JFAV-Samahang Pilipino Conference March 10-11: ALL OUT FOR EQUITY AND JUSTICE!

Los Angeles— “All Out for Equity and Justice”

With this battle cry, the community advocates, students, youth and the remaining Filipino World War II veterans in Southern California and Los Angeles cordially invite the public to come and gather for a Unity Conference on March 10-11, 2007 in UCLA in Los Angeles, CA 90095.

The Unity Conference begins at 9:00 a.m. each day at the Kerckhoff Hall at the UCLA campus. There will also be a Solidarity Night Saturday, March 10, 7:00 p.m., 100 Moore Hall UCLA Campus Los Angeles, CA 90095. The cultural night will be attended by spoken word artists, performing groups and other surprise numbers and will pay tribute to our veteran heroes.

The conference aims to unite the Filipino American community do a final push to finally pass the equity bill, which has been languishing in the US Congress for more than 15 years.

Veterans leaders like Commander Jack Vergara of the Society of Guerillas and Scouts Inc (SGSI); Commander Franco Arcebal of ACFV; Commander Peping Baclig of JFAV; Commander Joe Samonte of Long Beach and Veterans Federations of the Philippines (VFP; Commander Flor Cadiente of FACLA; Commander Eugenio Mondok of the United Filipino American Veterans (UFAV) and Sam Icalina and Manny Aquino of Carson full mobilized heir membership and will grace the occasion.

Equity Bill To Be Passed By April 9?

House Veteran’s Committee chair Congressman Bob Filner promised to passed the Filipino Veteran’s equity bill by April 9, the 65th anniversary of the fall of Bataan to the Japanese forces during World War II.

And with the American veteran’s issues at the U.S Congress like the investigations at the anomalies and neglect at the Walter Reed Hospital, the theft of veteran’s ID and the lack of funding for returning Iraq War veterans, the Filipino World War II veteran’s issue is gaining momentum at this moment. The conference is an opportune moment to gather support and unity to move the equity bill into reality.

Confirmed conference speakers are: Dr. Annalisa Enrile, Chair of Gabriela-USA; Atty.Arnedo Valera, Immigration and human rights lawyer: Commander Franco Arcebal, representing the American Coalition of Filipino Veterans (ACFV) and JFAV. Invited speakers are Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii; Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally of California and Bishop Oscar Solis of the archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Action Planning for the Next Two Years

Eight breakout workshops will be held from the afternoon of March 10 and the morning of March 11. The workshop includes: Pilipino WWII Veteran Experience; Pilipino Women's WWII Experience; Cross-Cultural solidarity Issues; History of Activism; The Current Situation and Issues; Community Support and Organizing; The Role of the Youth and the Pilipino Experience in the U.S. Military.

The resolutions from the workshops will be discussed at the closing plenary session of the conference on March 11, 2007. The resolutions will be the basis of the action planning of JFAV for the next two years.

The conference is sponsored by Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV), an alliance of more than 60 campus youth, students, community and veterans organizations and the Samahang Pilipino at UCLA, the largest Filipino American student organization in the United States.

People’s Community Organization for Reform and Empowerment (People’s CORE) formed JFAV as a campaign committee to gain veterans recognition on December 16, 1998. It continued the work of December 7 Movement (D7M) that launched the veterans campaign in December 7, 1993. Ever since, People’s CORE has been at the forefront of the struggle for social justice and people’s rights not only for the Filipino veterans but for other marginalized sectors of the society.

Registration is $10 for delegates and attendees. UCLA students are FREE. Parking is $8.00 in Lot 6.

For information, please contact Al Garcia of the People’s CORE Immigrant Rights and Social Justice Program at (213) 241-0995 or visit and see: www.myspace.com/jfavla. For registration on line@ www.waxstyles.net/jfav/jfavconference.html