Finance Secretary Margarito Teves has been honored by the London-based monthly magazine The Banker has named as The Best Finance Minister for Asia in 2008.

The publication cited the efforts of Mr. Teves in handling the negative impact of the global crisis on the Philippines, and rose to the challenge of handling the impact of the global economic turmoil on the country.

“It has been a tumultuous 12 months for the majority of the world’s finance ministers, with the impact of the credit crisis affecting almost every country to some extent. Here The Banker salutes those that have risen to the challenges posed by this financial turmoil,” The Banker said.

The Banker said the decision was the outcome of discussions among editors and staff of the magazine, and a survey of views among bankers and economists.

“In particular, survey respondents mentioned that, thanks to progressive improvements in revenue collection, lower public debt levels and more stable finances at the state-owned enterprises, the Philippines has entered the current global credit crunch in a much less vulnerable position than during past financial crises,” Philip Alexander, The Banker’s Finance editor said.

The Banker also noted Teves’ efforts to reduce the Philippine economy’s vulnerability to the crisis.

These include deferring the balanced budget goal to have more funds to spend and putting in place measures to boost tax collections and to widen the tax base.

Teves, for his part, said more needs to be done.

“If we have support from Congress, we can rationalize taxes and revenue incentives and use the savings to invest more in infrastructure,” he said.

The Banker is the premier monthly magazine on global finance since 1926, and part of the Financial Times group of publications. The finance minister awards are now in their eighth year.

Teves assumed the Finance post in 2005. Prior to this, he was president and chief executive officer of the Land Bank of the Philippines since September 2000.

He also served as Congressional representative of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental in 1987. He took up Bachelor of Arts at the Universidad Central de Madrid, Spain in 1961. He earned his diploma in Higher Education Diploma in Business Studies in 1965 at the City of London College in England. In 1968, he finished his master’s degree in Development Economics from Williams College, Massachusetts, USA. GoodNewsPilipinas.com

GMA News

MANILA, Philippines – Marikina garnered three awards from the World Health Organization (WHO) at the Third Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) held recently in Ichikawa City, Japan.

The awards are for Outstanding Healthy City, Best Practice (Climate Change and Health) for its bicycle-friendly roads project, and Pioneers in Healthy Cities for Mayor Marides Fernando.

The awards rites were led by Dr. Shigeru Omi, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific.

The Regional Director’s Award, the highest honor that the WHO confers on a local government unit, recognized Marikina’s implementation of the Healthy Cities approach.

The Best Practice Award commends undertakings that address health concerns and enhance the quality of life of citizens while reducing the harmful effects on the environment.

The Award for Pioneers in Healthy Cities is the highest recognition that the AFHC gives to individuals or groups for their exemplary contribution to expanding healthy cities worldwide.

The conference was held from October 23 to 26.

In a statement, Fernando said the honors would spur her administration to keep coming up with projects that will further improve the well-being of Marikina residents and keep the environment health.

Marikina is a founding member AFHC, an international network of cities, healthy communities, and other allied organizations aimed at protecting and enhancing the health of city dwellers.

In 2006, Marikina was also cited by the WHO as one the eight Pacific cities for outstanding achievements.

GMA News

MANILA, Philippines – Canada’s British Columbia (BC) has recently elected its first Filipino politician, an online report said.

Rod Belleza, 57, is believed to be the first Filipino elected into BC’s board of education after receiving a total of 12,414 votes, a report on BC Local News said.

A candidate from the Richmond Independent Team of Electors (RITE), he was reportedly all smiles after the final results flashed on a computer monitor last weekend.

Belleza said that the result was “overwhelming.”

“I share the passion, I share the desire to serve the people — bringing the board closer to the people,” he said in the report. Belleza immigrated to Canada in 1980.

The newly elected board member said that healthier, safer schools are big on his agenda.

Moreover, he said he wants to see a school program aimed at developing life skills and leadership in its students.

Joining him on the school board are his RITE running mates Chak Au and Carol Day.
Meanwhile, those re-elected were Linda McPhail, Donna Sargent, Grace Tsang, and Debbie Tablotney.

GMA News

CHICAGO, Illinois – Five Filipino American women are running across the United States for elective positions, two of them as state legislators, to prop up the growing number of Filipino American women in politics and governance in Tuesday’s historic general elections that could elect Sen. Barack Obama as the first African American president.

Chicago-area real estate lawyer Aurora Abella Austriaco, a Democrat endorsed by Senator Obama when she ran for Maine, Illinois Township Trustee in 2006, is running against a Republican incumbent Rosemary Mulligan as representative of the 65th district of Illinois and Conchita Applegate, who is candidate for California State Assembly, District 12.

The other Fil Am women in the hunt for elective posts are Cheryl Moss, who is running for re-election as a District Judge of Las Vegas, Nevada, Myrna Lim, candidate for Supervisor, District 11 (San Francisco), and Noelani Sallings, candidate for Santa Clara, California Unified School Board.

Touting herself as a rookie politician and “fighter for Middle-Class Families” like Senator Obama, the Manila-born Ms. Austriaco, 43, married and mother of two, says she “understands the real-life concerns that families face every day.”

She is working for repeal of sales tax increase that will shore up the middle class and restore ethics in state government.

A consultant by profession, Ms. Applegate is a Republican opposing incumbent Democrat Fiona Ma. Both ran unopposed during the primary.

Judge Moss is running for re-election to Family Court, Department “I.” During her first term, she initiated a pilot program on problem gambling assessments for parents in child custody case.

According to her Web site, Judge Moss “personally reads all of her assigned files to prepare for court each day, and she tirelessly strives to have decrees and court orders reviewed and signed in an expedited manner. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Clark County Law Library. In addition, she has volunteered her time judging in local, statewide, and national competitions for law students.”

Myrna Lim is up against incumbent Gerardo Sandoval for Supervisor, District 11 (San Francisco). The only Asian and one of two women in a field of eight candidates in the race, she is leading in several polls. She has support from the multi-cultural diversity of District comprising 11.46% Filipino and Chinese, 25% Latino, 15% Caucasian, 8% African American.

Myrna’s father is “Rafael Lim, a former District Attorney in the Philippines, (who) moved to the Excelsior (California) in 1969, and worked as a janitor for two years in order to bring his family to America for a better life.

“We bought our house in the District in 1976. My family operated the old Granada Theatre and the old Apollo Theatre,” she said.

A graduate student in Psychology and holder of Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Santa Clara (California) University, Noelani Sallings is a candidate for Santa Clara, California Unified School Board. She says she is “a proud product of the south bay public education system and (her) daughter is currently enrolled in Santa Clara Public School system. My strong roots in local education have enabled me to become successful in my personal and professional life. In order to maintain a local standard of excellence, I am running for Santa Clara Unified School Board.”

She added, “(i)n order to help the district reach its full potential, I have worked many social outreach programs in the area including Santa Clara Schools foundation, Music Rivals, Nutrition Committee, and Bracher PTA association. My work has enabled countless children to improve their quality of life while enabling them to succeed in the classroom.”

There are 17 Filipino American women currently holding elective positions across the nation, including two state senators and several state representatives, according to the Filipino Women’s Network.

Velma Veloria is the first Filipina in the continental United States to be elected to a State Legislature (1992), serving 12 years as State Representative for South Seattle’s 11th District. She is the key author of Washington’s anti-trafficking legislation in Washington state.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Ambassador Hilario Davide Jr., Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, this week became the second person to receive the “Spirit of the UN” Award for his exemplary work on promoting spirituality and values in the world body, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations said in a statement
Thursday.

Davide, who became top Philippine diplomat to the United Nations in 2007, received the award in ceremonies held at the Dag Hammarksjold Auditorium at the UN Headquarters on October 20.

The first recipient in 2007 was Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury of Bangladesh for his life-long dedication to peace, human rights, and justice.

The UN-based non-government organization Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns (CSVGC), which is a committee of the Conference of NGOs in consultative status with the UN, conferred the crystal award to Davide for exemplifying the aspects of spirituality and values in his work and daily life.

In his acceptance remarks, Davide said he was accepting the award not only for himself but also for the Philippines, the Philippine Mission to the UN, and many others who have focused attention to global concerns.

The former Philippine Supreme Court chief justice said he considers the award as especially significant as it also symbolized the sacredness of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

“Spirituality is a communion and an abiding relationship with Almighty God who, according to the Book of Wisdom, made all things by His word and established man to govern the world in holiness and justice and render judgment in integrity of heart,” the ambassador said.

On the same day that the award was conferred, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo faxed his congratulatory message and joined the Filipino nation in congratulating Davide for this milestone achievement that has made the country and the people proud.

GMA News

MANILA, Philippines — Two Filipino-Australians have won public office in Australia’s recent local elections, a report aired over radio dzRH said on Thursday.

The report quoted Philippine Consul General Maria Theresa Lazaro as saying that Irene Ensomo Broad and lawyer Jess Diaz were the first Filipino-Australians to be elected into public office in Australia.

Lazaro added although Filipinos have long been very active in nation building activities, this was the first time that they’ve been vocal about seeking public office.

The report said Diaz was elected as councilor in Blacktown, a city in metropolitan Sydney, which has the largest concentration of Filipinos in Australia.

Broad was re-elected councilor in the shire of Temora in the Riverina region of New South Wales.

Ensomo Broad was first elected as an independent councilor in 2004. She is also the first female councilor who has been re-elected.

Diaz, meanwhile, was a former school teacher before setting up his own law practice. She is also a member of service associations including the Jaycees, the Lions, and the Knights of Rizal.

GMA News

CHICAGO, Illinois – A Filipino American running for US Congress may yet save the day for the Filipino Veterans bill pending before the US Congress.

Ohio State Senator Stephen C. Austria is running for US Congress under the Republican Party for the open seat of the 7th District in Ohio.

He will be in the best position to lobby at least 39 US Republican members of the House of Representatives into voting for passage of Senate Bill 1315 in the House.

Part of the bill grants full benefits for non-service disability pensions to Filipino World War II veterans.

His father, the late Dr. Clement G. Austria, was a “guerrilla under (American) Gen. Douglas MacArthur while studying medicine at the University of Santo Tomas,” that was turned into prison camp by Japanese Invading Forces during World War II.

In an email to this reporter, Austria’s wife, Eileen, quoted her mother-in law, Jean Brockman Austria, as saying that her father-in-law was born in Tiaong, Quezon in the Philippines.

When he was still very young, Steve went to the Philippines three times in 1960 and 1961 and spent six weeks in the Philippines shortly after graduating from high school.

Steve’s folk wanted him to stay for good in the Philippines but his mother prevailed upon him to come back to the United States.

Armin M. Sayson, President, Philippine-American Society of Greater Dayton (Ohio), provided this reporter a brief bio-data of Steve Austria given to him by Steve’s wife, Eileen.

Eileen Austria said Stephen Clement Austria was born in 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
His parents are Jean Brockman Austria of Cincinnati and the late Dr. Clement G. Austria who was born in the Philippines and came to Cincinnati, Ohio to attend Medical School.

“Jean was a nurse and he was a doctor and that is how they met,” Sayson said. Steve is the eldest of nine children – all of whom have graduated from Catholic universities or colleges with their bachelor’s degrees and several graduating from medical, dental or optometry schools.

Steve graduated from Marquette University in 1981 with a degree in Political Science. Marquette is a Catholic, Jesuit university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After graduation, Steve worked in politics for a couple of years before turning his professional interests in becoming a Financial Planner with the American Express Company for nearly 16 years.

When public service called, Steve successfully ran for state representative in Ohio in 1998, moving up to the Ohio Senate in 2000 and being re-elected again in 2004.

The family of Dr. Clement Austria was named one of the top 10 families of the year in the nation and was honored at the Reagan White House in 1985. Dr. Austria was a community leader and died unexpectedly at the age of 62 in November 1986.

Senator Steve Austria currently represents Ohio’s 10th Senate District, which includes approximately 375,000 people and covers all of Clark, Greene, and Madison Counties.
Steve and his wife, Eileen, have three sons, Brian, Kevin and Eric.

Brad Mascho, Campaign Manager for Steve Austria for U.S. Congress said Senator Steve Austria is currently the Majority Whip of the Ohio Senate.

He is seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives of Ohio’s 7th Congressional District, currently held by Congressman Dave Hobson, who announced his retirement late last year and has strongly endorsed Senator Austria’s election.

According to the Los Angeles, California-based Asian Journal, African American Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03) is the only member of the U.S. House of Representatives to claim Filipino parentage. His mother is a daughter of a Filipino, Valentin Cortez Hamlin.

GMA News

CHICAGO— As an army captain assigned in Iraq, Mario Bonifacio experienced the war firsthand. Now, he is in a different battlefield, helping Senator Barack Obama get elected as the first African-American president of the United States.

“This is an extremely historic event and I am very proud to be a part of it,” Bonifacio said, referring to the Illinois senator’s candidacy.

Bonifacio is the regional field director of the Obama campaign for the state of New Jersey. He is one of the very few Filipino-Americans with an inside look at the campaign from its early stage.

Recently, the campaign also recruited Charmaine Manansala as director of the Asian American Pacific Islanders voter outreach program.

During Obama’s crucial primary campaign in North Carolina, Bonifacio was in the trenches, mobilizing voters as Obama’s regional Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) coordinator.

The effort paid off with a decisive 14-point victory in the Tar Heel State, cementing Obama’s delegate lead.

On June 3, Obama officially clinched the Democratic nomination, becoming the first African-American major party presidential candidate in the nation’s history.

Bonifacio said that despite the intense fight between Obama and New York Senator Hillary Clinton, which dragged on for months, the contest was good for the party.

“It was encouraging for the campaign because it included a lot more people in the nominating process,” he said.

Bonifacio expressed confidence that Clinton supporters will embrace Obama’s candidacy, saying that “people are really hungry for change.”

“I think people recognize the very serious issues that we face in this election, and I think that it will override any sort of feelings people had during the primaries,” he added.

Political awakening

The California native was not always a political animal. As the eldest son of an accountant and an engineer, he is good with numbers.

In college, he steered clear of politics, instead taking up economics at the University of California at Berkeley.

“I really never had any inclination towards politics, although I always voted,” Bonifacio said.

Halfway through his major, 9/11 happened and it altered the course of his career and outlook in life. The terrorist attack prompted him to sign up for the ROTC.

“My parents have always been grateful for the opportunities they’ve had in America, and I’m grateful to them in turn. They’ve worked hard to be able to buy a home, raise four kids and send us to college.”

Bonifacio’s mother, Marilen, is a native of Manila, while his father, Oscar, is from San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

The Bonifacio family now resides in Orange County, California. His two younger brothers, Jordan and Michael, attend school, while his younger sister, Lauren, lives and works nearby in Los Angeles.

Bonifacio said that joining the military at a time of crisis was his way of expressing his gratitude to the country that welcomed his immigrant parents. After graduation, he formally joined the Army, and eventually rose up the ranks to become an army captain.

GMA News

MANILA, Philippines – “Yes we can. Maraming salamat po.” This was a portion of a letter that was from a Filipino, but not just from an ordinary Pinoy. Eddie Charmaine Arivan Manansala wrote to leaders, family, and friends last June 24 encouraging them to help ensure Barack Obama’s victory in the 2008 US presidential polls.

Manansala, who was born in Manila and lived in Los Angeles, will be instrumental in making Obama sit at the White House. In the letter, Manansala said she was chosen as Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Vote Director for the Obama Campaign.

“I look forward to working with you in the upcoming months as we engage the Asian American and Pacific Islander community nationwide, as well as in key battleground states,” she told Obama supporters in her letter.

The choice of Manansala as one of Obama’s campaign leaders adds to her many accomplishments. In 2007, Manansala was chosen by the Filipina Women’s Network as one of the “100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the US.”

In a ceremony in Washington D.C., the network recognized Filipina leaders like Manansala “who have made or are making a difference in government policies or laws that impact business, industry, and society, and who enrich the lives and careers of others by sharing the benefits of their wealth, experience, and knowledge.”

The recognition befits Manansala, a graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, who has a master’s degree in public health at the George Washington University in Washington D.C. She is only in her 30s, but has already held key positions that have to do with US politics and cause-oriented undertakings.

She was senior policy adviser to Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the US House of Representatives. During the Clinton administration, Manansala was senior policy analyst for the White House Initiative on AAPIs.

She was California political director for the Service Employees International Union, which has two million members in US, Canada, and Puerto Rico representing workers in hospital systems, long term care, property services, and public services.

Manansala also became senior policy adviser to the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity in Los Angeles, a coalition of organizations and individuals promoting the rights of Filipino World War II veterans.

Her being one of Obama’s head campaigners is nothing new, but only an extension of her dedication in promoting the rights and interests of AAPIs.

Since six years ago, Manansala was already called a “great leader.” She was praised for helping “shape the way Asian Pacific Americans are treated and helped coordinate the federal government’s outreach efforts to the community.”

For Manansala, working for Obama’s victory also means helping AAPIs realize their aspirations.

According to her, the “Obama campaign acknowledges the extraordinary contributions of the nearly 13 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have helped build a strong and vibrant America.”

“We will forge a more effective regional framework for collective security in Asia and the Pacific to promote political and economic stability, confront transnational threats like terrorism and influenza, and collectively address environmental concerns,” she said in her June 24 letter.

“Finally, we will restore the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to work towards its original goal of meeting the underserved needs of AAPIs,” she added.