexu-al harassment as “sexual ad-vances or conduct of a sexualnature which unreasonably in-terferes with the performance ofa person's job or creates an in-

timidating, hostile, or offensive workenvironment.” We further learn that“sexual harassment can range frompersistent offensive sexual jokes to in-appropriate touching to posting offen-sive material on a bulletin board. Sex-ual harassment at work is a serious

problem and can happen to bothwomen and men.”

Employees in both state and federaloffices are protected by laws intendedto prevent workplace violations. Un-der Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of1964, sexual harassment is a form ofsex discrimination. Title VII is the basefor claims, but some states have evenmore strict sexual harassment laws.Following we provide information ontwo types of workplace sexual harass-ment, employer liability and strategiesand procedures to put an end to thisbehavior.

The two types of workplace sexualharassment are

1. quid pro quo and

2. hostile work environment.

In the quid pro quo type of harass-ment, a person in authority demandsthat subordinates tolerate sexual ha-rassment as a condition of getting orkeeping a job or job benefit, includingpromotions and raises. A single in-stance of harassment is sufficient tosustain a quid pro quo claim. For ex-ample, a superior demands that youkiss him or her or lose your job. Toqualify as a hostile work environment,a pattern of harassment is required.

Grounds for legal action based onhostile work environment is estab-lished when the behaviors are unwel-come, based on sex, and are severe orpervasive enough to cause an abusiveor offensive workplace. In order to de-termine the validity of a hostile workenvironment claim, courts will analyzethe following elements:

1. Whether the conduct was verbal,

Trends…from p. 2

see TRENDS p.10

Tom Hanks recently told CNN’s David Axelrod that whatsets America apart from other nations is the freedom to express oneself without fear of repercussions.PHOTO COURTESY CNN

My “Ballistic Missile FalseAlarm” Story on MauiLiza of “ A Maui Blog”

Kwento Kuwentuhan

o you all have heard already.We had that False Alarm of aBallistic Missile coming to

Hawaii, this morning. (actually, bythe time I uploaded this post on “AMaui Blog”).

At this time, it’s already all overthe news. Various versions and mul-tiple stories.

I initially thought of bloggingabout the false alarm on Hawai‘iright after the official False AlarmNotice was issued but I had othermore urgent things to do so I didn’t.

Then midday I thought, ok maybeI should blog about this now. Howev-er, I thought “oh by the time I finishwriting and publish my post it will al-ready be ‘old news.’ Maybe I shouldnot spend time writing about it.”

Then tonight I read the post writ-ten by my friend Leslie, at The Aloha360. Her 37 Thoughts in 37 minutesof waiting inspired me to write mystory. I realized that even though itwould be “old news” by the time Ipublish my post, I should really blogabout our personal experience. It willbe good to record it while it is stillfresh in our mind. This may be fun to

share with our grandkids someday.

So here’s our story:I was actually writing a blog post

about Teri and I’s Facebook Livewhen the alert on my phone came in.I looked at it,… read it... and read itagain several times to make surewhat I was reading is really what Iam reading. The line “THIS IS NOT ADRILL” is what bothered me themost.

I calmly walked to our länai toshow the emergency alert on myphone to my husband who was onthe phone talking to our daughter inOregon. When I interrupted him hetold my daughter, …“Wait, your momis trying to show me something.” Heread the message and told ourdaughter, “Oh… this might be our lastphone call to you.” Or somethingalong that line. Oh my golly, thatmust have been very scary for her,my poor daughter.

I immediately went back to mycomputer and scrounged the internetfor news. NOTHING! Why is there nonews about this? CNN? Nope! Fox?Nope! Hawai‘i News? Nope! Geez!

Then I quickly switched to Facebook.I was about to go to Maui SMUG

when I saw my friend Peter’s postand I commented on it.

About this time my husband said“We are about to get hit with a bal-listic missile and you’re on Face-book?” Ha! I didn’t respond to thehubby. I continued my social mediasearch.

Just a little background story—both Peter and I have experiencedmonitoring natural disaster via socialmedia. We’ve done this with the pre-vious earthquake and tsunami threatson Maui. We sort of have a way offinding information quickly via oursocial media net-works, faster andmore reliablythan the newsnetwork.

“So if this istrue, why are wenot hearingsirens,” was oneof the first ques-tions in ourminds.

By this time, ayoung ladyfriend, M, who isstaying at ourhouse was veryconcerned. She is away from herfamily and was understandably anx-ious. She was text-ing her dad. Iwished I could do something to calmher fears. I told her to calm down, Iam praying for our safety—yes Iwas—and I am searching the newsand will keep her informed.

I again searched for news:MauiNow? Nope! MauiWatch? Nope!

Our daughter texted me: “I LoveYou Mom.” I texted back “I Love YouToo.”

My husband was talking on thephone with someone—not sure who;might be our son.

I went back to my Facebook dis-cussion thread with Peter and I sawa post via Maui 24/7. They con-firmed that it’s a FALSE ALARM. Ithink I saw this confirmation 15 min-utes after the false alert was issued. Iimmediately reposted it on my Face-book timeline. Then I told “youngfriend M” that it’s a false alarm.Whew! She was happy to hear that,but she was still a little shaken.

But wait... why are we not gettingany further notification on ourphone? Why are we not getting a re-traction or an official announcementthat it was a false alarm?

It took another 22 minutes or so—which is a total of 37 minutes fromthe time the false alert was issued—before the false alert alarm camethrough our phone! Why such a de-lay?

At any rate, we are thankful. Weare thankful it’s a false alarm.

Looking back, I should havechecked Twitter too because it’s us-ually a good source of informationfor emergencies. But my first thoughtthis time was Facebook and I guess itworked. I got the confirmation thatit’s false faster than their phone con-firmation.

Looking back, “why weren’t wegoing; doing the step we were askedto do?” Why was my husband on the

phone on our länai and I in ourkitchen with my computer? Oh, Idon’t know. I think deep down, bothof us had the intuition that this wasa false alarm. But still, we shouldhave at least went downstairs insteadof staying upstairs.

Looking back, I realized I was sobusy trying to find if the news wasfalse that I didn’t even think aboutcontacting our son. But then againmaybe it was best that we didn’t be-cause he would just worry about usand there’s really nothing he can do.Well, at least I should have textedhim “I love you” too like what mydaughter and I did. But maybe he

was the one myhusband wastalking to when Iwas busy search-ing for news onthe internet. Thegood thing is heis living with mybrother and hisfamily and so Iam at peaceknowing he iswith a family. Idid contact himlater that day.

Oh so many“shoulda coulda”

but the bottom line is, we are happyit’s a false alarm. Truth is we werenot prepared. But then again, howcan we be ever be prepared for athreat like that?

Thank you to all our family andfriends who prayed for us during thisalarming event. Now that we areback to “normal,” so to speak, thereare many lessons we have learnedand as always, part of the lesson isbeing reminded of how precious thetime is that we have with our familyand friends while we are here onearth. Let us not take our relation-ships for granted. If not missiles,there could be something else. Let’sexpress our love more often, caremore often and love deeply. Aloha!

And tonight’s beautiful Maui Sun-set seems even more beautifultonight... probably because of ourcrazy morning today.

S

ROOTED . CAPABLE. EFFECTIVE. . .

Paid for by Friends of Gil Keith-Agaran P.O. Box 857 Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii 96793

AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THOSE DAYS, THAT THERE WENT OUT A DECREE FROM CAESAR AUGUSTUS THAT ALL THE WORLD SHOULD BE TAXED.. .

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

(Luke 2: 1, 3-14 KJV)

Merry Christmas And Happy New Year

Liza Pierce of A Maui Blog is an In-teractive Media Strategist in Hawai‘i.She started blogging in 2006 and sheloves talking story online and spread-ing aloha around the world. She’sbeen living on Maui since 1994 andconsiders Maui her home. A wife, amother, a friend…and so much more.She loves Jesus; Maui Sunsets Catch-er; Crazy About Rainbow; EndAlzheimer’s Advocate. Her life is fulland exciting here on the island ofMaui.Liza is currently the Interactive MediaStrategist with Wailea Realty Corp.


On Saturday, Jan. 13, Hawai‘i residentswoke up to this shocking emergencymessage that was conveyed via theirmobile devices.

ith all of his many accom-plishments in life, this am-bitious Sakada Offspring re-

mains humble and compassionate.Artemio Baxa was not born with a sil-ver spoon in his mouth but was bornin a lowly household, in a tiny villagein Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, Philippineson December 16, 1937. He is the sonof Juan Eda Baxa and Maria SubiaConstantino.

In his early formative years,Artemio spent quite a bit of time tend-ing to the family’s domestic animalslike carabao, goats, etc. and helpedwith the needs of his household, likefetching water from the well, andgathering firewood from the nearbymountain. Unfortunate-ly, his mother diedwhen Artemio was onlyten years old and his fa-ther’s sister, Pilar Baxatook care of him and hisbrother, Arnold Baxa.Their father Juan wasalready in Hawai‘i atthat time because hecame to Hawaii in theearly 1930s. Juan was avery thrifty man savinghis hard-earned dollarsfrom the sugar planta-tion, HC&S, sending itto the Philippines forArtemio and Arnold tospend for their educa-tion. Artemio proudlyshared that he earned his first dime byshining shoes in their town duringweekends.

After high school, Artemio first at-tended the University of Sto. Tomas.Then he attended the Ateneo de Mani-la University School of Law in 1960.He passed his Bar in 1961. Then hewent back to Bacarra and worked fora while.

Artemio first came to the UnitedStates in 1963 as a graduate studentat the University of Chicago LawSchool earning a master’s degree inComparative Law. After Chicago, hewent back to the Philippines and start-ed his legal career as an Assistant At-torney with the Manila law firm of the

former Philippine Senator, the lateDon Vicente J. Francisco who was alsothe publisher of the PhilippineLawyers Journal.

At the urging of his father, Artemiodecided to immigrate to Hawai‘i.When Don Vicente learned aboutArtemio’s plan, he told Artemio thathe was making a big mistake and thathe would only be picking pineapples.

Artemio arrived in Hawai‘i in 1967and lived with his father in the plan-tation camps, first in Alabama Village

in Pu‘unënë and inCamp I in Spreckelsville.Don Vicente was right.Life did not come easilyfor Artemio to find a jobas a lawyer. Like every-one else, we all have towork to earn some mon-ey for our daily living.Artemio’s first odd jobsincluded in doing yard-work, working as a bell-hop at the Wailuku Ho-tel, now the Maui Med-ical Group Building,night clerk at the MauiBeach Hotel, and as acommunity aide in theanti-poverty agency,now called MEO (Maui

Economic Opportunity). He saved hismoney and got married to the late Lu-cina Baxa.

When their child Artemio Baxa IIwas two months old, Artemio and Lu-cina agreed to sell their home to en-able Artemio to attend the RichardsonLaw School at the University ofHawai‘i-Mänoa where he earned hisJuris Doctor Degree in 1978. It washis first previous training and educa-tion that paved his way to later be-come a Circuit Court judge in theState of Hawai‘i, member of the MauiCharter Commission, member of theUniversity of Hawai‘i Board of Re-gents, and a member of the Hawai‘iCivil Rights Commission. In 1985, he

attended Harvard University LawSchool and received a certificate fromthe Program of Instructions forlawyers.

Artemio went to work in the MauiCounty Department of Corporation

Counsel and later became a CountyProsecutor where he was workingwhen named the first Maui CountyEmployee of the Year in 1988. Hiswife Lucina had to accept the award

Sakada Offspring

Artemio Constantino BaxaLucy Peros | ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARTEMIO BAXA

W

“Artemio’s firstodd jobs in-cluded doingyardwork,working as abellhop at theWailuku Hotel,now the MauiMedical GroupBuilding, nightclerk at theMaui BeachHotel...”– LUCY PEROS


Helping to grow a sustainable future for agriculture, and rooted in Hawaii for 50 years.

www.MonsantoHawaii.com Monsanto Hawaii @monsantohawaii

We grow more than food. At Monsanto, we are dedicated to growing a strong agricultural community. From our commitment to

sustainable agriculture and conservation practices to helping to cultivate Hawaii’s next generation of farmers.

We grow more than food.

Artemio Baxa in his garden. Artemio with his son, Artemio Baxa II

see BAXA p.13

ost of us startthe New Yearwith good inten-

tions. We resolve to workout more, eat better, getout of debt, learn some-thing new, or help otherpeople. But within the nextfew weeks, there is a goodchance that we may haveabandoned our resolutions.On the other hand, some ofus have given up makingthese ambitious lists in thefirst place because we arenot convinced we willmake the commitment apriority.

Does this lack of com-mitment mean that wedon’t have the best inten-tions? On the contrary: fail-ure to meet a goal some-times results from poorplanning. With the rightplan of action in placethough, almost anythingcan be accomplished. Goodplanning means obtainingthe right information, set-ting realistic, incrementalgoals, and surroundingyourself with the propersupport.

This year, consider re-solving to gain control ofyour family's finances. Anddon't do it alone! Involvethe entire family so you canall work as a team. Insteadof making vague, generalresolutions like "save mon-ey," set manageable,achievable goals like "Save$25 per month by drinkingfiltered tap water instead ofbottled water." Decide onthese goals only after as-sessing your current finan-cial situation and brain-storming your ideas as agroup.

Try not to worry thatyour kids will balk at theidea. Children love groupactivities and from toddler-hood to teen years they arefascinated by money. Fi-nances may be a hugesource of stress for parentsbut for most kids, the sub-ject of money invokes notfear and dread but intensecuriosity.

A survey conducted byForbes Consulting groupfor MassMutual shows thatless than half of parentsfeel they are good at man-aging money and becauseof that, less than 3% areactively involved in educat-ing their children on fi-nances. In fact, almost 50%believe that other organiza-tions should be educatingtheir children on finances.How many parents then,are actually teaching their

kids about saving, spendingand budgeting? Now, atthe beginning of the newyear, is the perfect time tomake family finances a pri-ority. Make it a team effort,with everyone learning andcontributing in the process.

Begin by talking withyour children about resolu-tions. Ask them to give ex-amples of resolutions, andmake sure they understandthe concept of setting goalsfor things they want toachieve in the future. Dis-cuss your personal financialgoals, and brainstorm ideasfor each family memberand for the family as agroup. Discuss the wayspeople get and spend mon-ey, such as in exchange forservices, labor, or materialgoods, as an allowance orgift, or as interest whenmoney is loaned up front.Explain that the money anyfamily receives is limited,and that spending it forone item or service meansnot having it for somethingelse. Encourage each familymember to make one per-sonal resolution for thecoming year and make it apriority to hold each otheraccountable

Almost any decision willhave a financial compo-nent, so coming up withmoney-related resolutionsshould not be difficult. Say,for example, that your sonwants to learn to play thedrums. Does he have hisown money to contribute,from an allowance, gifts, ora job? Who will teach him,and where will he obtainthe instrument? He couldpurchase a drum set andpay for lessons but priceswould vary widely depend-ing on the source and qual-ity. A used kit would prob-ably be less expensive butas a novice drummerwould he be ableto choose wise-ly? Might arental be avail-able? Could hetake lessons andhave use of adrum setthrough hisschool at nocharge? Perhaps the familycould purchase a practicedrum block and ten lessonsto start. If at the end ofthat time he is still showinginterest, a starter set couldbe bought.

Or let's say your daugh-ter wants to save $100 bythe end of the year. If sheputs aside 50 cents a week

from an allowance, she'llbe a quarter of the way toher goal. Does she ever re-ceive cash for birthday orholiday gifts? If so, help herto estimate how much shecould plan to set aside.Could she earn part of themoney by offering a serviceto friends, neighbors, orfamily members? Considermatching funds for some orall of her deposits, to intro-duce the concept and to en-courage her to save.

Write up your resolu-tions neatly and post themwhere everyone can seethem, on the refrigeratorperhaps. On a regular ba-sis, at the beginning ofeach month for example,do a quick check of every-one's progress. With deter-mination and cooperation,you'll be toasting your suc-cess on the following NewYear's Eve!

Gaining controlToday is a great day to

start to gain control andbegin preparing for the fu-ture. Guidance from quali-fied financial professionalscan help overcome hesitan-cy and bring balance to themost challenging of finan-cial circumstances. Workingwith a financial profession-al who understands yourfamily’s unique, specific fi-nancial needs, can help youto establish key financialgoals and make financialdecisions a priority thisyear. ¹MASSMUTUAL

PROPRIETARY RESEARCH,STATE OF THE AMERICAN

FAMILY CONDUCTED BY

FORBES CONSULTINGGROUP, FEBRUARY 2013

Provided by Elsa Agdi-naoay-Segal, a financialrepresentative with MassMu-tual Pacific, courtesy of Mas-sachusetts Mutual Life Insur-ance Company (MassMutu-al). Lic. #357268. Agdi-

naoay-Segal wasgraduated fromHawai‘i PacificUniversity whereshe received aBachelors of Sci-ence in BusinessAdministrat ionwith an emphasison Human Re-

source Management. In 2009,she earned the Chartered Re-tirement Plans Special-istSM designation (CRPS7).Agdinaoay-Segal has nineyears of experience in the fi-nancial services industry. Sheis the mother of two children,Joshua and Lily, and marriedto Brandon Segal, a deputyprosecuting attorney with theCounty of Maui.


Ating KabuhayanJohn A.H. Tomoso †

Ka-Ching!

Resolved: To Harness the Powerof the Family in the Coming YearElsa Agdinaoay-Segal

tarting “ anew” or “ over again,” or at leastthinking about it, on the first day of theNew Year, is a habit I’ve practiced for along time. I used to be a fan of making

resolutions for the New Year. Having the chanceto start over, to erase the bad habits, to “make upfor lost time”, comes at the stroke of midnight onDecember 31st, exactly on time and I personallylove it!

You know I like lists; to list things, places, tasks, actions, thought, evenquotes, from which I can feel accomplished, complete, and whole. I grewup with lists and, the older I get, the more I need to list things down. You’dbe surprised at what I forget now, at the ripe old age of 64, when I don’twrite it down!So, for 2018, here’s my top ten list for starting over or for personal “ new

trends,” that can be the building blocks to a new YOU!1. Get a full 6 to 8 hours of restful, deep sleep: This, along with a healthydiet and regular exercise is a basic recipe for health. As a SocialWorker, I would add healthy relationships to the recipe. As a Priest, Iwould add a healthy relationship with God, as the “ spice and season-ing.”

2. “ ‘Rise and Shine’ and eat breakfast”:Of course, don’t forget to say yourthanks to God for allowing you to wake up. More is being researchedand written about how good breakfast helps to set one’s metabolismthat will last the whole day, until restful, deep sleep kicks in.

3. Wash your hands:Wash them often, with warm water and soap andcover your mouth when coughing. I belong to the Hawai’i PublicHealth Association (HPHA) and a popular tagline for the members is“ Public Health is Everything”. Consider this personal habit as showingrespect for others and for yourself.

4. Know your family health history: The information you can get fromthis history, will say a lot about your own health and the health historyyou are adding the whole picture of health for you and your family.

5. Eat Mindfully: Starting with #2’s “ eat breakfast”, always focus on youreating, and never in front of a TV. Sit at a table to savor and smell thefood, enjoy its taste and texture. Have a relationship with your foodthat mirrors your relationship with your health. You will not only feelsatisfied but find yourself eating less.

6. Add variety to your diet: consider 5 or 7 servings a day of fruits andvegetables. This will not only add color to your plate, but help, as # 5cites, in your “ eating mindfully”. Ah, the occasional glass of red wine(some would advocate for the daily glass of red wine) and dark choco-late, both of which contain antioxidants that benefit the heart, is apart of this “ variety”. If you don’t know what antioxidants are, Google itright now. While you’re at it, Google red wine too!

7. Volunteer: Try helping yourself by helping others. “Give back” to thecommunity you live in. This will help develop your “ sense of belonging.”Who knows, someone else will be volunteering for you, in some capac-ity, in 2018.

8. Maintain Strong Family Ties and Social Networks: Did you know thatMaui’s suicide rate is rather high? Maintaining one’s personal connec-tions to loved ones and others in the community is good for all of us.Socially, having a support system and a good network of friends andpersonal companions are important components of a heathy life. Don’tforget to pray for your family and friends. Why not pray for them,nightly, before going to bed!

9. Take Time Out:Once a day, take 10 deep breaths. You can take more ifyou like. Also, make sure you get 30 minutes of moderate physical ac-tivity, at least 5 days a week. Physical activity, exercise, is an importantcomponent of “ taking time out.” My favorite time out time is early inthe morning and early in the evening.

10.Drink water and drink lots of it:We are blessed with an abundance ofgood, clean, even “ sweet” water. “Drink up” and prevent dehydrationand/or constipation. Water helps to flush out toxins from the body.Google “ The health benefits of clean water” and you will be surprised atthat you’ll learn!

So, for your personal “New Trends,” consider this List. I consider it to bemy Top 10 for “ starting over,” for “ starting anew” in the New Year! Haveyou composed your own New Trends List?Have an idea or a comment or even a question, contact me at this

email address: [email protected]. Until next time, take care!

John A. Hau’oli Tomoso † is a Social Worker and Episcopal Priest. He is aPriest Associate at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Wailuku and an on-call Chaplain at Maui Memorial Medical Center. Tomoso was graduated fromSt. Anthony Jr./Sr. High School, the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Min-nesota (Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology) and Myron B.Thompson School of Social Work at the University of Hawai’i at Mänoa(Masters of Social Work). In 2008, he retired from the civil service as theMaui County Executive on Aging. Tomoso is currently the Executive Directorof the non-profit Tri-Isle Resource Conservation and Development Council,Inc. His wife Susan is a 7th grade Language Arts Teacher at Maui Waena In-termediate School.

SM

ementary school, would put on an an-nual Christmas Program—I still recallthe tour de force turned in by teacherLeta Carpenter as the Grinch WhoStole Christmas.

Filipinos, I think, simply get intoall-things Christmas. As kids in Pä‘ia,we had Cook Pine Christmas treesdecorated with bright balls and tinsel.My grandfather would make Filipinolanterns from bamboo, twine and col-ored crepe paper.

I tried convincing my spouse (a cra-dle Episcopalian from Texas) that Fil-ipinos begin playing Christmas carolsin September because the Christmasseason in the motherland begins in theAutumn. She didn’t buy it. In herview, people should follow the holi-days in proper seasonal sequence.

But she was nevertheless amusedwhen my mother left the Christmaslights up on her house for an entireyear. But my spouse objected whenChristmas decorations went up in cer-tain big box stores even before theHalloween candy had been given out.

My niece came home for the firsttime in a couple of years this Thanks-giving and we went to her boy friend’shouse for his family’s holiday gather-ing on the Wednesday evening beforethe holiday. They had all the tradition-al holiday food—curry, pansit, bakedsalmon, cancanen, and a little bit ofturkey and gravy.

Let’s hope as 2017 came to a closethat we can took time for family andfriends and those less fortunate, suffer-ing or grieving during the holiday sea-son.

As Linus from “A Charlie BrownChristmas” reminds us, the meaning ofChristmas remains the hope thatcomes from gifts of love:

And it came to pass in those days,that there went out a decree from Cae-sar Augustus that all the world shouldbe taxed. (And this taxing was firstmade when Cyrenius was governor ofSyria.)

And all went to be taxed, every oneinto his own city. And Joseph also

went up from Galilee, out of the city ofNazareth, into Judaea, unto the city ofDavid, which is called Bethlehem; (be-cause he was of the house and lineageof David:) To be taxed with Mary hisespoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they werethere, the days were accomplished thatshe should be delivered. And shebrought forth her firstborn son, andwrapped him in swaddling clothes, andlaid him in a manger; because therewas no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same countryshepherds abiding in the field, keepingwatch over their flock by night. And, lo,the angel of the Lord came upon them,and the glory of the Lord shone roundabout them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fearnot: for, behold, I bring you good tid-ings of great joy, which shall be to allpeople. For unto you is born this day inthe city of David a Saviour, which isChrist the Lord. And this shall be a signunto you; Ye shall find the babewrapped in swaddling clothes, lying ina manger.

And suddenly there was with the an-gel a multitude of the heavenly hostpraising God, and saying, Glory to Godin the highest, and on earth peace,good will toward men. (Luke 2: 1-14KJV)

Gilbert S.C.Keith-Agaranpractices law inWailuku. Herepresents Cen-tral Maui in theState Senate. Hegrew up in theTwelfth Increment across from MauiHigh School and Kahului ElementarySchool but attended Doris Todd Memo-rial Christian Day School in Pä‘ia. Hisfavorite Biblical passage comes fromMicah: He hath shewed thee, O man,what is good; and what doth the Lordrequire of thee, but to do justly, and tolove mercy, and to walk humbly withthy God?


here seems to be a lot of talksometimes about whether theWestern holiday season has

any meaning in our post-modern,global world. People complain thatconsumerism overshadows any realspiritual content of the weeks betweenThanksgiving, Christmas and theEpiphany. Personally, I don’t really doBlack Friday (admittedly I’m one ofthose last minute gift shoppers). Afterlarge holiday meals, I tend to likehanging at home, reading a new bookor graphic novel, or watching parts ofthe Thanksgiving weekend footballand basketball games.

But I tend to lean towards whatChristian music artist Chris Tomlinsays: “I think that deep inside, all ofhumanity knows there’s truth here,whether theywant to admit itor not. There’s ajoy that come inC h r i s t m a s .There’s a seasonof giving, sopeople feel thisgenerosity.”

My wife and Ispent the longThanksg i v ingweekend atfriends’ home inchilly Kaupö.

While we were away, a fire atKahului Elementary School destroyeda number of classrooms. It looked likearson. As a result, the school closeddown for the following week to workon making sure the kids could contin-ue classes on a safe campus and to en-sure the rest of the buildings could besafely used.

On social media, the PTSA started

to collect money to replace suppliesand equipment destroyed in the fire.My high school classmates who at-tended Kahului Elementary also want-ed to look for ways to help the teach-ers and students. Business people andothers in the community contacted theschool and legislators offering assis-tance.

It’s a sign that Maui’s residents—re-ligious or not—display great generosi-ty during the holidays. Money and ma-terials alone certainly can’t and won’trestore what the children and theirteachers lost in the fire. But it’s heart-ening how Maui residents and localbusinesses have opened their heartsand their wallets for Kahului Schooland others in need in our community.

I would expect of Mauians that it’snot just a season-al-thing, as BobHope oncequipped, “My ideaof Christmas,whether old-fash-ioned or modern,is very simple:loving others.Come to think ofit, why do wehave to wait forChristmas to dothat?”

So I’m kindaskeptical about a study that claimsHawai‘i people are not very generous.

I’m one of those who like theChristmas holidays.

Every December I look forward toseeing “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”It’s one of my holiday traditions.

So it pained me that I couldn’t keepthat tradition this year with my Satel-lite Dish TV provider continuing its

pissing match with the lo-cal affiliate of the networkthat annually airs thePeanuts holiday specials.

I’d already missed “It’sthe Great Pumpkin, CharlieBrown” and “A CharlieBrown Thanksgiving.” Butthey settled the day aftertelevising the PeanutsChristmas cartoon.

Admittedly, I have theseasonal shows on DVD butit wouldn’t feel the same.

A first world problem, Iknow.

Family traditions remainat the heart of the holidays.Other customs followed inmy family include theChristmas Pageant put onby the children of the GoodShepherd Episcopal Parishand a Carol Sing and Mid-night Mass on ChristmasEve. When the kids arehome from college, theParish Youth usually dosome caroling Upcountryand in Central Maui. DorisTodd, where I attended el-

Dinengdeng & Pinakbet... celebrating the holidayseason right.

Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran

Get a

With US!

Contact Sharon at 359-1616or [email protected]

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This is the view from Lono Ave. as the fire at Kahului school raged. It happened Nov.24, 2017 and upset many lives and experiences leading up to the holiday season. De-spite this, Maui’s residents—religious or not—displayed great generosity during theholidays. Money and materials alone certainly can’t and won’t restore what the chil-dren and their teachers lost in the fire.PHOTO: LIEZL PALIÑO OANDASAN

“ Every December I look forward to seeing “A CharlieBrown Christmas.” It’s one of my holiday traditions.”PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

physical, or both;

2. Frequency of the conduct;

3. Whether the conduct was hostileor offensive;

4. Whether the alleged harasser wasa co-worker or supervisor;

5. Whether others joined in perpe-trating the harassment; and

6. Whether the harassment was di-rected at more than one individ-ual or singled out the victim.

In these cases, the alleged victimsare required to meet both a subjectiveand objective standard, and mustshow that:

1. he or she believed the conductwas hostile, abusive, or offensive,and

2. a reasonable person in the vic-tim's position would objectivelybelieve the conduct was hostile,abusive or offensive.

In the area of employer liability,only employers with 15 or more em-ployees are subject to Title VII conse-quences. State law governs the com-panies with fewer than 15 employees,and most states have in place laws tocover these workplace harassmentclaims. If either type of violation isproven, employers may be liable forpunitive damages or compensatoryrights, such as monetary loss, or painand suffering claims. Liability may de-pend on who committed the harass-ment (co-worker or supervisor) andwhat corrective action was taken bythe company. If a superior commitsthe harassment, the employer is liableif

1. there is actual employment action,such as firing, demoting, or nega-tive changes in assignments or re-sponsibilities, or

2. the harassment is shown to createa hostile work environment.

To defend against liability, the em-ployer must show

1. exercise of reasonable care to pre-vent the harassment,

2. taking prompt corrective action tostop the unwanted behavior beingtold about it, and

3. that the employee unreasonablyrefused to take advantage of thecorrective measures.

If the harassment is committed by

a co-worker, the employer is liable ifit knew or should have known aboutthe harassment, and did not act imme-diately to correct the problem. Mostimportantly, let us remember that em-ployer retaliation is illegal.

To stop sexual harassment, strate-gies are suggested for everyone at theworkplace. For the employer, a per-sonal effort must be demonstrated toend the unacceptable behaviors.

Training sessions must be providedfor staff at all levels, based on thecompany's policies in place, and inwriting in the employee handbook.Everyone must take seriously the man-date to document in writing all com-plaints related to workplace harass-ment, including the action or lack of itwhen such complaints are reported tosuperiors. Probably, the best strategyis to avoid the legal battle in thecourts of law by showing respect,kindness, and care for all who worktogether, and to do everything possi-ble to maintain the workplace envi-ronment that everyone is comfortableto go to each day.

The growing trend to report theseuncomfortable and embarrassing inci-dents is encouraging. Most victims arewomen who have held on, sometimesfor years, to their shame, guilt andfear because they have learned fromother victims that they will be blamedfor having caused the harassment orfor not being brave enough to wardoff the harasser. Given the widespreadallegations now coming forth everyday, across the entire spectrum of so-cio-economic classes, including thenews that Matt Lauer's Dutch wife re-turned to her homeland last week,gives us reason to feel encouraged andhopeful that these behaviors will trendto a halt in 2018.

Social MediaDon't blink—you might miss the

next social media trend for 2018. So,what's more, you think it's a passingfad? What's here to stay, and whatshould you pay attention to? First,maybe it would be beneficial to exam-ine what the term social media means.Random House, 2017, defines socialmedia as “Websites and other onlinemeans of communication that areused by large groups of people toshare information and to develop so-cial and professional contacts.” Merri-am-Webster lists social media as anoun, plural in usage, and defined as“forms of electronic communicationthrough which people create online

communities to share information,ideas, personal messages and thelike.” Social media usually refers to so-cial networking sites of which the fol-lowing are most used.

1. Facebook - a site that allows userto create their personal profiles,share photos and videos, and com-municate with other users;

2. Twitter - an internet service thatallows users to post “tweets” fortheir followers to see updates inreal time;

3. LinkedIn - a networking websitefor the business community thatallows users to create professionalprofiles, post resumes, and com-municate with other professionalsand job-seekers;

4. Pinterest - an online communitythat allows users to display photosof items found on the web by “pin-ning” them and sharing ideas withothers;

5. Snapchat - an app for mobile de-vices that allows users to send andshare photos of themselves doingtheir daily activities.

To frame a perspective for lookingahead, it might be helpful at this timeto remember the significant happen-ings in 2017 related to social media.The biggest stories remind us that thePresident of the United States commu-nicates official policy positions in 140character tweets almost daily, that Ap-ple plans to alter the way we interactwith our mobile devices, and thatFacebook enticed Snapchat users to-wards Instagram. In the coming

months, even more disruptions are ex-pected as a number of new technolog-ical advancements go mainstream,while changing social norms related tosocial media come to the forefront.

Here are some of the trends for2018.

1. Augmented Reality (AR) is ex-pected to impact mobile gamingfirst, as announced by Apple at theinitiating event in the Steve JobsTheater, when introducing theiPhone 8 and iPhone X, in which anew chip will allow both phonesto give “extraordinary augmentedreality experiences,” and “it is like-ly that social media platforms willfind ways to incorporate the newtechnology as well.” For those whoare wondering what augmentedreality is, Wikipedia defines it as“a live direct or indirect view of aphysical, real-world environmentwhose elements are “augmented”by computer generated or extract-ed real-world sensory input suchas sound, video, graphics, GPS da-ta or haptics (the science of apply-ing tactile sensation to computerapplications in order to enableusers to receive feedback in theform of felt sensations, mostly viathe sense of touch.) First used inthe entertainment and game busi-nesses, other business industriesare showing interest about possibleAR uses, for example, in sharingknowledge, education, manage-ment of information and planningthe details for distant meetings. Al-ready familiar to most viewers arethe overlays of supplemental infor-mation like scores over a live videofeed of sporting events. AdvancedAR technology also makes possibleinteractive and digitally manipula-ble information about the realworld surroundings of the user. Fi-nally, AR makes visible the compo-nents of the digital world into aperson's perceived real world. Onesuch example is the AR Helmetused today by construction work-ers, that gives them informationabout construction sites. Originallyinvented in the early 1990s in theArmstrong Labs of the U.S. AirForce is the Virtual Fixtures systemlaunched in 1992. In progress to-day, AR impacts the world of edu-cation as content is increasinglyaccessible by viewing or scanningan image with a mobile device.

2. Instagram Stories, now a year


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see TRENDS p.12

Trends…from p. 5

Clarice Anne Cariño, a “Gen Zer” andsoon-to-be returning culinary student atU.H. Maui College uses Snapchat on adaily basis.PHOTO: CLARICE ANNE CARIÑO


with family, friends and neighborsdropping in to wish everyone “Mali-gayang Pasko” (Merry Christmas). Asyou might guess, food is in abun-dance, and usually served buffet style.The traditional fare is available: lechon(of course), rice cakes, barbecue,adobo, fresh fruit and plenty of festivedrinks. It is a joyous night, withoutsleep, a continuous celebration rightinto Christmas Day. Some families ex-change gifts. Some families conduct atalent show, when children are askedto perform a song, play an instrument,recite a poem, or dance. Four wordsshape the celebration: food, family,

fun... and lola. Lola (grandmother) isthe endeared matriarch of the family,deeply respected, admired and cher-ished. In many families, the childrenline up to receive a gift of coins fromlola. The older the child, the morecoins received. Christmas Day is oftenan extended nap, sharing more food,and simply enjoying family.

Belen (the Christmas nativity scene)is often displayed at churches inpreparation for the celebration of thebirth of Jesus. The Belen includes babyJesus in a manger, with Mary andJoseph. Shepherds and farm animalsare also usually included, as well asthe three wise men carrying their giftsto Infant Jesus, and the star of Beth-lehem that guided them on their jour-

Pasko…from p. 4

see PASKO p.16

Noche Buena (the midnight feast) is like a big, open house celebration with family,friends and neighbors dropping in to wish everyone “Maligayang Pasko” .PHOTO COURTESY OF BJORN TABANERA, ISTORYA.NET

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old, is increasing in popularity, asevidenced in the data which showsthat 200 million use InstagramStories each month---over 50 mil-lion more than the users ofSnapchat. With this trend, it is ex-pected that almost half of all Insta-gram users will move to Stories bythe end of 2018.

3. Influencer Marketing isuniquely related to social media,often viewed as an outcome of thestudies on social influence con-ducted by Harvard psychologistHerbert Kelman, who identified in1958, three varietiesof social influence,which are,

1. Compliance, whenpeople appear toagree with others butactually keep theirdissenting opinonsprivate;

2. Identification, whenpeople are influencedby somone who isliked and respected,such as a famouscelebrity; and

3. Internalization, when people ac-cept a belief or behavior and agreeboth publicly and privately.

Defined as a type of marketingthat focuses on using key leadersto drive the brand's message to thelarger market, rather than market-ing directly to consumers, the pro-ponents of influencer marketinghire, pay, or inspire influencers tocarry their message. Most cam-paigns include a social media com-ponent where influencers spreadthe message personally throughtheir own means, using contentprovided by the marketers or theirown. As a discipline of its ownmerits, influencer marketing em-

compasses a few key actions,which are:

1. Identify key brand or product in-fluencers;

2. Create a marketing campaign di-rected specifically at those influ-encers;

3. Create a secondary marketingcampaign for the influencers todrive greater awareness to a largerset of target consumers; and

4. Track key metrics relating toreach, sales and brand awareness.

At this time, over 90 percent ofmarketers who use the strategiesof influencer marketing believe itis successful. North Face, Hubspotand Rolex are some companies

who use social media-based influencer mar-keting strategies to im-prove connection withexisting audiences andalso to connect withnew audiences. Due tothe struggles faced in2017 by companieswho chose traditionaladvertising tools to at-tempt higher connec-ton with social mediausers, it is predictedthat more brands willselect influencer mar-

keting to target those who have ig-nored traditional marketing strate-gies.

4. Generation Z is a more valuablefocus than millennials in 2018.Goldman Sachs conducted a studywhose findings pointed to the 22year olds of Generation Z as themost promising target, acknowl-edging that most are just enteringthe labor force and expected tohave increasing purchase powerfor many years. As more brandsrecognize this prediction, they arelikely to shift their social media in-vestment to Snapchat and Insta-gram, both platforms known to befavorites of Gen Zers.

5. Messaging Platforms such asKik, WhatsApp and Messenger areexpected to create a shift awayfrom social networks, as there isgrowing awareness of the 2.5 bil-lion people using messaging plat-forms worldwide. Trending isgreater investment in chatbots,voice assistants and artificial intel-ligence that offer personalizedshopping experiences.

6. Live Streaming has transformedfrom novelty to mainstream in so-cial media, as brands of all sizesare increasingly using live stream-ing to engage the attention of cap-tivated followers. One example isGORUCK, who organizes extremeendurance events and manufac-tures backpacks, and has expand-ed its reach by live streaming grip-ping content on Facebook. In a re-cent endurance race, thousandstuned in to watch its 48-hour cov-erage. The power of live streamingwill be incorporated into contentplans regularly as more brands ac-knowledge likely benefits for theirbusinesses.

7. Twitter is making a comebackfrom its lack of growth in 2017, inrecognition of the information thatLinkedIn, Instagram and Facebookall have more social media follow-ers. Also, this year Twitter lost toAmazon the rights to streamingNFL (National Football League)games. 2018 is seen by Twitter ex-ecutives as the likely time to re-think the operations of the plat-form. Among the possible changesbeing considered by Twitter lead-ership are the offering subcrip-tions, sale of the company to pri-

vate investors, revamping advertis-ing options to keep up with otherplatforms.

8. Digital Hangouts are used dailyby Gen Zers to connect withfriends. Over one million peopledaily use the video hangout plat-form Houseparty, whose successhas Facebook researching ways tocreate similar functions on theirplatform. With video becomingmore important in social media,live video group hangouts appearto be the next natural trend.

9. Facebook Spaces is a projectbeing designed to enable friends toconnect in virtual reality (VR), aresult in part to its ownership ofOculus, a VR software and hard-ware company. Now poised toscale Spaces in 2018, it is probablethat Facebook will be the first suc-cessful VR social media product atscale (to change the size of an ob-ject while maintaining its shape, asfound in most graphics software.)

10.Governance Policies are beingconsidered in light of controversiesencountered during the 2016 pres-idential election, particularly thedeclarations of fake news made re-peatedly by then candidate Trump,which he continues still as POTUS(President of the United States).Specifically, Facebook recentlyturned over thousands of ads thatseem to be connected to Russianmeddling in the 2016 election, re-sulting in Facebook investing innew artificial intelligence (AI) andhuman forms of monitoring. Addi-tionally, we have learned that


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see TRENDS p.16

“… it is predictedthat morebrands will select influ-encer market-ing to targetthose whohave ignoredtraditionalmarketingstrategies.”

for him because he had paid his wayto a Mainland conference to learnhow to be a better prosecutor.Artemio was selected from among1,200 Maui County employees as theMaui County’s first Employee of theYear. Now Chief Circuit Judge JosephCardoza said this about Artemio:“From my point of view, I really seethe community has gotten much,much more because of the dedicationof Artemio. In many organizations wehave a consensus that everyone can bereplaced. In our case, we feel Artemiois an exception to that rule. He’s trulyone of a kind.” (Taken from the MauiNews, July 4, 1988 issue). He wentfrom prosecutor, and nights of sleep-ing in the office whileworking on cases, to de-fender in 1991 when hejoined the law firm ofLowenthal & August forfive years.

Artemio returned tothe prosecutor’s officewhere he stayed untilGovernor Ben Cayetanonominated him as a Cir-cuit Judge. JamesKawashima of the Judi-cial Selection Commis-sion said of Judge Baxa:“He is one of the mosthumble, self-effacing in-dividuals you will evermeet. He is not the typ-ical lawyer who is flashyand egotistical.”

When Artemio an-nounced his retirementas a Circuit Judge in De-cember 28, 2001, the Maui NewsOpinion Section in its November 9,2001 issue, titled, “Retiring judge aMaui role model,” Deputy Public De-fender Barry Porter said of JudgeBaxa: “He really has a heart of thecommon man. He always listens toeverything everybody has to say. Hewas very patient, an incredibly fairand compassionate judge.” WhenJudge Baxa left the bench, he wasquoted saying: “I think it’s about timefor me to give back to the communi-ty.” The article also added: “The judgeplans to do volunteer work, and if he

doesn’t mind a suggestion, nothingcould be more appropriate than usinghis life’s story as an inspiration foryoungsters who could find no betterrole model than Artemio Baxa.”

In 2005, when Maui County heldits Centennial Celebration following itsestablishment in 1905, Artemio wasrecognized as one of the OutstandingCitizens of Maui County for the lastone hundred years (1905–2005). InOctober 2010, Artemio was awardedthe Golden Sakada Lifetime Achieve-ment Award given by the United Fil-ipino Council of the State of Hawai‘i.He was also honored in 2002 as oneof 20 Outstanding Filipino Americansin the United States and Canada bythe Filipino Image Magazine in Wash-ington D.C.

Artemio served as an officer and/orboard member in various and commu-

nity organizations.Among them are: TheMaui Jaycees, MauiMental Health Associa-tion, Hale Makua Board,Maui Chamber of Com-merce and Maui Eco-nomic Opportunity, Inc.He also served as Presi-dent of the Maui CountyBar Association, and asMaui County’s Commis-sioner in the State ofHawai‘i Filipino Centen-nial Commission whichin 2006, commemoratedthe 100 years of FilipinoImmigration to Hawai‘i.

From a very humblebeginning to the suc-cesses he encountered inhis life, Judge ArtemioBaxa had this to say:“This proves once again

that no matter what the odds are, ed-ucation can be the greatest equalizerin life that can offer opportunities toanyone to be of services to others andthe community.”

Artemio further says: “My father,Juan always reminded me that themeasure of a man is not determinedby the triumph that comes at the endof the day. Rather, it is determined byhow he tries to overcome the obsta-cles, the setbacks, and/or the reversesof fortune that come his way. Farmore important than ability or talent,are perseverance and resiliency of

character.”Personally and lovingly, retired

Judge Artemio Baxa also said this: “Inmy old and declining years, my rockand strength are the abiding love anddevoted care and concern of mybeloved, Dr. Luz Patricia Medina, myonly child and son, Artemio Baxa II,and my only living brother, Arnold C.Baxa and his family.” Lucy Peros is a retired school teacher,having taught for 32 years, 11 years atSt. Anthony Grade School and 21 yearsat Waihe‘e Elementary School. Both ofher parents, Elpidio and Alejandra Ca-balo of Häli‘imaile, worked for Maui

Land and PineCompany. Herdad was a 1946Sakada. Lucy iscurrently a Real-tor Associate atPeros Realty, thebusiness her lateh u s b a n dSylvester Peros,Jr. started 30 years ago, where herdaughter Lianne Peros-Busch is now theBroker. Lucy devotes a significantamount of time to activities at ChristThe King Catholic Church as well asbabysitting her grandchildren.


Sakada Offspring

Baxa…from p. 7

Artemio Baxa and brother, Arnold Baxa, with friends.Lucina Baxa with her class in Mindanao.

“This provesonce againthat no matterwhat the oddsare, educationcan be thegreatestequalizer inlife that canoffer opportu-nities to any-one to be ofservices to oth-ers and thecommunity.”– JUDGEARTEMIO BAXA


February10 7TH ANNUAL CHRIST THE KINGCHURCH BAZAAR 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Free advmission. For information, callthe Church office at 877-6098.

April21 ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP GOLFTOURNAMENT sponsored by Maui Fil-ipino Chamber of Commerce Founda-tion. The Dunes at Maui Lani. ContactTournament Chairperson Bill Ruidas at344-5251 or Tournament Co-Chairper-son Alfredo Evangelista at 294-5510.

2018Calendar Fil-Am VoicePlease submit your community event by the seventh day of each month via email to [email protected]

What’s Happening On Maui

21 MISS MAUI FILIPINA SCHOLAR-SHIP PAGEANT sponsored by the MauiFilipino Community Council at theBinhi at Ani Filipino Community Cen-ter in Kahului. Contact Maui FilipinoCommunity Council President, MarilynOura 280-2057.

May25-26 49TH ANNUAL BARRIO FIES-TA sponsored by Binhi at Ani. ContactNora Takushi at 276-8861.

June13 GINTONG PAMANA LEADERSHIPAND SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS spon-sored by the Maui Filipino Chamber ofCommerce. For more information orsponsorship opportunities call JeanaGamboa at 419-4090.

July19-23 WORLD ESCRIMA KALI ARNISFEDERATION (WEKAF) TOURNA-MENT at Lahaina Civic Center. ContactMadelyne Pascua at 268-0686.

January21 55TH ANNUAL FEAST DAY CELE-BRATION held by the Santo Niño Clubof Maui. Mass at Christ the KingChurch, 3:30 p.m. Dinner and enter-tainment at 6 p.m., Wailuku Commu-nity Center. Nine Nights Novenaprayer begins Jan. 12, 2018, 7 p.m. atChrist the King Church. Contact LiezlOandasan at 276-5548 or via email [email protected].

Around Our Community If you have a photograph of a community event, please email to [email protected]. Please include a short description, your name and contact information.

The Knights of Columbuswere in their regalattire at the 85th Anniversary celebration ofChrist the King Catholic Church. PHOTO: PAUL PIGAO

Lucy Peros (fifth from the left, back row) was the overall chairperson ofthe hugely successful 85th Anniversary celebration of Christ the KingCatholic Church.PHOTO COURTESY PAUL PIGAO

Romeo Guzman(right, shown withDonnie Cortez) wasrecently re-electedas president of theIlocos Surians ofMaui.PHOTO COURTESYDONNIE CORTEZ

Bishop Larry Silva (fourth from left) flew in from Honolulu to attend the85th Anniversary celebration of Christ the King Catholic Church.PHOTO: PAUL PIGAO

The Misa de Gallo at Christ the King CatholicChurch had overflow crowds each morning.PHOTO: PAUL PIGAO

Elorde Augusto retired from AmericanSavings Bank in December after manyyears of service at the Wailuku branch.PHOTO: ALFREDO EVANGELISTA

Marilyn Oura (10th from the right) was installed as president of the Maui FilipinoCommunity Council during its Rizal Day Celebration.PHOTO: REY PATAO

The Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerceinstalled and announced this year’s board of directors, led by Pres. Jeana Gamboa(2nd from left, front row), during its annualinstallation banquet on December 6, 2017,at the Kahili Restaurant.PHOTO COURTESY MAUI FILIPINO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Santo Niño Club of MauimembersNeneth Diaz, Marites Boren, TessieSotto, Teresita Pailagao, Emarita Oraaand Helary Talaroc danced at, and theirorganization hosted, the 85th AnnualFestival, at the Velma McWayne Com-munity Center in Wailuku.PHOTO COURTESY MARITES BOREN

BusinessmanVictor Camposwas recently

surprised witha 60th birth-day party byhis family

and friends.PHOTO: ALFREDOEVANGELISTA

Roseminic Ulep (front right) was installed as president of the Adult Foster Homecare Associationof Hawai‘i-Maui chapter.PHOTO COURTESY ROSEMINIC ULEP

Veterans, including a lady who served in the Airforce in the Korean War (4thfrom the right) are all smiles for the camera. This Veterans Day appreciationbreakfast with Chancellor Lui Hokoana (3rd from the right) was held at U.H.Maui College Class Act on November 9, 2017.PHOTO COURTESY SHARON ZALSOS


mmigration Reform was recentlytied in to the mid-January shut-down of the federal government.

Over the past few months, PresidentDonald Trump has attempted to re-verse the Immigration and Naturaliza-tion Act of 1965 that switched theUnited States' immigration policy fromone based on a quota system to onebased on reuniting immigrant familiesand attracting skilled labor to theUnited States. The 1965 law led to theincrease of Filipinos residing inHawai‘i. According to the 2010 Cen-sus, Filipinos and part-Filipinos nowmake up the second largest ethnicgroup in Hawai‘i.

Since 2000, Hawai‘i’s Filipino com-munity has grown by 24.1%, with anestimated number of 4,000 immigrat-ing each year.

Fil-Am Voice staff asked membersof Maui’s Filipino community “Whatdo you think of President Trump'sposition of not allowing chain migra-tion (petitioning your relatives)?”

Adel of Kahului with roots in Ban-tay, Ilocos Sur: “That's not good.You want to help your relatives tocome here so that they can have abetter life and the family is reunited.Under President Trump, I could notbring my sister and she couldn'tbring her kids.”

Allan of Kahului with roots inClaveria, Cagayan: “I'm not in favor.I want to bring my family here togive them better life and opportuni-ty.”

Anne of Ha‘ikü with roots in Cebu:“Honestly I have no idea because Idon't have plans to bring my familyhere in Hawai‘i, they're fine in Philip-pines, happy na sila didto, unlikehere boring ang life, just work andhome lang.”

Aris of Ha‘ikü with roots inPalawan: “I didn't know that washappening... I don't agree with it..Our nation's foundation is based onmigration of families into this coun-try... As long as it's done legally, Ibelieve families should be allowed tomigrate into the U.S.”

Catherine of Kahului with roots inPiddig, Ilocos Norte: “I think that's

not good because I want to bring myfamily here. My parents still livethere and I also have four sisters andone brother and I've been workinghard to save money so they couldcome.”

Dibea of Pä‘ia with roots in Manila,Tacloban, Ilocos and Pampanga:“U.S. citizens and green card holderswork hard to bring their family inthe U.S. to better their future andthus they need to follow the properrules on migrating to the states. Re-stricting them from doing this willcause more issues in a negative waythan help our country. I truly believethat our President should focus onhow to better our country in a waythat won't hurt our legal residents(U.S. citizens and green card hold-ers).”

Don of Kahului with roots in Sam-paloc, Manila, Iloilo, Palawan, SantaCatalina, Ilocos Sur and Tuguegarao,Cagayan: “I strongly oppose PresidentTrump’s position specifically applyingstrict scrutiny on our nation’s immi-gration policy and advocating to-wards disallowing chain migration.This nation was built on the founda-tion of immigrants. If not for the rel-ative petition process my own familywould not be here in the UnitedStates. We share the same visa jour-ney that brought families together tocreate a stronger and cohesive socie-ty. President Trump is attacking thevery nature that symbolizes the iden-tity of freedom! When he proclaimsthat he will make America GreatAgain... did he intend to do it bycreating immigration policies to sup-press family values by denying familyunity. Is this a form of isolationismthat was the national policy duringthe 1920s and 1930s, that broughtabout the Great Depression andWorld Wars? Is this the policy that

will make the United States GreatAgain? In my opinion, isolationism isnot the right path to greatness.”

Edgar of Kahului with roots in Vi-gan, Ilocos Sur: “It doesn't affect mebecause my parents have passedaway. And it takes a long time so if Itried to bring my twin brother, hewould be old by then and he alreadyhas a good job.”

Ella of Kahului with roots in Santa,Ilocos Sur: “Well for me parang in-aalis na nya ang karapatan ng isangpamilya na makasama nila ang kani-lang mga mahal sa buhay na naiwansa Pinas para magkasama sama ditosa U.S. Gaya natin na product din ngisang napetition ng mga kamag anakpara maranasan ang buhay dito saU.S. we have the opportunity to havea better life here. If Trump is against

it, how are we supposed to reunitewith our family who still live in thePhilippines if they are not given achance to come here.”

Ellen of Pä‘ia with roots in MisamisOriental: Pres. Trump should followwhat is provided in the law if thereis a provision allowing chain migra-tion then that should be implement-ed. He has no reason for disallowingit.”

Geraldine of Kahului with roots inBantay, Ilocos Sur: “So sad for me.My brother is still in the Philippinesand I want him to join me.”

Jane of Kïhei with roots in Makati,Metro Manila: “Of course it makesme furious because instead of unitingthe families together, he's dividingthem apart. Restricting legal immi-gration will totally harm not only Fil-ipino families but also the workforce,the economy, and the rights of thepeople.”

John Patrick of Kïhei with roots inGonzaga, Cagayan: “In my opinion

this is ridiculous. I do not agree withit. Families should be able to be unit-ed together.”

Jorge of Kïhei with roots in LoyolaHeights, Quezon City: “At this point ino longer pay attention to anythingand everything Trump and his ad-ministration say, do, or tweet, andam just waiting for this collective na-tional nightmare to end, so the coun-try can start over fresh....”

Kauanoe of Kahului with roots inSan Nicolas, Ilocos Norte: “TheTrump administration’s attack onfamily-based immigration is part of abroader effort to reshape our demo-graphics by redefining who is wel-come in America. I condemn the bi-ased threats to our legal immigrationpolicies, and urge lawmakers tostand in favor of family unification.”

Kit of Wailuku with roots in Que-zon City: “I disagree with most ofthe president’s policies and the prin-ciples he stand for, including thisproposal. He will continue to tearfamilies apart and try to uprootAmerican values that has definedthis country. But I am also a believ-er that good will still prevail, I’m

just not sure if I have patience towait for 2020.”

Lei of Kahului with roots in SanJuan, Ilocos Sur: “I don't think that'sright. I want my relatives to join mehere to give them better job opportu-nity. Also we need good workers andFilipinos are very good workers.”

Leo of Kahului with roots in Paoay,Ilocos Norte: “It’s sickening.”

Marietta of Kahului with roots inSan Nicolas, Ilocos Sur: “No good,because I want my family to be to-gether so we can help others fulfillthe American dream.”

Michelle of Kahului with roots inPangasinan and Bohol: “I feel that itis wrong. This has been a practicefor generations and not allowing itwould be devastating to families whohave been trying to come to ourcountry for years. It's just another at-tempt to prevent immigration com-pletely.”

I

What Do You Think?

What Do You Think...of President Trump’s position of not allowing chain migration (petitioning your relatives)?Fil-Am Voice Staff

On Wednesday, Jan. 10, President DonaldTrump spoke out against “ chain migra-tion” during a cabinet meeting at theWhitehouse. Trump has blasted the prac-tice as a massive immigration loopholethat terrorists and “ truly evil” people canexploit to infiltrate the U.S. Secretary ofInterior Ryan Zinke, Secretary of StateRex Tillerson, and Trump are shown here(left to right).PHOTO COURTESY OF ASSOCIATED PRESS

ney.Feast Day of the Three Kings (also

known as Epiphany Sunday) marksthe end of Christmas in the Philip-pines. This feast falls on the first Sun-day in January, and commemoratesthe arrival of the magi from the East,who followed the Christmas star toBethlehem on their journey to find thenewborn King. In Manila, and manyother towns too, the day is marked bya parade of three men dressed in cos-tumes, often riding horses, and greet-ing children and other passers-by.

Along the way, they distribute gifts tochildren. Mass follows, after whichparents, children, siblings, relatives,grandchildren, god-parents andfriends exchange gifts. The celebrationtypically lasts for the whole day.

Christmas caroling is popular in thePhilippines but with a Filipino flare.Often caroling is a fund-raising effortfor a local cause or a church mission.Carolers visit homes in their neighbor-hoods, where they remain outside andsing traditional Christmas carols. Theyhope for the family to offer them adonation and to invite them inside fora food and drinks.

These rich traditions that adorn theFilipino Christmas celebration clearly


Belen (the Christmas nativity scene) is often displayed at churches in preparation forthe celebration of the birth of Jesus.PHOTO COURTESY OF VAUGHN PITCHER, LASTLAUGH.US

Pasko…from p. 11

reveal what Filipinos hold most dear-ly: family and faith. The true essenceof Christmas for Filipinos is not giftgiving but sharing this special holyday with family.

The DecorationsDecorations are also an important

tradition to a Filipino Christmas. Theinfluence of the West has made its im-pact in the decorations displayed inthe Philippines. Many families haveChristmas trees decorated with tradi-tional Western lights, ornaments, andsuch. And though the cost of electric-ity in the Philippines is not cheap,those who can, will pay the price todecorate their homes, inside and out,with bright, beautiful lights. Christmascards that illustrate Filipino land-scapes are often pinned on red andgreen ribbons and hung in the sala(living room).

The Parol, however, is the mosticonic of all Filipino decorations. Theparol evolved from the five-pointedpaper star lantern originally crafted in1908 by Francísco Estanislao. Tradi-

tionally, the parol is made of bamboostrips covered with Japanese paper,and illuminated by a candle. The staris a symbol of the three Wise Men andtheir journey to find the Christ child.Originally, these lanterns were used tolight the path along the way to Sim-bang Gabi. Today, most families eitherbuild or buy one to hang by the win-dow or door. Shopping malls con-struct giant versions of parol. Parolsare no longer limited to bamboo, pa-per and candles. Modern parols comein various designs, shapes, and sizes.Some are simple, while others areloaded with colorful lights. Yet, theparol is still a symbol of Filipino faith

To most Filipinos, Christmas is themost anticipated fiesta of the year andis celebrated accordingly. The splendidclimate of this tropical island nation,the abundance and beauty of its flow-ers, and lovely landscape, its multi-tude of culinary delights, and aboveall its warm-hearted people with theirtrue devotion to family and faith allcontribute to a holiday celebrated inthe true Philippines fiesta tradition.

The Parol is the mosticonic of all Filipinodecorations. Theparol evolved fromthe five-pointedpaper star lanternoriginally crafted in1908 by FrancíscoEstanislao.PHOTO COURTESY OFDAVID CRIM

Facebook is testing fake new filter-ing overseas. Given the accelera-tion of social media trends, as pre-sented above, it is increasinglylikely that Twitter and Facebookwill make adjustments in theirpolicies to protect themselves frompolitical criticism in the future,while also providing better onlineexperiences for their growingnumbers of users.

SuperfoodsIn a bid for optimal wellness, “su-

perfoods” are now seen as a directpathway to radiant health and bound-less energy. What are the componentsof a superfood? According to a pam-phlet from Whole Foods Market, su-perfoods have three main compo-nents, which are:

1. antidoxants that protect the bodyfrom wear and tear, whilestrengthening the immune system,muscles, bones and skin.

2. nutrients that consist of vitaminsand minerals, including vitamin A(as carotemoids), vitamin C, the Bvitamin folate, magnesium andpotassium. Some superfoods alsodeliver protein, healthy carbohy-drates and healthy fats, such asomega 3s and GLA (gamma-linolenic acid).

3. fiber that aids digestion, improvesthe absorption of certain nutrientsand increases feelings of “fullness,”

while decreasing the risk of certaindiseases.

2017 turned to the healing proper-ties of turmeric, macadamia nuts, andmaca powder. We can expect that2018 will be insect protein powderand hemp products, which are set tobe huge, according to experts. Thenew alternatives, though a littlestrange sounding on the face of it,claim to offer myriad health benefitsand are, of course, environmentallysustainable. According to nutritionalmedical practitioner, Fiona Tuck,crickets will be everywhere in 2018.Ms. Fiona further reported that the in-sects are not the sort you generally seehopping around the garden; they aregrown and produced as a contamina-tion-free food source. She outlinedsome of the benefits of cricket proteinpowder, and said that not only arethey a sustainable food source, butthey are also packed with vitaminsand minerals. They also have B12 andiron which are common nutrientswhich we can become deficient in.

One of the biggest trends thehealth expert predicted for 2018 ishemp—especially as the product hasrecently become legal to sell in someparts of the U.S. and other countries,such as Australia. Ms. Fiona outlinedhow the food source is not only eco-nomical, it is also highly nutritiousand comes loaded with vitamins. “Youcan have it as protein, you can have itas hemp flower seeds on our cereal oron your salad and oil as well,” she ex-plained. For those concerned thathemp is in some way similar to mari-juana, Ms. Fiona pointed out that

while the two are from the samespecies, hemp is primarily used for in-dustrial purposes.

It is no surprise that one of the upand coming superfoods that is nowhitting the mainstream is “Moringa,”better known within the Filipino com-munity as “Marunggay.” It is a multi-purpose plant, as the leaves, pods,fruits, flowers, roots and bark of thetree can be utilized. Some of thehealth benefits, according to scientificresearch, confirms that these humbleleaves are a powerhoue of nutritionalvalue. There are many benefits of themoringa tree but the health benefitsare the most important. Research hassown that various parts of themoringa tree can be effective in a sig-nificant number of health concerns.

Here is a quick look at a few of them,according to health experts:

1. Rich in Vitamin A, it contains fourtimes more Vitamin A or beta-carotene than carrots; hence it is aweapon against blindness;

2. Rich in Vitamin C, many timesmore than oranges;

3. Leaves contain two times the pro-tein present in milk;

4. Leaves contain several times morepotassium than bananas;

5. Help in balancing the cholesterollevels in the body; and

6. Is also said to balance sugar levels;hence it is helpful in the fightagainst diabetes.

Trends…from p. 16

Crickets: The new go-to protein! Insects are viewed as being a progressive foodsource in 2018 and for years to come.PHOTO COURTESY NDTV.COM

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