FASCOT E-NEWS

Filipino-American Sampaguita Club of Tucson – Publisher

 

 

 

 

Dennis Maduli

 

The first half of my term has just been completed and I can’t believe how fast it has gone.  It still seems like we are miles away of what we wanted to accomplish in the beginning – establish the club as a 501©3 status and obtain a cultural building.  Although we may not complete these tasks during 2010, we are moving in the right direction.  The paperwork to obtain free legal aid has been submitted and approved. Hopefully, the legal aid can help us through the myriad of paperwork needing to be filed – and filed correctly.  They can also help us organize our records to improve our chances of being approved in a timely manner.

Our other vision is to obtain a cultural building.  Although we do not have enough funds to realistically purchase one at this time, we are striving to obtain a piece of real estate to possibly build a cultural building upon, or at the very least be an investment for our future.  Our board has real estate connections and we are actively looking.

Although our big goals are a work in progress, we have accomplished many things.  We successfully completed our Adopt A Roadway in March and May.  This event establishes our commitment to our community where we clean a stretch of road on Kolb between Sunrise and Sabino.  We established our new website (www.fascot.org).  It has a fresh look with updated events and pictures.  Finally, we just celebrated our Pista Sa Nayon where we saw new and old faces.  It was a gala event where we collaborated with other Filipino organizations, The Mabuhay Cultural Foundation and the Filipino-American Students Associations (FASA) of the University of Arizona. We still have upcoming events for the remainder of the year: Tucson Meet Yourself, Adopt A Roadway, and the Christmas Party.  I hope you can make at least one of these events.  And don’t forget to check our website.

Lastly, I would like to thank my board and advisors for their hard work and dedication (as well as spouses and families).  We have many meetings to prepare for the events I previously mentioned as well as the action items to fulfill.  You guys and gals are the greatest!

 

Very respectfully,

 

Dennis Maduli

 

 

 

 

 

Pista Sa Nayon

 

St. Francis Cabrini Church Hall, Tucson, AZ

 

THE EVENT

Saturday, June 19, 2010  

 

Performers:

Philippine Mabuhay Cultural Foundation

 

University of Arizona Fil-Am Student Association

 

Neneng Folk Dancers           

  

Festival Steering Committee

Sampaguita Executive Board

 

Special Mention

It was a joyful feeling to see our past presidents attending the Pista event:

Amado Arietta-2003, Imelda Cuyugan-2004 and Chris O’Hara-2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pista sa Nayon 2010

Bayan Ko

 

 

Binislakan

 

 

Pandango sa Ilao

 

 

A Night to Remember

 

Sayaw Ed Tapew sa Banko

 

 

Sakuting

 

 

Members and Guests

 

Easter Picnic

by Manol Oswald

 

April 3 was a gorgeous day to be outdoors.  Ramada #3, possibly the biggest at Udall Park was the perfect venue for the Easter picnic,  Five tables accommodated 50 adults and children present.  One table had a nice spread of delicious potluck dishes.  Games like bean bag throw, water balloon toss, sack race, and statue dance kept the children busy and active.  All were rewarded for their participation and effort with prizes.

The highlight of the day was the Easter egg hunting.  Legend tells that egg is widely used as a symbol of the start of new life that emerges from an egg when the chick hatches out. These eggs were supposed to be hidden by Easter Bunny for good children on Easter morning.  It was a delight to see moms and adults help their toddlers locate colorful eggs hidden all around the Ramada.  The children had their fill of goodies that day.

 

Adopt-A-Roadway

 

Adopt–A-Rodeway is one of

FASCOT’S “give back” to the community services.  The maintenance project headed by Doug and Josie Wiggins has been in place for several years.  The club’s name is conspicuously posted close to the corner of Kolb and Sunrise.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many Filipinos have been made aware of the club’s existence because

of this sign.  This is like a free advertisement for FASCOT.  The only thing members do is clean (pick up garbage) a two-mile strip of roadside on Kolb Rd. from Sunrise to Sabino Canyon.  This year, we were scheduled to do three clean-ups.  The first two were done last March 13 and may 8.  Ten people showed up on both occasions.  We need more  participation so we can do the job in 30 minutes instead of 1 ½ hours.  We assemble at Basha’s shopping center on Kolb and Sunrise.  Gathering time is 7:00 A.M. and we start about thirty minutes later.  Doug provides the poles with hook tips, vests, gloves and garbage bags.   At the end of the activity, we get rewarded with snacks at the back of Doug’s truck…and don’t’ forget the camaraderie you get to experience after doing a good deed!  Please come to the last adopt-a –roadway scheduled on October 16.  Again the meeting place is the east parking lot of Basha’s shopping center on Kolb and Sunrise.  Gathering time is 7:00 A.M. and we start about thirty minutes later.  See you there!

 

Congratulations Graduates!

Desert View High School

 

Wella Eidson

 

University of Arizona

 

Chrisselda Leal, RN

 

Claremont McKenna College in California

 

Amber Ariate

Amber majored in philosophy, politics and economy (PPE), and Spanish.  She had the opportunity to study in Argentina and also had experiences as a summer intern in the economics section of the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

Just received the news that she made it to the Fulbright Scholarship! Kudos!  She expects to go to the Philippines for that honor and privilege!  She’ll attend University of the Philippines to learn more about the country’s economy and will do research on how remittances from overseas workers can promote community development. Congratulations to Amber and the whole family and to the proud parents Rudy and Cynthia Ariate!

 

 

 

 

*******************************

FASCOT E-NEWS STAFF

Neneng Babanto Fassler

Managing Editor

Joel Jorolan – Layout Editor

Manol Oswald – Photographer/ Contributor

 

Writers Needed!  Please send your article contribution to Neneng.

 

Arizona Law SB1070

Neneng B. Fassler

This comment is solely the opinion of the writer and not necessarily representing the view of the FASCOT administration.

Arizona is on the national news after Governor Brewer signed the SB1070 Immigration Law.  The law will take effect in July 29th.  The law also requires legal immigrants to carry their immigration documents.  You may Google SB1070 and find the whole copy of the Bill.  My article about this law was on the front page of the Filipino-American Journal in June issue. You may obtain copy of the newsletter by contacting Fil-Am Journal

Attn: Leo Aromin, Editor

 

RAYTHEON FESTIVITIES

Neneng B. Fassler

    I had the privilege to attend the Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration sponsored by members of Raytheon Asian-Pacific Association (RAPA) on Wednesday, May 19, 2010. I arrived early and was observing our Filipina friend, Luz Stapp and her husband, Eric leading the stage set up and decorations.  Vendors started coming to demonstrate calligraphy, tattoing, and selling items for fund raising.  Beautiful things began to unfold.  Posters were displayed and guests coming in started to take notice.   Music was played and our dancers, Mike and Luz started warming up for the Tinikling dance.  These two were the brave souls who volunteered to practice for only three sessions because no one else was willing to do it.  It was time for the real presentation.  Eric and I started clicking the bamboos while Dennis Maduli assisted.  Luz looked so beautiful with her native costume and so thus Mike with his barong tagalog.  The dance ended with the curtsy.  They made it! For Mike and Luz, everything is possible if there is the will to learn, practice and perform.

    I went home humming and feeling the beauty and joy I’ve witnessed.  I counted happiness that day!  I went home with that beautiful impression of another Filipina showing leadership, promoting our culture and making a difference to the Raytheon business community.  I went home appreciating Mike’s spirit of involvement.  I went home amazed that Eric could click the bamboos!  Most of all I commend RAPA members and officers who sponsored this special event in order to promote awareness and understanding as we live together as Americans in this beautiful land.  By the way, Luz and Eric are also members of the Filipino-American Sampaguita Club of Tucson.  We are ended proud of their commitment to promote our cultural heritage wherever they are.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS!

 

We finally finished our new website.  Neneng conveys her appreciation to members of her team:  Manol Oswald who provided most of the pictures; to Joe Abong,  Dennis Maduli, Phil Harms the special committee that helped in the decision of hiring our new webmaster; to  Lita Doss for sharing more pictures; to Ate Alice Polintan for her moral support and to our board member, Susan Liang for  her encouragement; to Paul Alcordo for taking care of the domain.  And last but not the least to Chris O’Hara’s who led us to his former high school classmate from Bacolod, Grace Higgins, who now maintains our website.  We thank you, Grace! You may now browse www.fascot.org

If you have pictures of FASCOT events since 1972 you may email them to: babanto2003@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

Grand Opening

 

Chris O’Hara launched a Grand Opening of his Chicago Fast Food Restaurant just next door of the Pinoy Restaurant, owner Isaac O’Hara.  Stop by and check it out.  Support our local Pinoy business owners.

 

Chris also announced his new charitable non-profit organization back home in Bacolod.  His friends and former classmates pooled together their minds and efforts to create Friends of Bata Children’s Fund.  Its mission is to help and assist the needy children and their families in the Philippines. When Chris visited his birthplace in the Philippines, he saw children walking to schools without slippers, no enough paper, pencils, pens, notebooks backpacks and no enough centavos to buy snacks during recess time.  “I’m poor, but there are children from our country who suffered most compared to our children here in U.S,” Chris sighed.  For Chris and his friends, to help the poorest of the poor children to pursue education is a splendid mission and worth a strong support.

Check the website: invitation@fbchildrensfund.ning.com

 

Mabuhay Store

 

Visit Mang Ben and Darlene’s Mabuhay Store.  This store had been there for years and it stood to the test of times.

We all wish our business owners to be successful in their endeavors and that there business will continue to flourish and thrive.

 

Interested to join Neneng Folk Dancers?  Training for adults and children are underway.   Call: 795-3070

 

*Are you a paid member and owned a business?  We can post your business card on the FASCOT website.  Call or email babanto2003@yahoo.com

 

 

Creating Something Beautiful

Neneng B. Fassler

 

In the month of May, I had the privilege to extend community service with fellow Filipinos from the Bayanihan Filipino-American Club of Tucson.  There was a desire to include the adults to learn Philippine folk dance.  But few were uncertain if they could learn for they didn’t have adequate dance experience.  When the idea was injected that the purpose was to experience dance as a physical exercise, the enthusiasm grew.  Practices were held once a week for about two months.  Children and teenagers were also trained.  As the Pista sa Nayon was fast approaching, it was obvious that the art of dancing began to unfold.

Timing was right as the swaying and the tapping were executed.  Kumintang, a typical Filipino dance term that executes movement from the wrist as the hands gracefully turn inward were learned with devotion.  The adult dancers were feeling it.  They discovered that with music and precision of the movements they too, could be partners in creating beauty.

It is said that the aspiration towards an ideal of beauty is always at the heart of an artist’s work.  I witnessed the beauty of the dance form, the folk dance of our ancestors.  I tasted their tears.  I heard their laughter.  I watched their joy and celebration for a bountiful harvest!  It made us feel nostalgic!  The performers were transformed as they danced on stage and the audience responded.  The Young at Hearts made it and that was indeed a night to be remembered.

 

 

 

I believe that you’ve heard about Doctors Without Borders and Engineers Without Borders.  Well, there are also Artists Without Borders and I’m an artist.

 

Nature

I happened to read this documentary about this special ant warrior in a remote part of Africa. They were the Mofu villagers, “people of the mountains.”  They survived because of the millets (sorghum) they grew.  But termites are attacking the homes.  The drought they are feeling gives a sign that their ancestors are angry.  The termites are looking at the millets stored.  The only thing that can drive out the termites for good is the ant, jaglavak.  The elder of the village has to call jaglavak.  These special red ants only appear when the rain draws near.   According to the old stories, only the spirits of their ancestors can unleash the power of jaglavak and defeat the termites.  The little boy and the elder Matsgrawai searched for a mound.  They prayed and called jaglavak.  The red ants came and they collected few of them and brought them to the house.  The battle begins.  A single snap of the termite’s jaw is enough to cut the body of the assailant into half.  But the ants attack strategically.  They immobilize the termite soldiers by grabbing onto their legs and their antennae. The termites had fled with their queen for good.  The jaglavak ants took their dead prey and left.  Everyone’s prayers had been answered.

Tomorrow as I take my morning walk, I should say “Hi” to jaglavak.  

 

 

 

FASCOT

C/o Neneng

4152 E. 5th St.

Tucson, AZ 85711

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To: