Exclusive Interview: Illinois State Sen. Barack Obama

Obama reaches out to Filipino-American voters

PINOY Newsmagazine
September 2004

Text and Photo By Ted Regencia

Chicago, IL -- Discounting not a single vote in his historic bid for a seat in the United States Senate, State Senator Barack Obama reached out to the Filipino-American community in Illinois, and extended to them his "message of hope."

In an exclusive telephone interview with this reporter, Obama highlighted his progressive immigration policy, which seeks to give a "path to citizenship" to long-time undocumented residents. This, provided that they "obeyed the laws of the United States and paid the proper taxes."

"Obviously after 9/11, there were changes that we had to impose to secure our borders. At the same time, we have to recognize that the United States is a country of immigrants. The continuing influx of new immigrants, the new energy and ideas that they bring, that's what makes this country even more dynamic," Obama said.

Obama said that he also wants to "speed up the immigration process", allowing families who are now based in the U.S. to bring their loved ones here.

Liberal ideas
While acknowledging that many Filipino-American voters do not agree with his liberal views on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage, Obama pointed out that many of the issues that he is fighting for could directly benefit them and their children.

"I always believe that labels don't mean a lot to most people. You just have to show to them that they can trust you to fight for the things that they care about such as the delivery of healthcare, good education for their children, and creation of jobs," he said.

"Ultimately, what the average guy on the street cares about is, how to pay the bills, save for his kid's college education. That's what really matters to voters," Obama added.

"I also believe that people should be rewarded for their hard work and I know that Filipinos are hard-working people," he said, noting that he personally knows of a Filipina who once served as a nanny to a relative.

As a young man who grew up in Hawaii, Obama also said he had good memories of his encounters with many Filipinos there.

Veterans issue
On the veterans issue, Obama admitted that he is "not familiar" with the events that led to the Recission Act of 1946, which stripped Filipino World War II veterans of their full benefits as active US servicemen.

"But this I can say: Any man or woman who serve his or her country must be properly honored and cared," he stated.

As a Commonwealth nation from 1934 to 1946, the Philippines' Armed Forces were under the jurisdiction of the United States. It was then US President Franklin Roosevelt who ordered the Filipino soldiers to fight, alongside Americans, the invading Japanese forces.

Face-off with Keyes
Obama will face off with his Republican opponent Alan Keyes in the November 2, 2004 election. Many polls suggest he will win by a large margin.

Obama, a law graduate of Harvard University and the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, rose to national prominence after delivering a speech July 27 at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

"It was a great honor to be able to speak to the nation. I am very flattered," Obama said of his moment at the podium.

Of his natural charm, Obama attributed his multi-ethnic background as a great influence for his ability to embrace different cultures and respect people.

Obama also related how he first became a community organizer in the Southside of Chicago, a civil rights lawyer and coordinator of Project Vote, which helped elect President Bill Clinton in 1992, and his experience as a state senator.

Even before his election to the US Senate, people across the US and more especially the media, are already talking about his presidential prospects. They suggest that he could be the first African-American to become president of the US.

But Barack Obama only has this to say: "It is not something I take seriously. At this point, I am working to win this Senate contest and serve all the people of the State of Illinois."

World's largest aquarium features treasures of Apo Island

Island in the Philippines is star of Shedd Aquarium's multi-million project
PINOY Newsmagazine
May 2003

By Ted Regencia

After eight long years of planning, research and construction, the world's largest aquarium located in Chicago solidified its status, as its unveils a new gigantic wing featuring the marine treasures of Apo Island in Negros Oriental, Philippines.

On April 15, Shedd Aquarium officially opened Wild Reef, a $47-million underwater habitat teeming with sharks, corals, eels, rays and even lobsters.

The permanent exhibit is a recreation of Apo Island's coral reef ecosystem, dubbed by serious diving enthusiasts as one of the best diving spots in the world.

"Wild Reef is Chicago history in the making, and it's one of the most exciting things to happen at Shedd," Shedd President and CEO Ted Beattie declared.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley extolled the project as a "great example of cooperation" between the community and the Chicago business institutions supporting the project. He also hailed Shedd for its effort to raise awareness in protecting the environment.

Meanwhile, Philippine Consul General to Chicago Emelinda Lee Pineda dubbed the project as a "great pride" to the 180,000 Filipino Americans in Chicago, and the rest of the Filipino community in the US and the Philippines.

Sharks and corals
Playing the leading role in the exhibit are the 25 to 30 sharks. Visitors are ushered 20 feet underground to experience a diver's eye-view of these predators - from Japanese wobbegongs to blacktip and whitetip reef sharks - showing off their style and stealth inside the 400,000 gallon tank.

"Sharks are the most efficient killers in the ocean," explained Bert Vescolani, Shedd's Vice President for aquarium collections and education. However, he noted, these predators are often misunderstood, thus leading to their unabated slaughter. With the new exhibit, Shedd hopes to educate visitors and highlight the need to protect the sharks, Vescolani stressed.

As visitors enjoy the spectacle, they will also hear the simulated sea waves crashing against the huge boulders re-created as close to the original in Apo Island.

Sharing the sharks' billing are the corals. These corals are patterned after Apo's rich and diverse marine environment. Much of the display, however, comes from Shedd's own propagation program. With each passing year, these corals are expected to thrive in a "competitive reef ecosystem" much like that of the Apo marine sanctuary.

Conservation
Beyond the spectacle and the entertainment value of the exhibit, Shedd hopes to bring about a positive change through education and conservation.

For instance, the exhibits call attention to the destructive fishing practices like blast fishing that kills corals and the wildlife that lives in them. Shedd officials stress that raising awareness about the need to conserve coral reefs and its entire ecosystem is a "critical mission" of the project.

Since the day Shedd Aquarium opened its doors 73 years ago, it has been educating its visitors about the environment, and the many ways to protect and conserve it. The Wild Reef exhibit amplifies this thrust. Through the exhibit, visitors will learn more about "the circle of life" and the crucial role of the community in protecting the environment.

Where it all started
It all started in the island of Apo, a 72-hectare volcanic rock located just south of Dumaguete, capital city of Negros Oriental in the Philippines.

Alarmed by the improper practices of fishermen there, scientists led by Standford University-educated biologist, Dr. Angel Alcala the community to adopt new fishing techniques. With the help of world-renowned marine biologists from Silliman Univesity, island residents who depend on the sea for livelihood started a coral reef conservation program in 1978.

The community initially resisted the idea. By working with the residents, however, Alcala eventually convinced them, and the community gradually embraced the concept as they continue to see improvements in their catch. Eventually, they organized themselves to police the marine sanctuary and protect the area from outsiders.

Today, the island is already a protected sanctuary. Its success did not go unnoticed. Professional and amateur divers from around the word raved about Apo Reef, saying it easily rivals Tubbataha Reef in Palawan, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

For his role in the sustainable development of Apo and other outstanding environment achievements, Dr. Alcala was awarded the 1992 Ramon Magsaysay Award and Chicago Field Museum's 1994 Founders' Council Award. In December 1997, Apo was aptly rewarded when the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research cited the community as the "Best Managed Reef."

More than the material reward, residents are basking with pride for their efforts even as they are living a simple and unsophisticated lifestyle. They are also enjoying abundant and steady harvest.

It was in the 1990s when experts from Shedd Aquarium took notice of the highly successful project. Bert Vescolani explained that throughout their study in the Philippines, Apo stood out. Vescolani, and a colleague Bryan Schuetze, traveled to the island and both attested to the islanders' warm hospitality and the magnificence of its marine sanctuary.

Following intense discussion with Silliman University scientists, and the community, Shedd experts recommended Apo as a model of its Wild Reef project. And the rest is history.

Special Report: Healthcare in America and the Filipino caregivers

U.S. health care crisis fuels Pinoys' American dream

Special to abs-cbnNEWS.com
September 02, 2002

By Ted A. Regencia

Chicago, IL -- Lisa, 25, is a computer engineer from Mindanao. Desperate for a job, she left the Philippines for the United States in 1999. Three years of hard work and loneliness have paid off. She now drives her own car and leads a comfortable life in a Chicago suburb.

DJ, Lisa's cousin, is also an engineer. Lured by the promise of pay in greenbacks, he gave up his 10-year-old job in Makati to pursue his American dream. As a reward, he was able to finance the repair of his parents' house in their provincial hometown, send money to his relatives and save enough for his and his wife's first born that is due in November.

Lisa and DJ are making money not because they are engineers. Both are caregivers, a job they never imagined doing while they were still in college back in the Philippines.

"I was confronted with reality. There was no engineering job waiting for me in the United States, so I grabbed at every opportunity that was available," Lisa said. "The chance to work as a caregiver came, so I grabbed it."

A crisis in the American health care system opened a window of opportunity to many Filipinos.

Over the past 10 years, the United States has been facing a shortage of trained professionals who can take care of the sick and the elderly. At least 125,000 caregivers are needed all over the United States. So serious is the situation that the shortage of personnel has been partly blamed for 24 percent of hospital errors that kill or injure patients.

Officials warned that if the current trend continues, the U.S. would face a shortage of half a million nurses by 2020. With an estimated 16 million aging Americans needing long-term care by 2030, the problem is expected to escalate.

American nurses have shied away from the health care profession despite the high pay. Enrollment in U.S. nursing schools dropped by 13 % between 1995 and 1999, reports said.

The situation is not getting any better. In California, for instance, around 20 % of more than 200,000 nursing jobs are vacant. The states of Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas are also facing the same problem.

Underscoring the urgency to solve the shortage, U.S. President George W. Bush signed a bill giving incentives to Americans who train and work as caregivers.

Due to the shortage, health care industry executives are forced to adopt "unconventional" recruitment methods. People who do not have the experience but who are willing to do the "dirty job" have been recruited from various countries, especially the Philippines. People like Lisa and DJ.

Health care is a multibillion-dollar American industry. In 1995 alone, spending for long-term care for the elderly reached almost $91 billion, according to a 1998 U.S. Senate report.

A regular caregiver, who takes care of one patient either in a hospital or at home, can earn at least $3,000 a month. The compensation is hard to refuse. A lot of Filipinos -- teachers and bankers, among them -- opted to change gears and work as caregivers in the past years.

"Had I remained a seaman, I would have been one rank away from becoming a captain," said Jun, who used to work in an oceangoing freighter. "But look at me now, I am steering the wheelchair of an old American."

Filipino nurses are lucky. Hospitals and nursing homes across the U.S. are scurrying to get Filipinos. Competing hospitals even resort to pirating Filipino nurses, offering them as much as $15,000 as sign-in bonus, housing and even subsidized education for their children.

Recruiters travel to the Philippines to sign up nurses and nursing aids. These day, Manila dailies are full of advertisements promising perks for Filipino nurses who decide to work in the U.S. Ironically, the recruitment emptied many local hospitals, shifting the shortage of nurses to the Philippines.

"They want to get us because Filipinos are really dependable and hard-working," said Joy, a certified nurse from Iligan City who is waiting for her papers that would certify her as an immigrant.

"Filipinos are sought after because of their fluency in English and their standard of education. We are also very compassionate to our patients and we don't complain a lot," Joy said.

Lisa, DJ and Jun, however, are not nurses. But even as they are not capable of carrying out various medical procedures, they provide competent help by giving patients a bath, feeding them and changing their diapers.

When patients require someone to stay with them at home, caregivers are assigned because there are not enough nurses. People like Lisa, DJ and Jun are required to undergo a four- to five-week training before they can become certified nursing assistants.

"Here in the U.S., if you only work hard you would earn enough," Lisa said. However, she admitted that is not easy to work as a caregiver with the verbal, and even physical, abuses she suffers from patients.

"It's really hard and sometimes it is degrading," she said. "If I already earn enough, I am definitely going home. Even if I'd be eating camote and bagoong, at least I will be home with my family."

For now, however, Lisa is staying in the United States, "working my butt off" for more money to be sent home to the Philippines.