Meeting with Filipinos from Hawaii

I finally got an emailed response from AMA Holdings Group Vice-President Johnny Ramos. Since his letter is quite lengthy, I will just reprint parts of his letter specifically on the questions I asked about the Light Rail Transit (LRT) that the AMA Group was pushing for, questions like how much is their investment into this project and why are they pushing for an LRT and copying the mistakes of Metro Manila?

Mr. Ramos pointed out: “For the purpose of offering and subsequently executing the Metro Cebu Mass Rail Transit System (the ‘Project’) we are intending to form and register a Special Purpose Company. AMA Group Holdings Corporation the same group who was instrumental in the planning and project development of LRT I Extension Project (Baclaran-Bacoor) is spearheading this endeavor… In the case of AMA Group, the holding company’s audited financial statement would show that its current asset is worth more than P1.2 billion, a solid proof that it is not a ‘fly-by-night’ corporation.”

Through your column, the proponent would like to inform the readers that the Cebu MRT Project has been thought out well, carefully planned and developed many years back. In submitting an unsolicited project proposal, the proponent was guided by the implementing agency of Executive Order No.536 dated 20 May 2006, which constitutes the policy direction of the government for the establishment of a railway system as a sustainable public transport for Cebu. (Signed) Johnny Ramos, Vice-President and Project Manager, AMA Group.”

The last part of that letter was for the establishment of a railway system in Cebu but Mr. Ramos didn’t mention why this railway has to be an LRT or why they are copying the mistakes of Metro Manila. I will write more on this issue in the days to come.

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Last Wednesday evening, I huffed over to the Marriott Hotel to attend a dinner hosted by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CCCI) for the 21st Trade Delegation of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. After the stirring speech of US Honorary Consul John Domingo, CCCI Pres. Sammy Chioson signed a Sister Chamber agreement with Ms. Rosemarie Mendoza, President of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. Why is it important to have good ties with the Filipinos in Hawaii? The Filcom Center reports that almost half of all foreign-born residents in Hawaii are from the Philippines.

Indeed, of the 1.3 million population of Hawaii, there are from 170,000 to 276,000 Filipinos including those with Filipino parentage. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant groups after the Mexicans, making Filipinos the 3rd largest ethnic group after the Caucasians and Japanese. For elective officials, that’s a good number of votes to look for. But this Trade Mission is not only targeting Cebu, they will also visit Subic and Baguio after their visit here.

Also in the Trade Mission is Mrs. Emme Tomimbang, a 30-year veteran broadcaster in radio and television who once had a one-hour tv series in Hawaii dubbed “Emme’s Island Moments.” It featured the lives and places of the people living in Hawaii. She’s of Visayan parentage as her parents came from Siquijor. In 2003 she was named “Hawaii Filipino Woman of the Year” and was awarded by Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) in 2006 for the “Pamana Ng Pilipina Award.”

Emme also did a two-hour documentary on the Hawaii Filipino Centennial, “Mabuhay with Aloha”—The Hawaii Filipino Experience 1906-2006. This documentary starts with the journey of the Filipino Sakadas who left our sugar plantations to work in Hawaii. I met her through the Internet through our dear friend, Prof. Erlinda Alburo, who asked me to interview her on our talkshow Straight from the Sky, which we did yesterday.

What’s even fascinating about Emme is that, she and her husband are personal friends and neighbor of the late Mrs. Madelyn Dunham. The name might not ring a bell but she is the maternal grandmother of US Pres. Barack Obama. She raised “Barry” as he was known in Hawaii, until he moved to mainland USA. As neighbors, they helped in the funeral preparations for Obama’s grandma last year.

How did I get all this information? After the dinner, our good friend, Marriott Hotel General Manager Roy Abraham invited us for drinks in the bar (Marriott Hotel has the best bar on this side of town) with Emme and her production assistant Joanne Corpuz. All those stories came out. Guess who joined us at the table? The 6.7 ft. tall Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, a second term Mayor of the 13th largest municipality in the United States. Just wait when we show Emme’s story and the story of the Filipinos in Hawaii on our show and you’ll get more.

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