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Cebu, things you need to know about the queen city of the south By: Mary Grace Asis

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travel laife Cebu Food basilica-del-santo-nino-Cebu

 

Regarded as the Queen City of the South, Cebu is one of the cities in the Philippines where modern/urban experience crisscross with provincial life. Travelers see it as the gateway to the Visayas because it’s strategically located at the center of the Philippine archipelago. The city is like Manila in its traffic, a bustling metropolis but with the chill effect by night. A visit is not only about food but of unique sights and warm Cebuanos.

What I like most about Cebu is the easy access to breathtaking beach destinations and exciting outdoor activities just a ferry boat or a bus ride away. It also boasts of a vibrant music scene. It hosts the Cebu Reggae Festival which has now become one of the Philippine’s largest annual reggae festivals.

Food

The island of Cebu plays a big part in the history of the Philippines because it served as the doorway for the Spaniards when they conquered our country in 1521. For me, it’s also one of the most interesting stories my teacher told during my elementary days. Ferdinand Magellan came and was welcomed by Rajah Humabon, the king of Cebu, together with his wife and the rest of the islanders. Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan by Lapu-Lapu. I think every kid knows this fact, and there’s even a song about it by Yoyoy Villame which I really liked. Then, Rajah Humabon poisoned the rest of Magellan’s crew due to threats of foreign occupation which really happened. Our country was under Spanish rule for more than 300 years and in Cebu, the impact of Spanish and Roman Catholic culture is very evident.

Places of Interest

Magellan’s cross is the city’s most famous landmark. My memory when I first saw the cross is a little vague because I was merely 6 years old then. From what I remember, it was raining hard. The place was full of big ships docked because they seemed all wrecked and under repair, and I saw that big cross which I didn’t know then was Magellan’s cross. I did the “Sign of the Cross” when my brother and I passed by it. Today, it has now become a chapel. For us Filipinos, this cross is the symbol of Christianity.

Next to Magellan’s cross is the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino (Church of the Holy Child) which is the first church established in the island. It’s built of hewn stone and features our country’s oldest relic, the figure of the Santo Nino de Cebu. Every third Sunday of January, the city holds its festivity called the Sinulog Festival in honor of the Santo Nino. The Sinulog is a dance ritual of pre-Hispanic indigenous origin. The dancers move two steps forward and one step backward to the rhythmic sound of drums. The movement somewhat resembles the current (sulog) of the river. Thus, the Cebuanos called it Sinulog.

Within the city is the Cebu Taoist Temple located in Beverly Hills, one of the older but posh villages in Cebu. Views of the city and its skyline can also be seen from villages and there are numerous gated communities located on its mountainside. This is the best place to take great pictures as cover photos for Facebook.

Shopping will never be a problem since there’s Ayala Center Cebu where you can find and buy anything you want. It is located at the Cebu Business Park.

Food

Lechon Cebu??? Wow!!! You should never miss this when you visit the city. There’s a reason why it’s so popular because it’s so good you’ll want to take home a whole crispy roasted pig on a stick as pasalubong. I also remember the “puso” rice which is sticky steamed rice wrapped in coconut leaf that has been arranged in a very strange, artistic way. Hmmm… my mouth is watering while imagining it. I’m not quite sure but I think barquillos is also from Cebu. Then there’s Ngohiong which is made of pork and coconut eggroll in lorbak sauce that you will never find anywhere in Manila. And of course, there are lots of seafoods that I miss so much being in Israel for more than a year now and eating only kosher food. Hehehe…


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Pagkakaisa ng mga Pilipino para sa mga Sinalanta ng Lindol
(Panayam kay Gng. Alma Millamar ng View Finders Club Israel)

Kamakailan lamang ay niyanig ang lahat ng mga Pilipino saan mang sulok ng mundo ng balitang ang Pilipinas ay muli na namang sinubok ng kalikasan sa pamamagitan ng isang malakas na lindol noong ika-13 ng Oktubre ganap na alas 8:12 ng umaga. Sa opisyal na tala ito ay may 7.2 magnitude sa Richter scale na ang epicenter ay mula sa makasaysayan at napakagandang lugar ng Bohol at Cebu.

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Pagkakaisa ng mga Pilipino para sa mga Sinalanta ng Lindol focal 296

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Pagkakaisa ng mga Pilipino para sa mga Sinalanta ng Lindol
(Panayam kay Gng. Alma Millamar ng View Finders Club Israel)

Ni Ms. Cheryl Sevegan

Kamakailan lamang ay niyanig ang lahat ng Pilipino saan mang sulok ng mundo ng balitang ang Pilipinas ay muli na namang sinubok ng kalikasan sa pamamagitan ng isang malakas na lindol noong ika-13 ng Oktubre ganap na alas 8:12 ng umaga. Sa opisyal na tala ito ay may 7.2 magnitude sa Richter scale na ang epicenter ay mula sa makasaysayan at napakagandang lugar ng Bohol at Cebu.

Marami ang nanghinayang, nasaktan, nawalan ng mga mahal sa buhay at napaiyak sa kalunos-lunos na naging resulta ng trahedyang ito. Isang trahedyang tanging ang makapangyarihang Maylikha lamang ang maaaring humarang at pumigil.

Ayon sa balita mula sa pahayag ni National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Rey Balido, umabot na sa 144 katao ang namatay, 134 dito ay mula sa Bohol, 9 sa Cebu at 1 sa Siquijor, ngunit maaari pang madagdagan ang bilang ng mga casualties sa paglipas ng araw. Kanya ding kinumpirma na 291 katao ang bilang ng mga sugatan at 23 katao naman ang nawawala.

Libong aftershocks o pagyanig ng lupa ang naitala na mula nang mangyari ang napakalakas na lindol. Kalunos -lunos, kahindik-hindik na kahit sa hinagap ay hindi naisip ng bawat isa na ang lahat ay mangyayari. Nagkalat sa Facebook at Internet ang mga balitang nakalulungkot, ganoon din ang mga larawan ng mga importante at makasaysayang lugar na bahagi na ng ating historya bilang isang bansa.

Nakalulungkot din na ang napakagandang kalikasang Kanyang nilikha ay bigla na lamang nasira. Ito’y patunay na Siya lamang ang tunay na Makapangyarihan sa lahat at tanging may kakayahang kunin ang anumang Kanyang ibinigay sa sangkatauhan at sanlibutan.

Habang aking pinagmamasdan ang mga larawan – ang mga bitak na kalsada, ang mga tulay na naputol, ang mga gumuhong simbahan, ang napakaganda at napakasikat na chocolate hills na ipinagmamalaki ng Pilipinas sa buong mundo – hindi ko lubos maisip na sa isang iglap lamang ang lahat ng ito’y masisira…

Sa isyu pong ito aking ibabahagi sa inyo ang kabutihang loob at ang mabilis na pagdamay at pagbibigay ng tulong ng ating mga kababayang OFWs dito sa Israel, at kuwento ng isang inang malayo sa kanyang anak na nalagay sa bingit ng panganib.

Mga mahal kong kababayan sa Israel, nais ko pong ipakilala sa inyo ang isang simpleng ina na nangibang-bansa upang mapabuti ang kalagayan ng kanyang iniwang anak at pamilya sa Pilipinas. Siya po’y walang iba kundi si Gng. Alma Lopena Millanar, butihing maybahay ni G. Jerick Millanar. Sila po ay parehong tubongTagbilaran City, Bohol kung saan ay naging sentro ng nakaraang lindol. Narating ni Gng. Alma ang Lupang Pinagpala 14 years ago noong June 1999. Sumunod naman sa kanya dito ang kanyang kabiyak noong taong 2001 buwan ng Hulyo. Tinatanaw nyang malaking utang na loob ang pagtulong sa kanya ng Pagarigan family na kanyang first-degree relatives.

Nasa higaan na sya nang tawagin siya ng kanyang asawang si Jerick upang ibalita ang nangyaring lindol sa Bohol na may lakas na 7.2 magnitude.

Ano po ang una ninyong naging reaksyon?

Alma: Napalundag ako at pinakaunang pumasok sa isip ko ay si Angela, ang aming panganay na naiwan sa Pilipinas. Bigla akong napabalikwas sabay dampot sa aking telepono para tawagan siya, pero hindi ko na sya makontak sa kanyang cell phone. Agad-agad kong tinawagan ang landline sa bahay pero ganoon din walang sumasagot. Natuliro ako dahil gusto kong malaman kung ano ang kanilang sitwasyon, kung nasa ligtas ba sila, pero wala akong mahagilap at makuhanan ng sagot. Lahat sila ay naka-offline kahit sa FB.

Napuno ang aking isipan ng samu’t saring alalahanin at pangamba. Wala akong magawa kundi tumingin sa bintana, nakatitig sa langit… wala akong mabanggit na panalangin, basta tumutulo na lang ang luha ko. Pumasok ako sa trabaho na wala sa sarili. My kind employer comforted me and told me to just pray.

Paano po kayo nagkaroon ng komunikasyon sa kanila? Sa ano pong paraan?

Alma: Ang madalas naming way of communication na mag-ina ay sa Skype kung saan nakikita ko ang kanyang mukha. Binubusog ko na lamang ang aking pagkauhaw sa aking anak sa pamamagitan ng panonood sa FB sa kanyang mga litrato na ina-upload nya at madalas ay online siya. Pero nang mga panahong iyon lahat ay “cannot be reach” sa Skype, FB, cell phone at kahit na ang aming landline. Sumaksak sa isipan ko na merong hindi magandang nangayri at kung nasa ligtas na kalagayan ba sila?

After a day when I opened my cell phone in the bus kasi nga may wifi ang Metropolin at nakakapag-Facebook ako sa bus, ang unang bumulaga sa akin pagbukas ko ng screen ng FB page ay ang mukha ng aking anak at nakahiga silang lahat sa labas ng bahay at naka-tent. Na-relieved ako pansumandali ngunit pinalitan naman iyon ng matinding awa sa kanyang sitwasyon. Kung kasama lang sana namin siya dito…

Agad-agad akong nagpost ng shout out ko sa FB na if puede lang akong agad-agad umuwi ng Pilipinas, lumipad na ako upang yapusin ang aking anak ng napakahigpit para ma-comfort siya upang hindi nya maramdamang nag-iisa siya at mahal na mahal namin sya. Lumabas sa akin ang natural na feeling ng isang inang nababahala sa kaligtasan ng kanyang anak. Pagkatapos noon ay natawagan ko sya at ang kanyang ibinungad sa aking ay ang isang panaghoy ng isang anak na nanghihingi ng pagkalinga. Nadurog ang puso ko at hindi ko namalayang hindi na din ako makapagsalita dahil kusa nang namalisbis sa aking pisngi ang mga luhang nag-uunahang tumulo mula sa aking mga mata. Gumuhit sa kaibuturan ng aking puso ang sakit na alam ko ang aking anak ay nagtatanong kung bakit siya ay nandoon at nasa bingit ng peligro samantalang kami dito ay sama-sama at nasa ligtas at magandang katayuan. Akin na lamang nasabi na “Thanks God they are safe.”

Napakahirap po talaga ng malayo sa minamahal sa ganitong mga sitwasyon? Sa naging karanasan po ninyo, ano sa tingin nyo ang mga bagay na nakatulong sa inyo at magiging kapaki-pakinabang na kaalaman na puwede rin po ninyong ibahagi sa ating mga kapwa OFW dito sa Israel?

Alma: Unang-una presence of mind lang ang maisa-suggest ko sa lahat sa mga ganitong sitwasyon at huwag mag-panic or mag-hysterical. Dapat naka-focus ang isip mo sa ano mang dapat mong gawin. Panalangin ang pinakaimportante sa lahat, dahil walang ibang makakatulong sa atin kundi Siya lamang. At dapat open ang puso na tumulong, mag-isip kung anong dapat na gawin. Kahit ako noong panahong ‘yon ay hindi ko inisip na gawin ang ginawa ko na lumikom ng salapi para itulong sa aking mga kababayan na nasalanta ng lindol. Noon lamang makita ko kung gaano kalaki ang naging pinsala ay laking pasalamat ko na ligtas ang aking anak at pamilya.

Paano po nag-umpisa ang paglikom ninyo ng donasyon para itulong sa ating mga kababayan sa Bohol?

Alma: Ang una ko talagang ginawa ay nag-message ako sa mga kakilala kong Boholano dito sa Israel. Pinakauna kong pinadalhan ng mensahe si Luz Bersabal Nistal, sumunod si Jun Asur tapos si Liza Auditor, lahat ay mga kababayan kong Boholano. Hinikayat ko na mag-contribute kahit konti ang mga Boholanos na nandirito sa Holy Land at walang pasubaling umoo silang lahat. Nag-researched ako ng pwede naming pagbigyan ng tulong. Nakita ko sa aking paghahanap ang Sunshine Orphanage sa Facebook na pinamamahalaan ni Jerome Auza. Ni-like ko ang page nila sa Facebook, nakita pala ni Association of Bicolanos in Israel President Wenifredo Gamban ang aking ginawa at naging daan upang send-an nya ako ng message at kanyang iminungkahi na kami ay mag-photo shoot for a cause para itulong sa mga taga-Bohol. So napagkasunduan namin na mag-post ng tungkol dito sa aming grupo ng mga Photographers dito sa Israel, ang VFC.

Hindi ako nakapag-post kaagad kasi parang nahihiya ako hanggang sa makita ko ang isa naming kasamahan na si Mr. Rosemar Casabar na nag-post ng photo shoot for a cause para nga sa mga napinsala ng lindol. Agad kong ni-like ang post nya and the action began it became viral sa Facebook. Napakabilis ng tugon ng bawat isa. May mga hindi nakalabas pero gustong magbigay kaya yung iba ay nagpaabono na lang. Nakakataba ng puso at nakakatuwa kasi ramdam mo na kahit nasa malayo nandun ang kagustuhan ng ating mga kapwa OFWs dito na tumugon at tumulong sa mga kababayan nating napinsala at nangangailangan ng madaliang tulong sa Pilipinas.

Napakabilis po ng inyong pagtugon. Sino po ang mga taong nasa likod ng mabilisang proyektong ito upang magbigay ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan sa Pilipinas na nasalanta ng lindol?

Alma: Ang mga tumugon sa panawagan namin sa VFC (View Finders Club Israel) na lubos naming pinasasalamatan ay sina Mr. Ramz Laguna, Mr. Edmar Colo, Mr. Rosemar Casabar, namuno din si ABI President Mr. Wenifredo Gamban, kaming mag-asawa, sina Luz Bezabal, Nistal, Ofelia Villena at nagbigay din ang amo ko ng donasyon, gayundin ang amo nina Luz at mga kakilala. Naki-join din ang pamangkin kong si Marivic Feferbaum at ang aking anak na si Jeruz na talaga namang bumalandra sa kalsada sa panghihingi ng donasyon sa mga taong dumadaan at may ginintuang puso. Nakakatuwa kasi kahit hindi kami ganoon kagaling mag-Hebrew mabanggit lang ang salitang kesef ay okay na at marami naman ang nagbibigay. Hindi na namin inisip ang hiya dahil sa kagustuhan ng bawat isa na makatulong.

Gaano po katagal ang naging proyektong ito bago kayo nakakalap ng sapat na salapi para ipadala sa Pilipinas?

Alma: Ang photo shoot for a cause ay tumagal ng 2 araw kung saan na-meet namin ang iba’t ibang klase ng tao. Mayroong snob, may mabait kahit walang hinulog at least ina-approach kami ng nakangiti. Nakakataba rin ng puso kasi mayroon talagang ramdam mo ang kanilang pakikiramay sa maga kababayan nating napinsala. Mayroon namang mga nang-iinsulto pa. Sobrang nakakataba ng puso na kahit ang ibang mga lahi kagaya ng Indian, Nepalese at Sudanese ay nagbigay ng tulong na bukal sa puso. Malaki din ang aming pagpapasalamat kay Ms. Ruby Sukjai ng Pinay Namaste na hindi kami siningil sa charge sa aming pagpapadala ng pera sa Pilipinas.

Lubos ang aming kaligayahan sampu ng aking mga kasama sa VFC Israel.

Ang akin pong pagpupugay sa inyong lahat sa inyong kabutihang ginawa para sa ating mga kababayan sa Pilipinas! Sa ngayon po ate, ano na ang update sa inyong ipinadalang tulong sa Pilipinas?

Alma: Bukas ang aming perang ipinadala ay ibibili na nila ng mga goods at bukas na din ang delivery so hopefully sa Miyerkules, Oct. 23, ay maipamimigay na ang mga goods sa mga nasalanta ng lindol.

Tunay pong ang kahit anumang pagsubok ay magaan nating haharapin kung tayo ay tulong-tulong at sama-sama. Nakakagalak isiping ang mga Pilipino watak-watak man sa iba’t ibang sulok ng mundo, pagdating sa pagtutulungan at pagdaramayan upang saklolohan ang ating Inang Bayan ay nagiging buo at iisa.

Patunay na ang “BAYANIHAN” na isang kaugalian nating Pilipino na sikat sa buong mundo ay patuloy pa ring nasa puso ng bawa’t Pilipino.

Sa lahat po ng mga tumulong at magbibigay pa ng tulong, ang akin pong pagbibigay-pugay sa inyong lahat sa kabutihan ng inyong mga puso. Nawa’y patuloy tayong manalangin na ang ganitong mga pagsubok ng kalikasan ay huwag na sanang muli pang mangyari sa ating Inang Bayan.

Ang akin pong panalangin sa kaluluwa ng mga yumao nating kababayan, gayundin ang paggaling ng mga sugatan sanhi ng masaklap na kaganapang ito. Dalangin ko po ang inyong katatagan at patuloy na magandang paglalakbay sa buhay.

Pagkakaisa ng mga Pilipino para sa mga Sinalanta ng Lindol

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Ni Cheryl Sevegan

Kamakailan lamang ay niyanig ang lahat ng mga Pilipino saan mang sulok ng mundo ng balitang ang Pilipinas ay muli na namang sinubok ng kalikasan sa pamamagitan ng isang malakas na lindol noong ika-13 ng Oktubre ganap na alas 8:12 ng umaga. Sa opisyal na tala ito ay may 7.2 magnitude sa Richter scale na ang epicenter ay mula sa makasaysayan at napakagandang lugar ng Bohol at Cebu.

Marami ang nanghinayang, nasaktan, nawalan ng mga mahal sa buhay at napaiyak sa kalunos-lunos na naging resulta ng trahedyang ito. Isang trahedyang tanging ang makapangyarihang Maylikha lamang ang maaaring humarang at pumigil.

Ayon sa balita mula sa pahayag ni National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Rey Balido, umabot na sa 144 katao ang namatay, 134 dito ay mula sa Bohol, 9 sa Cebu at 1 sa Siquijor, ngunit maaari pang madagdagan ang bilang ng mga casualties sa paglipas ng araw. Kanya ding kinumpirma na 291 katao ang bilang ng mga sugatan at 23 katao naman ang nawawala.

Libong aftershocks o pagyanig ng lupa ang naitala na mula nang mangyari ang napakalakas na lindol. Kalunos -lunos, kahindik-hindik na kahit sa hinagap ay hindi naisip ng bawat isa na ang lahat ay mangyayari. Nagkalat sa Facebook at Internet ang mga balitang nakalulungkot, ganoon din ang mga larawan ng mga importante at makasaysayang lugar na bahagi na ng ating historya bilang isang bansa.
Nakalulungkot din na ang napakagandang kalikasang Kanyang nilikha ay bigla na lamang nasira. Ito’y patunay na Siya lamang ang tunay na Makapangyarihan sa lahat at tanging may kakayahang kunin ang anumang Kanyang ibinigay sa sangkatauhan at sanlibutan.

Habang aking pinagmamasdan ang mga larawan – ang mga bitak na kalsada, ang mga tulay na naputol, ang mga gumuhong simbahan, ang napakaganda at napakasikat na chocolate hills na ipinagmamalaki ng Pilipinas sa buong mundo – hindi ko lubos maisip na sa isang iglap lamang ang lahat ng ito’y masisira…

Sa isyu pong ito aking ibabahagi sa inyo ang kabutihang loob at ang mabilis na pagdamay at pagbibigay ng tulong ng ating mga kababayang OFWs dito sa Israel, at kuwento ng isang inang malayo sa kanyang anak na nalagay sa bingit ng panganib.

Mga mahal kong kababayan sa Israel, nais ko pong ipakilala sa inyo ang isang simpleng ina na nangibang-bansa upang mapabuti ang kalagayan ng kanyang iniwang anak at pamilya sa Pilipinas. Siya po’y walang iba kundi si Gng. Alma Lopena Millanar, butihing maybahay ni G. Jerick Millanar. Sila po ay parehong tubongTagbilaran City, Bohol kung saan ay naging sentro ng nakaraang lindol. Narating ni Gng. Alma ang Lupang Pinagpala 14 years ago noong June 1999. Sumunod naman sa kanya dito ang kanyang kabiyak noong taong 2001 buwan ng Hulyo. Tinatanaw nyang malaking utang na loob ang pagtulong sa kanya ng Pagarigan family na kanyang first-degree relatives.

Nasa higaan na sya nang tawagin siya ng kanyang asawang si Jerick upang ibalita ang nangyaring lindol sa Bohol na may lakas na 7.2 magnitude.

Ano po ang una ninyong naging reaksyon?

Alma: Napalundag ako at pinakaunang pumasok sa isip ko ay si Angela, ang aming panganay na naiwan sa Pilipinas. Bigla akong napabalikwas sabay dampot sa aking telepono para tawagan siya, pero hindi ko na sya makontak sa kanyang cell phone. Agad-agad kong tinawagan ang landline sa bahay pero ganoon din walang sumasagot. Natuliro ako dahil gusto kong malaman kung ano ang kanilang sitwasyon, kung nasa ligtas ba sila, pero wala akong mahagilap at makuhanan ng sagot. Lahat sila ay naka-offline kahit sa FB.

Napuno ang aking isipan ng samu’t saring alalahanin at pangamba. Wala akong magawa kundi tumingin sa bintana, nakatitig sa langit… wala akong mabanggit na panalangin, basta tumutulo na lang ang luha ko. Pumasok ako sa trabaho na wala sa sarili. My kind employer comforted me and told me to just pray.

Paano po kayo nagkaroon ng komunikasyon sa kanila? Sa ano pong paraan?

Alma: Ang madalas naming way of communication na mag-ina ay sa Skype kung saan nakikita ko ang kanyang mukha. Binubusog ko na lamang ang aking pagkauhaw sa aking anak sa pamamagitan ng panonood sa FB sa kanyang mga litrato na ina-upload nya at madalas ay online siya. Pero nang mga panahong iyon lahat ay “cannot be reach” sa Skype, FB, cell phone at kahit na ang aming landline. Sumaksak sa isipan ko na merong hindi magandang nangayri at kung nasa ligtas na kalagayan ba sila?

After a day when I opened my cell phone in the bus kasi nga may wifi ang Metropolin at nakakapag-Facebook ako sa bus, ang unang bumulaga sa akin pagbukas ko ng screen ng FB page ay ang mukha ng aking anak at nakahiga silang lahat sa labas ng bahay at naka-tent. Na-relieved ako pansumandali ngunit pinalitan naman iyon ng matinding awa sa kanyang sitwasyon. Kung kasama lang sana namin siya dito…

Agad-agad akong nagpost ng shout out ko sa FB na if puede lang akong agad-agad umuwi ng Pilipinas, lumipad na ako upang yapusin ang aking anak ng napakahigpit para ma-comfort siya upang hindi nya maramdamang nag-iisa siya at mahal na mahal namin sya. Lumabas sa akin ang natural na feeling ng isang inang nababahala sa kaligtasan ng kanyang anak. Pagkatapos noon ay natawagan ko sya at ang kanyang ibinungad sa aking ay ang isang panaghoy ng isang anak na nanghihingi ng pagkalinga. Nadurog ang puso ko at hindi ko namalayang hindi na din ako makapagsalita dahil kusa nang namalisbis sa aking pisngi ang mga luhang nag-uunahang tumulo mula sa aking mga mata. Gumuhit sa kaibuturan ng aking puso ang sakit na alam ko ang aking anak ay nagtatanong kung bakit siya ay nandoon at nasa bingit ng peligro samantalang kami dito ay sama-sama at nasa ligtas at magandang katayuan. Akin na lamang nasabi na “Thanks God they are safe.”

Napakahirap po talaga ng malayo sa minamahal sa ganitong mga sitwasyon? Sa naging karanasan po ninyo, ano sa tingin nyo ang mga bagay na nakatulong sa inyo at magiging kapaki-pakinabang na kaalaman na puwede rin po ninyong ibahagi sa ating mga kapwa OFW dito sa Israel?

Alma: Unang-una presence of mind lang ang maisa-suggest ko sa lahat sa mga ganitong sitwasyon at huwag mag-panic or mag-hysterical. Dapat naka-focus ang isip mo sa ano mang dapat mong gawin. Panalangin ang pinakaimportante sa lahat, dahil walang ibang makakatulong sa atin kundi Siya lamang. At dapat open ang puso na tumulong, mag-isip kung anong dapat na gawin. Kahit ako noong panahong ‘yon ay hindi ko inisip na gawin ang ginawa ko na lumikom ng salapi para itulong sa aking mga kababayan na nasalanta ng lindol. Noon lamang makita ko kung gaano kalaki ang naging pinsala ay laking pasalamat ko na ligtas ang aking anak at pamilya.

Paano po nag-umpisa ang paglikom ninyo ng donasyon para itulong sa ating mga kababayan sa Bohol?

Alma: Ang una ko talagang ginawa ay nag-message ako sa mga kakilala kong Boholano dito sa Israel. Pinakauna kong pinadalhan ng mensahe si Luz Bersabal Nistal, sumunod si Jun Asur tapos si Liza Auditor, lahat ay mga kababayan kong Boholano. Hinikayat ko na mag-contribute kahit konti ang mga Boholanos na nandirito sa Holy Land at walang pasubaling umoo silang lahat. Nag-researched ako ng pwede naming pagbigyan ng tulong. Nakita ko sa aking paghahanap ang Sunshine Orphanage sa Facebook na pinamamahalaan ni Jerome Auza. Ni-like ko ang page nila sa Facebook, nakita pala ni Association of Bicolanos in Israel President Wenifredo Gamban ang aking ginawa at naging daan upang send-an nya ako ng message at kanyang iminungkahi na kami ay mag-photo shoot for a cause para itulong sa mga taga-Bohol. So napagkasunduan namin na mag-post ng tungkol dito sa aming grupo ng mga Photographers dito sa Israel, ang VFC.

Hindi ako nakapag-post kaagad kasi parang nahihiya ako hanggang sa makita ko ang isa naming kasamahan na si Mr. Rosemar Casabar na nag-post ng photo shoot for a cause para nga sa mga napinsala ng lindol. Agad kong ni-like ang post nya and the action began it became viral sa Facebook. Napakabilis ng tugon ng bawat isa. May mga hindi nakalabas pero gustong magbigay kaya yung iba ay nagpaabono na lang. Nakakataba ng puso at nakakatuwa kasi ramdam mo na kahit nasa malayo nandun ang kagustuhan ng ating mga kapwa OFWs dito na tumugon at tumulong sa mga kababayan nating napinsala at nangangailangan ng madaliang tulong sa Pilipinas.

Napakabilis po ng inyong pagtugon. Sino po ang mga taong nasa likod ng mabilisang proyektong ito upang magbigay ng tulong sa ating mga kababayan sa Pilipinas na nasalanta ng lindol?

Alma: Ang mga tumugon sa panawagan namin sa VFC (View Finders Club Israel) na lubos naming pinasasalamatan ay sina Mr. Ramz Laguna, Mr. Edmar Colo, Mr. Rosemar Casabar, namuno din si ABI President Mr. Wenifredo Gamban, kaming mag-asawa, sina Luz Bezabal, Nistal, Ofelia Villena at nagbigay din ang amo ko ng donasyon, gayundin ang amo nina Luz at mga kakilala. Naki-join din ang pamangkin kong si Marivic Feferbaum at ang aking anak na si Jeruz na talaga namang bumalandra sa kalsada sa panghihingi ng donasyon sa mga taong dumadaan at may ginintuang puso. Nakakatuwa kasi kahit hindi kami ganoon kagaling mag-Hebrew mabanggit lang ang salitang kesef ay okay na at marami naman ang nagbibigay. Hindi na namin inisip ang hiya dahil sa kagustuhan ng bawat isa na makatulong.

Gaano po katagal ang naging proyektong ito bago kayo nakakalap ng sapat na salapi para ipadala sa Pilipinas?

Alma: Ang photo shoot for a cause ay tumagal ng 2 araw kung saan na-meet namin ang iba’t ibang klase ng tao. Mayroong snob, may mabait kahit walang hinulog at least ina-approach kami ng nakangiti. Nakakataba rin ng puso kasi mayroon talagang ramdam mo ang kanilang pakikiramay sa maga kababayan nating napinsala. Mayroon namang mga nang-iinsulto pa. Sobrang nakakataba ng puso na kahit ang ibang mga lahi kagaya ng Indian, Nepalese at Sudanese ay nagbigay ng tulong na bukal sa puso. Malaki din ang aming pagpapasalamat kay Ms. Ruby Sukjai ng Pinay Namaste na hindi kami siningil sa charge sa aming pagpapadala ng pera sa Pilipinas.
Lubos ang aming kaligayahan sampu ng aking mga kasama sa VFC Israel.

Ang akin pong pagpupugay sa inyong lahat sa inyong kabutihang ginawa para sa ating mga kababayan sa Pilipinas! Sa ngayon po ate, ano na ang update sa inyong ipinadalang tulong sa Pilipinas?

Alma: Bukas ang aming perang ipinadala ay ibibili na nila ng mga goods at bukas na din ang delivery so hopefully sa Miyerkules, Oct. 23, ay maipamimigay na ang mga goods sa mga nasalanta ng lindol.
Tunay pong ang kahit anumang pagsubok ay magaan nating haharapin kung tayo ay tulong-tulong at sama-sama. Nakakagalak isiping ang mga Pilipino watak-watak man sa iba’t ibang sulok ng mundo, pagdating sa pagtutulungan at pagdaramayan upang saklolohan ang ating Inang Bayan ay nagiging buo at iisa.

Patunay na ang “BAYANIHAN” na isang kaugalian nating Pilipino na sikat sa buong mundo ay patuloy pa ring nasa puso ng bawa’t Pilipino.

Sa lahat po ng mga tumulong at magbibigay pa ng tulong, ang akin pong pagbibigay-pugay sa inyong lahat sa kabutihan ng inyong mga puso. Nawa’y patuloy tayong manalangin na ang ganitong mga pagsubok ng kalikasan ay huwag na sanang muli pang mangyari sa ating Inang Bayan.

Ang akin pong panalangin sa kaluluwa ng mga yumao nating kababayan, gayundin ang paggaling ng mga sugatan sanhi ng masaklap na kaganapang ito. Dalangin ko po ang inyong katatagan at patuloy na magandang paglalakbay sa buhay.

focal 297

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A Nation in DistressA World in Unity
The Filipinos’ remarkable resilience in the face of great trials is once again put into limelight as countries from around the globe offer condolences and humanitarian assistance to the victims of super typhoon Yolanda (international codename: Haiyan). It is so amazing to note how one catastrophic phenomenon results to the unity of many nations -transcending belief, creed and race – to be able to bring hope and extend a helping hand to the survivors of that monster cyclone.
The catastrophic destruction with epic proportion left many wondering if that apocalyptic event is a precursor to more powerful and devastating storms in the years ahead. Though predicted as a Category 5 super storm days before hitting land, packing ferociously violent wind of up to 180mph, nobody, not even our government officials, expected the tremendous scope by which it unleashed its wicked might as it shredded everything along its path and turned communities into wastelands.
The Central Visayas, still reeling from the effects of that mammoth 7.2 magnitude earthquake last month, was hit once again by another natural catastrophe, this time with a more widespread destruction resulting to thousands of fatalities and mind-boggling loss of properties.
Yolanda’s aftermath left millions of Filipinos homeless and displaced. Swathes of land became deserted and uninhabitable, local inhabitants walked like zombies along streets strewn with corpses; many are still unaccounted for as of this time and the dreadful sentiment of most survivors is that their relatives are either washed away with the receding sea water or have died under the pile of rubbles which lay untouched for many days already.
As the nation scamper to deliver relief supplies to the badly damaged areas, some pointed fingers and started playing the blame-game. More so in these difficult times, when suffering is high, emotions are feverish, and tempers are threadbare, it is so absurd to prove whose fault it is because victims are still waiting for relief especially those living in the remote areas. Certainly, our nation is in distress, and coping with a gigantic problem as huge as this scale is not what our officials were obviously able to foresee. As a third world country, our government agencies lack the capacity to deal with this kind of tragedy in haste. It exposed many loopholes and deficiencies in our government’s logistical program involving rescue operations during natural calamities.
Our fellowmen working and living in Israel were quick to respond to aid the survivors of that terrible catastrophe. It is during these times when our famous ‘bayanihan’ attitude comes into force. Filcom organizations and individuals solicited monetary and material donations from conscientious people in behalf of the victims, raising sufficient funds and goods that will benefit the affected Filipinos. Not only that, Israelis and other nationalities reached deep into their pockets to demonstrate their support, showing their commiseration wholeheartedly with whatever they can give for the families and victims of Yolanda. Focal’s Ms. Cheryl Sevegan herself did her part in helping raise funds and receiving material contributions, and so did FFCI-affiliated and non-affiliated Filipino organizations and groups which further enhanced our compassionate image amongst the foreigners.
As the world and all overseas Filipinos watch further developments on the continuing rescue operations in the badly damaged areas, it is apt and timely to express our gratitude to the quick response of many of these nations. Our country’s distress enabled the solidarity of many nations and governments in trying to help rebuild lives and bring hope to the homeless and orphaned. May the Lord God bless the victims and allow them to see a ray of hope through these generous helping hands that contributed for their sake.
Let’s continue to pray for the affected Filipinos and that they may see the ‘Light’ this coming holiday season…
God bless the Philippines!

Bro. Ferdie L. Bravo

Karamay Ninyo ang Filipino Community sa Israel

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Agarang tulong sa mga sinalanta ng super typhoon Yolanda
Ni Ms. Cheryl Sevegan

Sunod-sunod ang naging dagok sa ating bansa. Mga trahedyang hindi maiiwasan sapagka’t ang Amang nasa itaas lamang ang Siyang may kontrol ng lahat. Siya ang nagbigay-buhay at tanging Siya lamang ang may karapatang bumawi nito.  Ilang beses na Niya tayong sinubok at Kanyang pinatunayang tanging Siya lamang ang makapangyarihan sa lahat.

Wala pang isang buwan ang nakaraan pagkatapos ng napakalakas na lindol na yumanig sa Bohol at Cebu nang muli na namang daanan ang Central Visayas ng isang delubyong hindi kayang harangan ng dunong at lakas ninuman. Ito’y isang bagyong nanguna sa listahan ng mga pinakamalalakas na bagyo sa kasaysayan ng mundo.

Bago pa lamang siya dumating sa Pilipinas ay nabigyang babala na ang lahat upang maghanda. Ngunit ano nga ba ang laban ng tao sa kalikasan? Nakapaghanda man o hindi, kahindik-hindik na hinagupit ng bagyong ito ang mga lugar na kanyang dinaanan at naging bukambibig ng buong mundo dahil sa naging dulot nitong karumal-dumal na trahedya.

Ang lahat ay naawa, dumaloy ang luha, at napaiyak sa kalunos-lunos na  sinapit ng ating mga kababayan at ng ating bansang Pilipinas. Hindi pa nga nakakabangon sa napakalakas na lindol na sumira sa makasaysayng lugar ng Buhol at Cebu ay eto na naman ang kanyang kaibigang  bagyong si Yolanda. Tila nga ba sinusubukan Niya ang tatag ng bawat Pilipino.  Hanggang saan nga kaya tayo’y mananangan sa Kanyang mga kamay? Huhulagpos ba tayo at bibitaw sa higpit ng ating pagkakahawak sa Kanyang mga kamay… na bilang mga Kristiyano’y ang ating kaligtasan ang nakasalalay? Tatag ng pananampalataya ang  ating itinataya sa bawat pagsubok na ito.  Muli ako po’y natutuwa sa kabila ng kalungkutang lumulukob sa aking  puso’t isipan sapagka’t naging matatag ang bawat Pilipino saan mang  sulok ng mundo sa kabila ng lahat. Si Kristo pa rin ang naghahari sa ating mga puso. Sabi nga ng buong mundo, ang Pilipino ay matatag, mapamaraan, matiyaga at masayahin kahit na sugatan at may luha ang mga mata.

Ayon sa opisyal na report ng National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), ang bilang ng mga nasawi ay  umabot na sa 4,011  katao, 18,557 ang mga sugatan at 1,602 ang tinatayang mga nawawala. Karamihan sa mga namatay ay nagmula sa   probinsya ng Leyte at marami pang bangkay ang hindi pa nakikilala hanggang ngayon. Ayon sa NDRRMC 9.9 milyong tao ang apektado ng kalamidad sa 574 munisipalidad at 57 siyudad, 648,160 naman ang mga  pamilyang nawalan ng tahanan, samantalang umaabot sa 12.2 billion pesos ang halaga ng salantang idinulot ng super-typhoon na si Yolanda.

Kilala tayo sa buong mundo sa katangiang ating ipinagmamalaki – ang sama-sama at tulong-tulong, kumikilos nang iisa sa pagdamay sa bawat isa sa oras man ng kasayahan o kalungkutan. Hindi nga ba’t ang “BAYANIHAN” ang kaugaliang bahagi na ng ating kultura? Saan mang sulok ng mundo, hawak-kamay tayo at iisa sa pagdamay sa  ating kapwa  Pilipino. Sa mga panahong ito ipinakita  natin sa buong mundo na ang kaugaliang ito’y patuloy na nananalaytay sa puso ng bawat Pilipino.

Hindi ko mapigilang lumuha sa bawat balita na aking napapanood at nababasa. Nagkalat ang mga nabubulok na bangkay sa kalye, naghihirap ang mga sugatan at nagugutom ang marami. Nanlulumo ang aking puso sa aking mga nakikita, bakit nga ba ang lahat ng ito ay nangyari?

Dito sa Bansang Pinagpala, sa bayan ni Hesus kung saan napakalaki ng populasyon ng mga Pilipino, ay napakadali ng naging pagkilos ng  Filipino  Community. Naging abala ako sa mga nagdaang araw dahil sa  maraming tawag ng ating mga kababayang humihingi ng tulong at saklolo upang makahanap ng paraan na malaman ang kalagayan ng kanilang mga pamilya sa Pilipinas. Ramdam ko sa tono ng kanilang boses ang pagdadalamhati at hirap ng malayo at walang magawa sa kanilang mga pamilya. Pati ako’y kasama rin nilang lumuluha at naghihirap ang kalooban. Kailangan kong kumilos at  tumulong.  Kaya naman ako, sampu ng ating mga kababayang may  busilak na kalooban, ay inumpisahan ang kampanya upang mangalap ng tulong -pinansyal at materyal. Nakatutuwang parang iisang kamay na kumilos ang lahat.

Mabilis na tumugon ang ating mga kababayan sa pagbibigay ng kanilang boluntaryong tulong na mula sa puso.  Iba-iba man ang grupo at organisasyong kinabibilangan ng lahat ay nagkasundong magkaisang   tumulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo. Kani-kanyang paraan, iba’t ibang proyekto upang mangalap ng pondo para mabilis na maipadala sa  Pilipinas.

Bukod sa fundraising na aking inumpisahan sa Facebook sampu ng aking mga kasamahan, nagsagawa rin ng isang mini-concert for a cause ang FFCI, nag-photo shoot for a cause naman ang mga organisasyon ng Filipino photographers dito sa Israel, trip naman ang naging daan upang makakalap ng pondo ang mga religious organizations. Walang patid ang pagbibigay ng mga damit, kagamitan at de-latang mga pagkain mula sa mga Israelis, kababayang Pilipino at ibang lahi. Nakatutuwa at nakatataba ng puso ang pagbibigay ng tulong ng bawat isa.

Hiningi ko ang mensahe ng iba’t ibang lider ng mga organisasyong Pilipino dito sa bansang Israel, gayundin ang kanilang mga proyetkong ginawa at gagawin sa pagkalap ng tulong para sa mga nasalanta ng delubyo.

Ms. Maribel Arenga – Coordinator, St. Therese of the Child  Jesus  Community- Rehovot,  Israel

To our Brothers and Sisters who were victims of typhoon Yolanda,Greetings of Love and Peace from St. Therese Community- Rehovot, Israel.

In these trying times of our country, we are one with you in your sufferings. Let’s continue to hold on to prayer because that is the ultimate strength we have. Let’s continue to uphold the “bayanihan” spirit as a nation. In the midst of our difficulties and hopelessness, let’s not forget to be living examples of the virtue of compassion, patience and kindness. And most of all, let us find joy in the virtue of sacrifice because it is only in giving of ourselves to care for others where we can be fully human and fully alive. May God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, continue to protect you, sustain you and keep you in His love forever!

Weekly fundraising through voluntary contributions from church-goers, members of our community and friends every Saturday which started last Nov. 16, 2013 and will continue every Saturday as needed.Christmas program entitled “One Heart, One Voice”- a fundraising activity to raise more funds for the victims to include disposal of Christmas dinner tickets amounting to 20nis and selling of t-shirts at 50nis each. Date: Dec. 21, 2013.Community trips to Bethlehem- date to be decided

Ms. Flor D. Arcilla – Coordinator, San Lorenzo Ruiz Community Jerusalem, Israel

Super typhoon Haiyan slammed Central Philippines on November 8, 2013, made a morning landfall at Guiuan, a small city in Samar province in the eastern Philippines. It is called super typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines and left total devastation, displaced millions of Filipinos and loss of lives in the city of Tacloban. “They’ve lost their homes; but we did not lose the Christmas spirit.” Countries and different organizations deployed urgent help and still sending help and assistance to the victims in the Philippines. Filipinos from different parts of the world exerted lots of effort to help. Being one of them, the San Lorenzo Ruiz Community in Jerusalem, Israel, has begun accepting different kinds of relief goods, offered special community prayer, and even collected financial aid. Thanks to those generous Filipinos and Israeli friends who offered their help to accumulate boxes of donations. Dangal ng bayan ang mga kapwa nating laging handang makibalikat sa bayanihan. Hindi tulad ng winika ni Cain sa Bibliya na “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Ang Pinoy ‘pag may kalamidad ay sumisigaw sa mundo ng “I am my brother’s keeper!” Iba tayo eh.

We had our on-going fundraising project and we already collected 10 boxes of dry goods and cash that we will be sending soon to the Philippines . We will be having also a Christmas Caroling which proceeds will also go to the typhoon victims.

Ms. Violeta Varias – FFCI President

Let me have this opportunity to express my sympathy to all the families who lost their love ones. I know that it’s hard to accept the pain, sorrow and the desperation you are facing right now. Be strong, leave all your worries to the Lord in prayer and we are here embracing you with our love and prayer. All these things happened in the time being. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: There is time for everything, and a reason for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away.

The Federation of Filipino Communities in Israel (FFCI) is here to help you the best that we can. We held “SAGIP KABABAYAN” fundraising program and the fund will go to the families that were affected in this tragedy. We are also collecting relief goods and clothing items and send the boxes to the families. We also give our deep appreciation and heartfelt thanks to all Israelis and co-OFWs who helped us in this program. We’ll make sure that these collected funds and boxes will go to these families affected. God our Creator holds our hope and future in His hands. We will embrace you with our prayer that you may all survive and rise again! May all the blessings be upon those who extended their love and generosity to our countrymen. Thank you.

FFCI concert for the victims of typhoon Yolanda

Mr. Wenifredo Pecundo Gamban Jr. – President, Association of Bicolanos in Israel (ABI)

Para sa mga biktima ng bagyong Yolanda, taos-puso po ang pakikiramay sa inyo ng Bicolanos in Israel. Lahat ng ito ay lilipas din, lahat ng paghihirap ninyo ngayon ay mapapalitan ng pag-asa, magkaisa lang po kayo at magtulungan, at laging manalig sa Maykapal. Sa kapwa ko Pilipino, kumilos po tayo ng ayon sa pagkakawang-gawa, isantabi muna ang mga paninisi, pagtuturuan ng mga may pagkukulang at kung sinong may pagkakamali. Unahin po natin ang pagtulong sa mga kababayan nating dumanas ng hirap sa nagdaang sakuna. Kailangan po nila ang tulong natin kahit na sa mga mumunting paraan na kaya natin. May panahon para sa mga nagpabaya sa kanilang tungkulin, doon natin sila usigin. At sa Filipino Community dito sa Israel, isang malaking pagpupugay po para sa inyo at sa inyong ginagawang aksyon upang makatulong sa mga kababayan natin sa Visayas. Ipagpatuloy po natin ang pagtulong sa kanila hanggang sa sila ay makabangon sa kalunos-lunos na kalagayan nila ngayon. BANGON VISAYAS, BANGON PILIPINAS!

Ang Bicolanos in Israel ay nakakalap ng monetary at goods mula sa aming mga miyembro. At nito lamang nakaraang Sabado ay nag-organisa kami ng “Shoot for a Cause” na may temang “We shoot, We print, You donate” na naging matagumpay naman dahil sa dami ng taong nagbigay ng kanilang tulong kapalit ng kanilang larawan. Ito ay dahil na rin sa tulong ng mga photographerd na mula sa PPSI. Sa kasalukuyan ay nagbibenta kami ng t-shirts na may nakalagay na pasasalamat sa bansang Israel at sa lahat ng bansa na tumulong sa ating mga kababayan sa Visayas. Lahat ng kikitain dito ay aming ibibigay sa Visayas.

Ms. Efrat Katz – Friend of the Filipinos, Jewish American volunteer on our on-going Filipino Community in Israel Fundraising Campaign for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda

I would want to say “Stay strong. The Filipino nation has some of the most resilient and naturally happy people in the world, and no storm, no matter how big, can change that. I hope everyone can get back on their feet and back to their happy lives soon. I’m crossing my fingers for the Philippines, and sending a lot of luck and love!”

Mula sa kaibuturan ng aking puso, nais kong pasalamatan ang lahat ng tumulong at nagbigay ng tulong, pinansyal man o materyal, sa Filipino Community in Israel Fundraising Drive. Hindi ko na po iisa-isahin ang inyong mga pangalan upang ako ay walang makalimutan. Ang importante ay tayo po’y nakatulong at naging daan upang mapasaya kahit sa ating munting nakayanan ang ating mga kababayang lugmok  sa trahedyang kanilang pinagdaraanan.

Alam ko na hindi ganun kadaling makakabangon ang ating bansa lalo na ang magandang lugar ng Tacloban, Leyte at Samar, ganun din ang ibang karatig na lugar na nasalanta rin ng bagyo. Alam natin na ang hapdi ng sakit na ginawa ni Yolanda ay hindi makakalimutan ng bawat Pilipino dahil hindi na nito maibabalik ang mga buhay na nawala, ang mga luhang itinangis, at ang mga hinagpis na kumawala sa bibig ng bawat  biktima ng lupit ni Yolanda.  Nais naming kahit papaano ay maramdaman ninyo na malayo man kami’y kasama rin ninyo kaming nagdadalamhati at nagdurugo ang puso sa inyong mga sinapit, kasama ng bawat Pilipino sa ibang panig ng  mundo. Kaisa nyo kami sa puntong ito ng inyong buhay.

Bukal ang pasasalamat ng mga manggagawang Pilipino sa mga Israelis at sa kanilang gobyerno dahil sa napakalaking tulong na kanilang ibinigay sa ating  bansa. Nakakabagbag damdamin ang bawat senaryo at istoryang kanilang ibinabahagi at ating napapanood dito.  Ngunit sa kabila ng mga malulungkot na kwentong ito ay may mga ngiti na kusang namumutawi sa labi ng bawat Pilipino, kalakip ang pasasalamat sa tulong na ibinahagi ng bansang Israel at marami pang bansa sa mundo.

Sa nagdaang trahedyang ito, marami tayong natutunan lalo na ang ating gobyerno. Panalangin ko lamang sana na wag nang muling maulit pa ito. Ang aking pagbibigay pugay sa lahat ng tumulong at tumutulong at patuloy kong dalangin ang mga taong pumanaw, sugatan, nawalan ng minamahal at sa lahat ng nasalanta ng bagyo.

Hawak-kamay babangon tayo! Punuin natin ng pag-asa ang bawat isa! Bangon Pilipinas!

focal issue 298

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The Interior Ministry is not interested in marriage between Israeli citizens and non-Jewish citizens of foreign countries, judging from the bureaucracy experienced by those trying to become citizens or to become Israeli residents. Welcome to the territory beyond the Law of Return

How the Interior Ministry mistreats Israeli’s non-Jewish spouses

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by Naomi Darom from Haaretz weekend paper

The Interior Ministry is not interested in marriage between Israeli citizens and non-Jewish citizens of foreign countries, judging from the bureaucracy experienced by those trying to become citizens or to become Israeli residents. Welcome to the territory beyond the Law of Return

The narrow corridor of the visas department, at the rear of the Interior Ministry in Tel Aviv, is full of people and adorned with chains of Israeli flags. A clerk sits behind a window, answering questions and scheduling future appointments for naturalization procedures and for visas. Standing before her, in a disorganized line, are men and women, black and white, Israelis and foreigners. Along the walls, on two rows of chairs, sit more people and even some babies. Everyone is waiting. The wait for the clerk takes an average of three – four hours, but could easily be as long as seven hours. On Sunday morning at nine o’clock, the clerk begins by receiving number 390. An hour and a half later, the line has advanced by seven numbers.

Despite the crowd, the line is mostly silent –a silence due to tiredness from frustration of a never-ending wait. Suddenly an older man starts shouting at the clerk: “Can you explain to me why my wife can’t get a visa when prostitution institutions receive visas without any problems?” “Sir,” said the clerk, “I don’t know these institutions.” “I do!” Shouts another, “and they all get visas!”

“A”, a middle aged man who refused to identify himself, nods in agreement at the person shouting but remains sitting quietly. He is a resident of Israel with a Ukrainian wife: They met here and married in Ukraine. Now they have two children, the eldest is nine years old. Nine is also the number of years his wife has been trying to obtain citizenship. This morning, “A” is hoping, the clerk will finally grant his wife a blue identity card making her a citizen and able to begin the conversion process.

“It’s a rather lengthy process and I think that it is excessive, after all we already have two children,” he says mildly. However when I try to understand why the naturalization process, which should take no more than five years for a married couple, takes nine years, he loses his composure. “When my son, now five years old, was two months old, he was hospitalized for a long period. It was just when we were supposed to come here for the annual appointment and we called to say that we can’t attend – so they punished us and they added another four years. Now I’m just sitting here, year after year. ”

What do you mean they punished you? What did they say exactly?

“I called to say that the child is in the hospital – and they postponed the appointment and said it was fine, but it will delay the process for four more years.”

Did you try to argue?

“Yes, but I did not want to be too hostile. I don’t want to take out my anger here, it can be dangerous. There are people here who shout, but in my opinion one must be reasonable with them. And they should have been reasonable with married Israelis who already have children. I have been waiting here for two hours already, because the visa expires in two months.”

Why does one need to sit here? Why not make an appointment over the phone?

“I have been calling for a few days, but they don’t answer. They don’t have time to answer; you see what’s happening here. ”

“I don’t know anyone who has arrived without a lawyer and has not had his application rejected”, says Juan, who is sitting in the hallway with his Colombian partner. “When you come back with a lawyer, all of a sudden they say, ‘Okay.’” Juan and his wife also tried to deal with the Interior Ministry without legal representation – but the Ministry did not accept their request and ordered his partner to be deported from the country. A lawyer they approached managed to avoid the deportation, but a year and a half after starting the process, Juan’s partner still doesn’t have a work visa.

The first time I got there, I felt like I was in a railway station in Delhi,” says Gili Harpaz from the hall in the visa department. Harpaz, 33 years old, lives in Tel Aviv with her French partner and their daughter. “There are people crammed in everywhere, crying children. Filipinos, Africans – they all have the glazed and frustrated expressions of those who don’t understand anything. I was amazed to discover that the clerk who received us did not know English and conducted the entire interview in Hebrew, while I translated and spoke on behalf of my partner. The main message coming out of this place hung with Israeli flags is: ‘We do not want you here. We will make it as difficult as we possibly can for you. ‘”

Changing Regulations

Israelis who fall in love with people without Israeli citizenship and seek to obtain permanent residency for them, will quickly discover that the State of Israel does not take kindly to non-Jews. A French Jew will receive, upon arrival to Israel, an ID card and a generous absorption package, however if his non-Jewish neighbor falls in love with an Israeli and decides to emigrate to Israel, he will have to endure years of hassles before attaining permanent residency, let alone citizenship. If the Knesset approves civil marriage, the couple will indeed be able to marry in Israel – however the problem still would not be resolved.

Immigration is not simple in any country, but in Israel’s case, a unique combination of a lack of an immigration policy, overload and inefficiency, excessive suspicion and a lack of uniformity among the offices across the country, and what looks like an attempt to buy time by the Interior Ministry – will lead the couples involved down the rabbit hole of a long and convoluted bureaucracy.

Whoever starts the process must be prepared to prove the authenticity of his relationship over and over again, to obtain any document required of him, even if it is unattainable, to give up work days in order to wait in fluorescent lit corridors and pray not to be stuck with a clerk who is strict or particularly suspicious. Those who are well educated and well off, who are assisted by a lawyer, and who fall in love with either a U.S. or Western European citizen, will usually receive better treatment. Many who were interviewed for this article asked to remain anonymous lest they be labeled as “troublemakers” in the office, and having their documents more rigorously examined the next time they come to extend their visa. Why risk all their months and years of arduous effort?

Apart from the Law of Return, the field of immigration in Israel is not regulated by laws, rather by regulations, and the regulations are constantly changing. Non-Jewish spouses of Jews that immigrate with them to Israel, and their children, will receive citizenship automatically. However when Israeli citizens who already live here want the state to grant status to spouses who are not Jewish – they cannot do that within the framework of the Law of Return and have to go through a process called “family unification.”

Attorney Oded Feller. “The Interior Ministry makes sure that there will be as few non-Jews as possible. “Photograph by: Oriah Tadmor”

“For years granting permanent residency to non-Jews was seen as a humanitarian exception, and we had to fight for a change in approach” says attorney Oded Feller, head of the Immigration and Status Department in the Civil Rights Association. “In recent years, after submitting many petitions, the Interior Ministry declares that ‘there is no doubt that the right to family life is important’, but not beyond that. In the early 2000s a comprehensive overhaul was made to the Entry into Israel Law: entire chapters dealing with detention and deportation were determined and an immigration police force was established. However, with regard to the status request – nothing has changed. The only thing that the law establishes is that the Interior Ministry may, at its discretion, grant entry visas and residence permits and to stipulate them with conditions. “

When compared to the American procedure for obtaining a green card, which Israelis who are married to Americans endure, the disarray in Israel is very unflattering. Although the American procedure has requirements that do not exist in Israel, such as demonstrating earning ability, for those who meet the requirements, the procedure is short, logical and effective: On average it takes half a year to obtain the green card, and after three years – six more months to obtain citizenship. All requests for green cards are delivered to a central institution that handles them according to uniform criteria. Attorney Tamar Carfeld, who specializes in green card proceedings and is a member of a law firm who are experts in immigration to the U.S., says that “In Israel, as opposed to the United States, there is no uniformity between the offices. Even if you have obtained all of the documents, some may request another document. It’s unpredictable.”

Often the court is required to hear cases of mixed couples, who have appealed the State’s refusal to grant them status and often these cases reach the Supreme Court. A quick search produces a myriad of rulings where the Population Administration was reprimanded for problematic misconduct, violation of regulations, missing management protocols, and especially a tendency towards strict interpretation of regulations, usually to the detriment of the couples.

“Obviously I can think of improvements to existing procedures, however initially I would be pleased if the Interior Ministry or the Population Administration acted according to the procedures they themselves established”, says attorney Yadin Elam, who specializes in helping mixed couples, where one of them is an Israeli citizen and the other is not Jewish. “Most of the problems we encounter are not with people who don’t meet the criteria, rather that the ministry denied these people with absurd allegations, put up additional obstacles not included in the regulations or persistently demanded documents required in the regulation in an unjustified and draconian manner.

“Couples approach me before they start the process, asking if a lawyer is required or if they can do it themselves. The honest answer is that since the procedure is unpredictable, it is impossible to say in advance whether they will need legal representation,” he adds. “There were couples who I’d assumed, that due to the circumstances in the relationship would need representation, but ultimately everything went relatively smoothly – and there were those I thought seemingly would not need representation, and specifically they were the ones who ended up facing difficulties.

A document that does not exist

Obtaining permanent resident status takes seven years for non-wed couples and five years for married couples. Until an advanced stage in the process, the foreign spouse is not entitled to National Insurance or HMO membership. The seven year journey begins with the list of documents required by the Interior Ministry that include a certificate good character, a unwed certificate, birth certificate, etc., which must be obtained from the country of origin of the foreigner. However obtaining the list is sometimes a challenge in itself.

Obtaining the list in an orderly manner is an almost impossible task”, says Ilana from Tel Aviv. Ilana met the Italian Davida through mutual friends. Three years ago an affair developed between the two of them, and Davida came to live in Israel (full disclosure – Ilana is my neighbor and I have written letters of recommendation for her to the Interior Ministry). “I have three different lists – one from the internet, one from the information desk of the Interior Ministry, and one from the Population Department. Each one is a little different. We prepared the documents according to the longest list, and when we arrived at the appointment we found out that we were missing a document declaring that we have no children. Why isn’t it on the list? Some of the documents can cost hundreds of dollars, need to be notarized, and so on”.

The Interior Ministry currently maintains an Information and Registration Call Center for mixed couples, through which, according to them, appointments can be scheduled or questions asked. I called the number. After waiting for around half an hour, which included a mysterious disconnection, a courteous service representative answered, wrote down my details and promised they would get back to me in two – three days to schedule an appointment. More than three weeks have passed since then, and I’m still waiting. Registering on the website yielded a similar result (or lack thereof). For those interested in starting the process, it would be in their best interests to physically go to the office, sit there and wait in line.

The Interior Ministry’s response was “scheduling appointments for interviews is at the top of our agenda, with continuous improvements being made to the process of scheduling appointments without disturbing the applicants. The claims raised in your letter will be examined and where improvement is necessary – we’ll ensure that it gets done. “

Sometimes, just obtaining the documents themselves jeopardizes the entire process. “Is it possible that the Interior Ministry requires a document that does not exist?” asked an internet user in the Tapuz forum for mixed couples. He explained that two months ago he brought his wife and daughter to Israel from Germany. They took care of all the documents, except for a unwed certificate. This certificate doesn’t exist in Germany; there is only a marriage certificate. “Even if she goes back to Germany for it, they won’t issue her such a document”, he writes, “in a month my wife’s and daughter’s tourist visa expires, and I don’t know what to do”.

The answer to the internet user’s quandary is – yes, the Interior Ministry most definitely routinely requests documents that are very difficult, or impossible to obtain in the country of origin of the foreign citizen, and even insists upon them. It starts with the certificate of good character, birth certificate and personal status: Documents which are not only required by the ministry – but they must also be authorized and certified,” says Fleur. “What is authorization? If the country is signed on the document as apostille (international treaty for document approval – N.D.) it’s quite easy: Get the document issued with an apostille seal that is recognized in Israel. If not, the relevant ministry there will issue the certificate, the Foreign Ministry of the country will authorize the signature and the Israeli embassy will confirm the two signatures.

“However, let’s take for example the type of story that is repeated over and over again – A citizen whose spouse is Moroccan. How does he obtain a certificate of good character from Morocco? His family there, if he has any, must obtain a certificate of good character, get whoever needs to sign it to do so, and then send it to the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, for approval, the send it to the Moroccan Consulate in Paris for authorization, and then the Israeli consulate in France has to authorize that it’s from Morocco – and then it will come to Israel. It is complicated and expensive. Or for an unwed certificate: In some countries, especially in Eastern Europe, such a document simply does not exist. The Interior Ministry will send you to court in the country of origin, to declare that you’re not married. This is how people get stuck without a visa. The Interior Ministry itself creates illegal aliens”.

Another common case has to do with the length of time remaining for passport validity: the Interior Ministry requires two years as a condition to start the status application process however in many countries it is impossible to extend the validity of the passport if another year or more remains before it expires. But for some reason, the Tel Aviv office makes its own rules and requires a passport that is valid for three years.

Couples who have not obtained the proper document may be trapped in a Kafkaesque maze. Yehuda Kush, 61 years old, met Edita Bianzon in 2006, a foreign worker from the Philippines, in a placement office for foreign workers where he worked in Tel Aviv. They had a relationship, which led to a pregnancy. They moved in together, created a financial agreement and a shared life and applied for permanent residency at the Interior Ministry. Seven years have passed since then, their son, Or is already in school, but Edita still sits at home without a work permit, not to mention permanent residence.

The problem was obtaining the documents – birth certificate, certificate of good character, etc. – from the Philippines. “She came from a small village where people do not know how to read and write, and travelling to Manila to get the documents is a big deal,” explains Cush. “You have to take one person who knows how to read, one who can write, and one who knows the way. We did not have the money for that. “

Three years ago the couple moved to Ofakim and tried to start the process again at the Interior Ministry in Beersheba. This time all the documents were obtained and they successfully passed a couples interview, and after a month received a phone call inviting them to come to the Interior Ministry. “I said to Edita, this is it, this evening we’ll have a celebration,” says Cush. “I arrived at the office overjoyed, where they tell me – sign this letter, which says that within 14 days she has to leave the country. I said, how can she leave, she has an Israeli child, how will he grow up without a mother? They told me, that’s the regulation.”

The couple was missing one document: an unwed certificate. Bianzon had a husband in the Philippines. She had not lived with him for years – but in the Philippines, a Catholic country, divorce isn’t possible, a marriage can only be nullified. The procedure costs thousands of dollars for official opinions and fees. In addition, Bianzon’s husband demanded another $ 5,000 for him to consent to the process. Kush and Bianzon did not want to, and could not afford to, pay this amount.

Tali Almi, the Public Inquiries Coordinator in Jerusalem and the South in the Association for Civil Rights who dealt with the case with attorney Tali Hassan, states that according to Israeli case law relationships are not judged by the formal aspect, i.e. the documents, rather they are judged according to the practical aspect – the existence of a relationship over time. Yehuda and Edita passed a couples interview successfully and submitted endless documents that proved that they live together, however it wasn’t enough for the Interior Ministry in Beersheba. The couple contacted the Association for Civil Rights, who wrote a letter to the Interior Ministry. The Interior Ministry’s reply was negative four months later, even though it is supposed to provide a response within 45 days.

The Association turned to the Appellate Committee – an appellate body for administrative objections to the Population Administration’s decisions. The Interior Ministry required nine months to respond to the committee regarding the Association’s claims, and ultimately, in June, they ruled in favor of Yehuda and Edita. An appointment was set for November. “I asked, Why another four months?’ I was told, ‘The file needs to be ordered from Jerusalem’. How long does that take?” asks Cush. “It’s very rare that the Appellate Committee accepts the objections”, says Almi, “However in this case the Interior Ministry stubbornly insisted not to act according to the ruling. Their refusal to admit the couple to the gradual process was very problematic.”

Two weeks ago, when Kush finally arrived at the Interior Ministry to begin the process, he discovered that his struggles were not over. “They told me they needed to send the decision down to the exceptions committee. I said, ‘what are you taking about; a decision has already been made by the Appellate Committee?’ She answered that she cannot do anything without the headquarters’ approval. I asked how long an answer from headquarters would take, and she answered: ‘For the last couple I handled, it took a year and a half.”

“The conduct of the Population Administration in this grim affair makes its own Appellate Committee into a laughing stock”, says Tal Hassin from the Association for Civil Rights, who represented the two. “The Administration has no legal authority to appeal the decisions of the Appellate Committee, to hold hearings about them, to request authorization for them, or to transfer it to some other mysterious committee. Once the decision has been made regarding the objection, the Administration must uphold it without delay, and stop mistreating a couple who have been living together for many years and are raising a child in Israel. “

“You must understand,” says Cush, “the Interior Ministry doesn’t like non-Jews. It is pure racism. They have no compassion, they have no respect for human dignity. It’s not the clerks – rather it’s the “commander’s disposition”, especially the former interior minister, Eli Yishai. For seven years I have been around foreigners, and I see the lack of compassion for them, “he adds,” the Torah mentions preserving Hagar’s dignity 42 times. They don’t fulfill even one of them. “

According to the Interior Ministry, “The couple first filed an application for a case of cohabitation in 2007. A letter with a request to send in the missing documents and a summons to an initial meeting were ignored and the couple did not appear at the meeting. For two years they repeatedly returned to the office without any documents. Even though Ms. Bianzon was issued a valid visa for departing to her homeland and the required documents were issued. Ultimately, the case was closed. In July 2009, the couple returned to open a new case for relationship status but again did not present the required documents.

Eventually, in 2011, after presenting part of the documents, they were summoned for an interview, but as it turned out Ms. Bianzon is married with children in the Philippines, and the couple did not present a document dissolving the marriage. When the reason for refusal became clear (financial demands by the spouse in the Philippines) the Ministry would have settled for evidence showing an attempt at dissolving the marriage (which isn’t dependent on the Filipino spouse), however these documents were also not provided. For all these reasons their application was denied. Recently it was decided to further examine the case and it is currently being discussed. In light of this chain of events, as partially described here, one cannot argue that it is the Ministry that is dragging its feet; and this claim is totally removed from the reality of the events themselves.

A Second World Country

Even in simpler cases, obtaining documents can become a trans-Atlantic operation. Orit and John (pseudonyms) met four years ago on a reserve in a country in Africa. She came to travel, and he worked as the maintenance manager of the reserve. “It was just like in my romantic imagination. A great guy, and we realized at once that we were in love, and still are”, says Orit, who is 40 years old.

The couple decided to settle in Israel. “When I came to Israel I got very nervous. I thought about all the horror stories I had heard about the Interior Ministry and asked, ‘How is this done?’” Orit decided to consult with a lawyer. “She said, ‘It’s so complicated, if you’re not serious – forget about it. If you are serious – do exactly as I say.’ Luckily, I was smart enough to listen. The first meeting with the Interior Ministry was rattling; I always considered myself a person with rights. There you realize you don’t have any. The first time I waited in Tel Aviv for seven hours to make an appointment. Why? Because. Shut up and be a good girl.”

The lawyer advised Orit to bring all of the papers from John‘s country of origin, and marry him before she brings him to Israel. Orit traveled to Africa, “and then the seven circles of hell began. ‘You want this document? No problem, a month of work.’ Meanwhile I have to live there in the capital, where living is very expensive. Okay, so one can shorten the process – give money under the table, and in three days you’ll get what you want. I was there for three – four months, and I spent about 100 thousand shekels.”

The country in which John lived is not a signatory of the Apostille Convention, and therefore Orit had to travel to get the documents approved in another country. “It’s very hard to be at the height of being in love, and go through four months of obtaining documents. It really tore me up”. However the encounter with Africa has not improved her opinion of Israel. “I always say we live in a second world country. Not corrupt like the Third World, but not organized like Sweden or Canada. Believe me, if it was possible to bribe someone to shorten the process – I would do it”.

Months passed from the moment that John landed in Israel until he received his work visa, during which Orit supported both of them. After receiving the visa they must return to the ministry each year, to prove the authenticity of their relationship over and over again: presenting an apartment contract, twelve months of electricity and telephone bills and a letter from references who know both of them. “An endless list of obligations”, says Orit, “and everything needs to be brought. If they decide to screw you, they can do so easily. They actually didn’t speak to us impolitely or humiliate us. They really have to handle a complicated objective situation”, she says about the office’s clerks, “the problem is the policy, rather than the clerks”.

However sometimes the clerks are also the problem. Noga, a student from Tel Aviv, met Ravi (pseudonyms), a communications student and a professional athlete, on one of Asia’s beaches. “Within two days we were inseparable. It was instantaneous”, she says. “At first I didn’t think it would go beyond the trip. However in the end we were together for three weeks; we delayed our return from the trip, he missed all his tests – sort of getting carried away. In the end I had to go home. But when we parted, we knew we weren’t going to give each other up.”

Noga returned home, and the couple kept in touch daily. It soon became clear to Noga that in order to bring Ravi to Israel, she needs to invite him and deposit fifteen thousand shekels with the Interior Ministry for this purpose. Fortunately for them, while the application was being filed Ravi received a scholarship to a university and came to Israel with a student visa. When he arrived, after seven months of not seeing each other, “it was a little weird at first, then the ice was broken. It’s as if we never parted”.

Immediately when Ravi landed in Israel, four months ago, the couple made an appointment at the Interior Ministry, in order to replace his student visa with a work visa. They gathered documents and collected them in a huge binder. “I searched through document lists and checked forums, because I realized that the Interior Ministry is really looking for what you do not have – a single wrong signature is enough, and they send him to bring it all in again”.

Three months ago, they came to the Interior Ministry in Tel Aviv, waited two hours in line and sat in front of a clerk. “He asked to see documents from the university, verifying Ravi really is a student. It was a total of two photocopied pages; however the first page was accidentally copied twice. The clerk looked at the first page, and when Ravi saw that it was doubled said to him, ‘Go on to the next page’. The clerk ripped out the pages, and said in Hebrew, ‘What are you wasting my time for’, and tossed them in Ravi’s face “.

What did you do?

 

We just stood there silent. There is nothing to do, they need to finish what they’re doing and that’s it. It’s really scary to say something which they wouldn’t like. They have all the power.”

A couples interview was set up for them in another four months: Meanwhile Ravi is learning some Hebrew in ulpan and is traveling the country (he was especially enthralled by Jerusalem), but without a work visa he is bored, and Noga is struggling to sustain them both.

“There isn’t a country that’s easy to emigrate to, and I don’t think we should let everyone in”, says Noga, “but until I went through it myself, I did not think that our country was so closed and suspicious. In every office the requirements are a bit different – and you are completely at the mercy of the clerk’s mood.”

The Interior Ministry’s response was: “The Immigration Authority attaches great importance to the issue of providing service, with an emphasis on providing service that is professional, courteous and efficient, and for that purpose runs training courses and conferences for employees. We accept all inquiries on the issue of service and it is handled very seriously to see if there is any truth to the complaints and make sure that the issues do not reoccur. It is difficult to respond to the statements put forward in your claim, since they are general, however we are happy to receive the details of the cases and examine them individually.”

Invasion of privacy

Specifically in relationship matters, the State of Israel proves to be surprisingly liberal: unlike the United States, and probably due to the fact that mixed couples cannot marry in Israel, even common-law and same-sex couples receive status. However when it comes to the process itself, the Interior Ministry spares no hassle. In the United States, says Carfeld, a couple married for more than two years will at most be asked to present a marriage certificate, and nothing else. Only if the couple is married for less than two years, or if there is any suspicion about the authenticity of their relationship – for example, if there is a significant age difference between them – they have to undergo a relationship examination process.

In the State of Israel on the other hand, every couple – whether they are married for a decade, and if they have children – will have to file and save any document that can attest to their relationship. A sample list of required documents includes: a marriage certificate, a lease, a detailed letter that explains how they met, electricity and telephone bills, shared photos from various events, letters from friends and family attesting to the authenticity of the relationship, printouts of calls between the couple, a bank statement, and if there exists – airline tickets and receipts for hotel rooms where they stayed together.

In the verdict of Rosa Vistal versus the State of Israel from 2009, the judge admonished the Interior Ministry, that despite demanding a lengthy list of documents from the couple to prove the authenticity of their relationship – the final decision was based solely on the interviewer’s impression. If this is so, why does the Ministry require so many documents? The State has the solutions.

Attorney Yadin Elam. “They have an enormous amount of power.” “Photograph by: Moti Milrod”

The interview itself is the couple’s greatest fear. “The feeling is that it really depends on who you end up with,” says Elam. “The specific clerk who interviews the couple has enormous power, and it seems that the Population Administration doesn’t care about anything except for drawing it out, so the process can be completely unpredictable. There is the possibility of an appeal, but a couple who weren’t represented in advance isn’t always familiar with the process and in the last two years the appeal process of the office’s decisions has become significantly more complex.”

The couple interviews are the main feature of mixed couples’ petitions against the state. In one of the judgments, from 2011, the judge ruled in favor of the couple because the interview protocol was incomplete, and it was evident that the protocol submitted, in her words, had deliberate omissions of information to the detriment of the couple. In another judgment it was stated that the petitioners were asked 104 questions. There were contradictory answers on only nine of the topics, and it constituted grounds for disqualification.

In 2009, in the Vistal verdict, which also reached the press, the District Court judge sharply rebuked the Interior Ministry for disqualifying a couple who met all of the criteria, based solely on the fact that the woman, who is of Filipino origin, was older than her Israeli partner and it appeared “strange” to the interviewer. “The Supreme Court already ruled, that a differentiation must be made with regard to fictitious marriages and marriages of convenience”, says Elam. “All marriages are marriages of convenience: It is better to be married, than not to be. Therefore even if the woman is Filipino and the Israeli man is 20 years older than her, she married because she prefers to stay in the country, and he knows that this is his only chance for a younger wife, said the court, as long as they are really a couple and the marriage is not only to receive status, it’s a relationship that needs to be respected.”

It should be noted that conditions are better for those who don’t fall in love with foreign workers or asylum seekers: The Interior Ministry treats this type of relationship with even more suspicion than usual.

Elam explains that in a case where the couple is disqualified, the Interior Ministry needs to justify its decision, and often the reason is due to contradictory answers between the spouses, who are interviewed separately but are asked identical questions. “The courts have confronted the Interior Ministry a number of times already, saying not every contradiction is a reason not to believe in the authenticity of the relationship; if you ask 50 questions, and you find two contradictions which are insignificant, that’s not a reason not to believe the authenticity of the relationship”. You thought to resolve the matter by consulting with an experienced attorney? You should know, couples can be disqualified by being overly prepared for the interview.

Feller shoots off a list of popular questions: “How much sugar does he like in his coffee? What did you eat last night?  What did he give you for your birthday? What does he smoke? Which bus does she take to work? How many stops does it have? What color are her eyes? And the critical question that most people get wrong – when did you meet and when was the moment you became a couple? One thinks that they became a couple when they first started going out, and the other thinks it happened when they moved in together. And if your partner is a migrant worker from Nigeria, for example, you have never met his family. If you are asked you won’t know who his mother is, who his father is, which school did he attend, and his major. Details you would know about an Israeli partner”.

The paradox is that this process has made us much more formally committed to each other”, says Gil Harpaz, the Director of Public Relations in the “Geneva Initiative”. She met the French Fabrice six years ago, at an isolated hostel in Dharamsala: The couple spent several months in France together, and when Harpaz returned to Israel and got a job, Fabrice decided to give a Tel Aviv relationship a chance.

Harpaz has a legal education and she consulted with an attorney, who prepared her for the process. “He asked us why we didn’t get married. Fabrice said that we’re still at the beginning of the relationship, and besides neither of us are really into weddings. But the lawyer said – ‘No, no, you cannot say something like that. The answer is that you are not married, but see yourselves as married for all intents and purposes. Don’t you dare say that are boyfriend and girlfriend. From your perspective, you have found the person who you want to spend your life with’. Now it is true, but at the first meeting in the Interior Ministry, after several months of touring in India and Europe, to go there and say that, we have found the person with whom we want to grow old with – it’s not exactly where we were at that moment.”

“M.”, an undergraduate student in the social sciences, interviewed mixed couples for a seminar paper she wrote about the process they go through in the Interior Ministry. “You do not just come and present documents, and answer some questions. You come and put on performances to win over the clerks; present a relationship that is not necessarily the real one, but what they want to see.”

And what is this relationship?

“A romantic loving relationship in sociological terms. Pictures of the couple having fun, being photographed together embracing, with many friends who can attest to the sincerity of the relationship. Most of the couples know which pictures portray a relationship and start embracing and getting photographed at every family event, preferably with a yarmulke. I know a couple that was disqualified because the Indian partner did not know English well enough, so how can it be that there is a relationship? As though a relationship must be based on intimate conversations into the night. A partner from Western Europe and a partner from India are treated differently.”

“M.” speaks about a couple who she interviewed, a younger Filipino and an older Israeli male. “He was asked in the interview in Hebrew, assuming she wouldn’t understand, if you are trying to get rid of her, tell me and I’ll help you, because it seems like you’re ashamed.”

“I have no doubt that the state should make sure that those who come aren’t criminals,” says Ilana, Davida’s partner, “but I don’t think that for seven years you need to bring in each year letters from friends and colleagues. Every month, when we get the bills, I photocopy them put them in the folder. Every year I think, two years ago I asked for a letter from the neighbors on the first floor, a year ago from those on the second floor, so this year we’ll ask friends from work. Every time you need to fill out the same form, to supply passport photos that are already in their file.”

Those who begin the process – should forget about their right to privacy in advance, as they will be asked, as Ilana and Davida were, to provide printouts of telephone and Skype calls between the couple. Perhaps, like Kim (a pseudonym), an Australian citizen living here for five years with her Israeli husband and their joint child, you will be asked to provide the genetic tests conducted by the couple before the pregnancy. “I thought they would return the copies of the test after the interview, but the clerk took them. I asked why, and she said, ‘we like to file these type of things’”, says Kim, who still looks upset. “I didn’t protest because I couldn’t do anything. But I think it’s really terrible. They know much more about me than I want them to know, just because I’m not Jewish.”

“It’s very Judeo-centric”, says Henrik (a pseudonym), “or you could call it worse names, like racism.” Henrik, a former dancer from Denmark, met his Israeli partner, also a dancer, when he lived in Tel Aviv for four years in the early 2000s while he was dancing with the Batsheva Dance Company. “I was young, I lived in a very carefree environment, they took care of a visa and everything. I didn’t have to do anything. I traveled around the world and met nice people.”

The relationship with his future wife evolved, and in the mid-2000s they moved to Denmark and gave birth to a child, now nine years old. “The process in Denmark was quite simple”, he says, “We came, we submitted documents and that was it”. However when they returned to Israel in 2010, they discovered that the approach was different here. “It is always accompanied by suspicion and unpleasant investigations which are very personal. As if we are trying to cheat. Another document and another document. Details of phone calls, letters from family members, photos. It’s too personal.”

When the couple had a second child, “the Interior Ministry became very unpleasant. At the Hospital they didn’t want to register me as the father, because I was in the middle of the process. We arrived for a meeting at the Interior Ministry with the baby in a stroller, gave them all the documents they wanted. We explained that we already have a child together, but they wanted to send us for tissue analysis. Only when my wife started screaming and crying, were they suddenly able to do things that were impossible before.”

Similarly Meital Raveh, 36 years old, a lawyer who lives in Ramat Gan, could not register her Dutch partner, Vim, as the father of their joint child, currently a year old. Vim and Meital met in India, when their trains ran late. They’ve been here for five years, but when their son was born Vim wasn’t registered as the father for two reasons: as he is not a member of an HMO (like anyone not yet given permanent resident status) and according to the regulations it is only permitted to register him as “claiming” to be the father. “Their attitude is that they determine who the father is. They check whether the couple has a shared file, if he was present at the birth, if the couple has been living together for a certain period. Very strict criteria.”

The Interior Ministry’s response was: “Documents proving cohabitation are one of the tools required to examine the relationship and are not a substitute for a meeting with the couple, and conducting the interview. When evaluating a candidate for citizenship or residence within its territory, it’s the State’s duty to determine the required tools for the process of receiving the status. Interviews are conducted for people, by people, and naturally every interview is different, where the basis for all interviews is the same. It is a bit puzzling to demand that all interviews be identical in all aspects, and this demand ignores that human beings are involved in the process. “

Meital Raveh (36) and Vim Midlbose (33), country of origin: Holland, length of time in Israel: five years, residence: Ramat Gan.

A Racist Policy?

Is Henrik correct? Is the practice of granting status to foreigners in Israel racist? The previous Interior Minister never concealed his opinion that maintaining the Jewish character of the state comes first. The opinion of the current Interior Minister on the topic has not yet been heard. Oded Feller argues that the answer to the question is complex. “Israel isn’t the only country whose laws give priority to returning to the country and giving status to a particular ethnic group. Israel is an exception as that is all it has. This leads to a much broader question which is if the Law of Return is racist. Nevertheless”, he adds, “it is clear that the Interior Ministry makes it difficult, it doesn’t want them here. It sees itself as a gatekeeper who makes sure that there should be as few non–Jews as possible.”

Elam says: “I once asked someone who represented the Interior Ministry, how does he explain the fact that often the Interior Ministry insists on not compromising, even when the judge hearing the case clarifies to the attorney that the verdict will be to the detriment of the Ministry. He replied that what interests the Interior Ministry is time. If the process is supposed to last seven years and it lasted ten years, we gained three years. Maybe the couple will give up and maybe they will split up. I know of couples who despair simply because they’re sick of the feet-dragging. “

“A.”, a former executive in the Population Administration who is close to the Interior Ministry to this day, says: “”It seems that Eli Yishai could not determine the policy he wanted – not to let non-Jews in at all, because the Justice Department would not let him, so he set policy by not setting policy. It’s very easy to come to the local office and the Population Administration and tell them what you want, even without determining policy. “

However “A.” points to a few more possible reasons for the bureaucratic complicatedness, besides racism. “The biggest problem in the field of ​​immigration is that it is not worth money. The Interior Ministry has three main fields – the Population Administration, the local government, and urban planning and construction. In the two other fields there are players involved with lots of power and interests. In the field of population there are no such players, so policy isn’t determined. When public policy is determined, one should always ask who it serves. Who does the policy in the field of immigration serve? Not the powerful people. So you have an overblown immigration police, but to transfer a file from the office in Tel Aviv to the one in Ramle takes two months. “

“And when there is a policy,” he adds, “the interpretation is very broad. There is no consistent policy at the clerk and executive level, there are no set regulations and every clerk asks himself, ‘If I make the process easier, what might I cause to occur? I could be wrong. However, if I don’t give approval, it will get passed on, upwards’. A clerk who earns a meager wage sees twenty people a day, and is responsible for their fate. Everything goes through the legal office of the Population Administration, and in practice it is them who outline policy.”

“The very fact that I am going through this whole nuisance, isn’t because my partner is not Israeli, but rather it’s because of his religion – which is unacceptable to me”, says Ilana. “”After all, if he was a Jew, he would immigrate, receive citizenship, money, rights, even if the sister’s aunt’s grandmother was Jewish way back when. Many countries have quotas, but the emphasis on religion is what makes this process so racist. This racism is directed towards all non-Jews and also towards me, because I’m the one that brought the non-Jew to the State of Israel.”

The Interior Ministry in response stated “the ultimate authority that determines immigration policy is the government of Israel and with it the court rulings. However, the individual issues are handled by the Population and Immigration Authority. The gradual process has existed for many years, even before MK Yishai entered his position, and therefore the references to his stance are improper and stem from personal opinions. The process is intended for ‘Non-Israelis’ and has no connection to Judaism.”

 


Fashion – Fur Collar Trends

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By: Elaine Bloch

What’s more fabulous than a little bit of fur to luxe up a Winter ensemble? Yes, I know, the winter didn’t arrive yet in Israel and this is just the reason why it’s suitable for a warm winter (???) weather (I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…). I am a firm believer that accessories can really make an outfit and this season it’s dedicated on highlighting the neckline with fur collars, snoods, scarves and statement necklaces.

The point is, most tie-on fur collars don’t exactly integrate easily into most wardrobes. But it will do well with collarless, zip-front leather jacket, a black sweater, a blazer, and a dress. Because the collar itself is big enough to cover up whatever is underneath, you can wear it over lapels of a suit to dress it up or even a mock neck sweater to totally change the look.

Tips

A fur collar is a glam finishing touch, so make sure you’ve got the right shoes and handbag to match.

Try to experiment with how to wear your hair ahead of time. If it’s longer than shoulder length, make sure you’re comfortable with how it’s going to rest over the back of a bulky fur collar. It might drive you crazy so consider a hair updo. (Don’t say I didn’t remind you, I’ve been in that scenario before)

If you have a short neck, the trick on placing a fur collar accessory would be perfect.

Don’t become a “Fashion Victim”. Make sure you’re wearing the collar with simple, timeless, classic clothes to avoid looking too faddish and kitschy.

Health – The Stone Breaker, Liver Detoxifier and Cure for Hepatitis B

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By: Elaine Bloch

You probably have never heard the herb chanca piedra, but I am sure you are most familiar with its local name, sampa-sampalukan. This is a plant that grows well in moist and shady places, and it spreads quickly by invasive capacity like weeds. It was so easy to find this plant that even my sister in Manila was able to pick up a few leaves on the roadside on her way to Trinoma jeepney station (Quezon City). The plant seems to be everywhere, only we aren’t aware what health benefits it could contribute to our body.

Chanca Piedra’s scientific name is Phyllanthus niruri. The name itself speaks for its characteristic features. The generic name Phyllanthus means “leaf flower” because the flower, as well as the fruit, seem to become one with the leaf.  In fact, even though it appears to be so, it is not a compound leaf, but has little thin and symmetric branches that make the leaf look like a plumose leaf.  Each little leaf of that branch carries in the angle a flower and the fruit.

Chanca Piedra has been the subject of much research to discover the active constitutes and their pharmacological activities beginning in the mid 1960’s. A 1999 clinical study validated the effect Chanca Piedra has on calcium oxalate crystal formation (the building blocks for kidney stones). The herb is known to break up the stones and enable them to pass it through the urethra without any surgery. The antihepatotoxic (liver protecting) activity of Chanca Piedra was attributed to two compounds in the plant called Phyllanthus and hypophyllanthin in a 1985 study by Indian researchers. In the 1980’s, it gained worldwide attention due to the plant’s antiviral activity against hepatitis B.

Chanca Piedra has a long history in herbal medicine systems in every tropical country where it grows. For the most part, it is employed for similar conditions worldwide. Its main uses are for many types of biliary and urinary conditions including kidney and gallbladder stones; for hepatitis (A and B), colds, flu, bronchitis, tuberculosis, and other viral infections; liver diseases and disorders including anemia, jaundice and liver cancer; and for bacterial infections such as cystitis, prostatitis, venereal diseases and urinary tract infections. It is also widely employed for diabetes and hypertension as well as for its diuretic, pain-relieving, digestive stimulant, antispasmodic, fever reducing, and cellular protective properties in many other conditions.

There has been no toxicity reported in any of the clinical studies, nor have there been any side effects reported, except for an occasional case of cramps during the expulsion of stones from the use of the whole plant either as a tea or in “crude” (whole plant) extracts in capsules.  If cramping occurs, dosage can be cut in half.

Although scientific studies have indicated Chanca Piedra is safe for pregnant women to take, documented ethnic uses in Brazil indicate its use as an abortive by rural populace (effect seen at higher doses), presumably due to the smooth muscle relaxant properties.  Therefore, if taken during pregnancy, it is recommended that doses of Chanca Piedra be kept low, especially during the first trimester.

Chanca Piedra has been documented in human and animal studies with diuretic effects.  Chronic and acute use of this plant may be contraindicated in various other medical conditions where diuretics are not advised.  Chronic long-term use of any diuretic can cause electrolyte and mineral imbalances; however, human studies with Chanca Piedra (for up to three months of chronic use) have not reported any side effects.  Consult your doctor if you choose to use this plant chronically for longer than three months concerning possible side effects of long-term diuretic use.

Traditional Preparation:

Infusion:  1 cup 2-3 times daily for disease:  One teaspoon of dried herb is steeped at least 15 minutes in boiling water

1-3 times weekly for prevention

Tincture:  2-4ml 2-3 times daily:  Dried herb is covered with 50% ethanol (i.e. Vodka) and shaken twice daily for 14 days, before straining herb.  Storage is in dark bottles.  Alternately, a glycerite extract can be made by covering dry herb with distilled water, simmering on low heat about two hours, straining the herb, then reducing the volume over low heat to about ½, then adding vegetable glycerine (½ of the final extract volume) to give 33% glycerol.

Capsules/Tablets:  2-3 grams twice daily

Travelife – The Majestic View and Cool Breeze of Tagaytay

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By Ms. Mary Grace Asis

It’s the most accessible place to relax, unwind and have fun during weekends if you’re living anywhere in the concrete jungle called “Metro Manila.” I’ve lived, studied and worked in the Metro and my memories if I’m to describe the place are just mostly negative. It’s busy, dusty, traffic-jammed everywhere. Dirty because people opt to throw trash on the streets instead of the trash bin and the list would go on and on. But I heard it’s starting to change now and I really hope it’s true. Back then, my way of getting out of all this awful scenery was going on a trip with friends or co-workers and the easiest place to conquer was of course Tagaytay. Especially during summer, this place has the perfect weather to hang-out or spend holidays.

Here are some fun and exciting things to do when in Tagaytay:

1. Picnic

Ideal for the whole family but also fun for barkadas. Picnic basket full of Pinoy foods, a blanket, a camera if your iPhone isn’t enough, cards to play tong-its or maybe some bottles of beer – whatever you like it sure is gonna be fun as long as you’re with your best group of companions. There’s a place called Picnic Grove and they have these beautiful mushroom-like picnic cottages where the view of the Taal Volcano is amazing. There’s also a zipline which our thrill-seeking friends will enjoy for sure. You also wouldn’t want to miss the sunset.

2. Hiking

What better way to see the real beauty of Taal Volcano than to hike. To get there you need to drive down from Tagaytay to the lakeside, catch an outrigger to reach the islet where the volcano is, then you will have to pay the entrance fee and forced to get a tour guide that does nothing but lead the way. I think they should also try to talk like give some interesting stories about the place or maybe some trivia. When I was there with my friends, we got to enjoy a fresh seafood meal in a lovely restaurant where they catch and grill the fish while we watch before we took the boat.

3. Relax and Rejuvenate

You can probably do this in any Spa houses you can find but it wouldn’t be the same like in Tagaytay. I recommend the Nurture Spa Village where you can experience the traditional Filipino massage. I’m not sure but maybe it’s called “hilot” in Tagalog? Lolz… They offer a package which includes breakfast, dinner and a nature walk tour on a pineapple plantation. You can also join their Taichi exercise early in the morning. This place has a very serene ambiance that you would love to visit again and again.

4. Visit the new Sky Ranch

It’s a 5-hectare amusement park owned by SM Land. The most significant attraction is the Sky Eye Ferris Wheel which stands at 207 feet with 32 gondolas. A ride on this will definitely give you a majestic view of Taal Lake and its surroundings. They also have other rides like the Nessi Coaster, Red Baron, Wonder Flight, Mini-Viking, Express Train, Super Viking for adults and the carousel. All rides are priced at P50 each (on top of the P100 entrance fee), while the Sky Eye ticket price is P150 per head on a 10-minute ride.

5. Find the Best Coffee Place

I dunno but I think the best cafeterias are in Tagaytay. For one, Starbucks’ place here is different compared to others because the place is open with an awesome view and nice cool breeze. You can have all the popular coffee places here like CBTL, Seattle’s Best, Java Jazz and the Bag of Beans where you can try the most expensive coffee called Kopi Luwak or Coffee Alamid. What makes it expensive? Well, the coffee beans that are eaten by civets (a cat) gets digested of course and then fermented in their stomach so when it comes out, voila!!! coffee beans with a price of gold. It became popular after Oprah mentioned it on her show.

 

CHURCH’S SCHOOL OF MUSIC GRADUATES 58 INSTRUMENTALISTS

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By Pearl Manodon

What a joyous way to end the year 2013!

For the 3rd year in pursuit of its noble vision to train and disciple more musicians, the School of Music of The Lord Our Righteousness International Church (TLORIC) opened its door to all who are interested to learn how to play the musical instruments.

In previous years, only Basic Keyboard Lessons was offered but this year Basic Guitar, Drums and Bass Lessons were added. There were 17 students in keyboard class, 14 in guitar, 10 in drums and 17 in bass.

This year’s theme “Pursuing the Vision” was inspired by the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Nehemiah, together with his team, rebuilt the broken walls of Jerusalem in only 52 days because they worked in unity with all their hearts. Similarly, we can pursue the vision of building and advancing the kingdom of God and bring glory to His Name when the church will unite, set our eyes on the goal, allow God to refine and develop our character, and use our talents and gifts to serve Him wholeheartedly.

Thank God for the lives of the people who, despite their hectic schedules, freely gave themselves to teach: Sis. Claire Reyes, Sis. Guia Razalan and Bro. Kennedy Patricio. TLORIC School of Music students are trained and raised up to help train and raise up others. It is headed by Sis. Claire (Music Ministry Director).

On Nov. 15, 2013, after three months of learning, the students held a well-applauded, much-awaited event, their Recital. What great joy it was to watch them play their instruments for God’s honor!

TLORIC is led by Senior Pastors Gerry and Ruby Role. It has its main congregation in Tel Aviv and branch churches in Jerusalem and Netanya with several outreaches in various locations.

The Best Christmas Smile!

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A life-changing gift by Israel’s IDF to two Filipino boys

By Ms. Cheryl Sevegan

Call it catastrophe or a blessing in disguise, but the recent super typhoon that devastated Central Visayas has somewhat brought ‘joy and the sweetest smiles’ to two Filipino youngsters who were born with cleft palate disabilities.

Yolanda’s wrath brought devastation beyond imaginable proportions as it left thousands dead and injured, hundreds of thousands homeless, and billions of pesos in losses on infrastructure, property and livelihood damages. Not only that, the agony and pain of losing love ones, literally taking away all their lives as personal belongings and mementos were washed away by the typhoon, caused great trauma and inexplicable grief to victims, as the sad experience of being helpless under the wrath of one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded on Earth lingers throughout their lives.

The latest casualty count tipped the number to 6,069 and officials and volunteer workers involved in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the badly damaged places fear unaccounted people were either washed away by the deluge of sea water or have been buried under piles and rubbles.

The shocking event caused nations and governments across the globe to send immediate relief and aid as the aftermath revealed the real extent of Yolanda’s might. During times of tragedies and great calamities, the Jewish nation of Israel is usually one of the countries that immediately responds and sends its humanitarian help, and it is not surprising that it is one of the quickest to deploy its rescue team to the wastelands of Central Visayas, offering unsolicited assistance and showing their deep concern and love for people irrespective of belief, creed or race.

The IDF Humanitarian Mission team arrived in the Philippines a few days after Yolanda left its terrible mark. They built a military field hospital in Daanbantayan, Bogo City, Cebu and treated 370 adults and 150 children. To many Filipinos, these green-uniformed Israelis are like angels in disguise because their generosity and empathy are evident as soon as they landed in the badly hit areas.

Amidst the tragedy of physical, material and emotional devastations, who would have known when a ray of light finally shines to two Filipino teenagers and bring life-changing news which they sure have been longing for? Bullied and insulted since childbirth, the ‘green angels of IDF’ spread their wings and flew these two boys to the Holy Land to undergo life-changing operations on their disabilities.

Thirteen-year-old Yanny Millor, a Grade 4 pupil and Rex Nino Recto, 10 years old and in Grade 3, are 2nd degree cousins who both hail from Barangay Canagahan, San Remegio, Cebu City. They have been brought here in Israel by the IDF Humanitarian Aid mission for a cleft palate operation.

Mr. Kian Carlo Vanz Mariano, one of the active community leaders in Israel informed me about them, their contacts and whereabouts, and I am very grateful for his concern and generosity. Through the kindness of Kian, I was able to get connected with Yanny’s and Rex’s guardian, Mr. Spencer Vistar.

Standing in place of his barangay captain father, 23-year-old Mark Spencer Vistar is a student in Cebu City and who stood as the guardian of both Yanny and Rex while in Israel. Living in Barangay Canagahan, San Remegio, Cebu City, Spencer is the third degree cousin of Yanny and Rex. They all live in a nearby town where the headquarters of the IDF Humanitarian Mission team was established.

Yanny, Rex and Spencer

Hi Spencer, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I know that it’s still difficult for the two kids to talk so I’ll be asking them questions and kindly translate it to me since the two boys can hardly speak Tagalog. Please give me a little background on the boys…

Spencer: Yanny and Rex are second cousins. Yanny is 13 years old. He came from a family of 9 siblings and is the 5th child of Mr. and Mrs. Abelito and Jocelyn Millor. Rex Nino Recto is 10 years old; the 4th child in a family of 5 siblings who is under the care of his grandmother Cresencia Lopez.

How did the IDF find Yanny and Rex, can you tell us where and when it all started?

Spencer: The IDF went to Barangay Bagtik to fix the water supply damaged by the typhoon. On their way back, they passed through Canagahan where they saw Yanny and Rex fetching water. Seeing their conditions, they stopped and interviewed the two boys. They were accompanied by a local official that time who served as the translator. In a surprise move, the IDF offered if they want to be checked and be brought to Israel for reconstructive operation. They talked to the parents and guardians and to local officials and fixed everything to bring them here.

Spencer, can you tell me more about the families of Yanny and Rex and their way of living in the Philippines?

Spencer: Yanny’s father is a Barangay Tanod and has no regular job to earn a living. His mother is just a plain housewife, so if his father has work they have food. Otherwise they just bear what they have. It’s a very common way of living in the province. All of the 9 children and their parents live under one roof of their bahay kubo house. While with regards to Rex Nino, he lives under the care of his grandmother, Mrs. Cresencia Lopez, who serves as his guardian due to his unstable family situation.

When did you exactly arrive here in Israel?

Spencer: Last Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, we arrived here in Israel together with the IDF Humanitarian Mission team.

How did you become the guardian of Yanny and Rex? At age 23, you are so young to take the responsibility for these two kids.

Spencer: Supposed to be it’s my father, Mr. Jaime Vistar, who is the Barangay Captain of Canagahan, who should be their guardian in coming here. I was in Cebu City studying when my father approached me because he said he is still busy with the rehabilitation of our place which was also damaged by the super typhoon. Most of the houses in our place were destroyed because houses there are made of light materials. Concrete houses were mostly the only ones left.

How do Yanny and Rex look exactly before?

Spencer: Compared to their looks before, they really look very different now after their operations. Even the way they are talking now is different though it’s still hard to understand what they want to say because it is still painful for them to talk. They look more handsome now most especially when they smile.

What are the procedures or preparations did you do coming here?

Spencer: The IDF talked directly to their parents/guardians. During the initial approach I wasn’t there, only during the documents procedure.  So I just helped them with the processing of documents and passports which turned out so fast with the help of course of the IDF and the local government. All the expenses were paid by the IDF Humanitarian Mission headed by Deputy Chief of Mission Adam Levene. We came here without visa. It was a fast procedure after the IDF met them, for more or less 1 week we already arrived here.

When did the operation happen?

Spencer: They were operated last December 3 at Schneider Children’s Hospital.  Yanny was the first one who underwent the operation followed by Rex.  Dr. Eyal Kalish and his team did the successful operations.

Yanny and Rex, what do you want to say to the people who brought you here?

Yanny (through Spencer): He said he is happy because they brought him here and did him free operation. He is so thankful for everything which will make a big difference and changes in his life.

Rex Nino (through Spencer): He is too shy to say something but he is so thankful for everything that the IDF have done to him.

Between the two of them, Yanny has the more difficult condition because what he was saying can hardly be understood before. I asked Yanny if he likes Israel and if he likes to stay here alone for good even without his parents and family. His reply shocked me because without hesitation he answered to me a direct “YES!” He said he enjoyed his stay here which made him want to live here although he didn’t like the food that much.

At his young age he gave me the answer I didn’t anticipate to hear even for Spencer and Aviya.  Well, we don’t need to wonder because his experiences here and the beautiful places he had been are far different from his native place, so does the food, the treatment, and the way of living.

I asked the same to Rex Nino whose answer is the opposite of Yanny’s. He said he missed his parents and family terribly that he already wants to go home. He added that he is excited to go home and can’t wait to show to all the ‘brand new’ him.]

Do you miss Filipino foods? What are you eating at the hostel?

Spencer: Baked/roasted chicken, potatoes and sometimes rice. There are some kababayans who come to the hostel for a visit and bring us foods like Ate Rose Mariano and Ate Vicky, they always brought us Filipino foods, rice and drinks.

Spencer added that because of their speech impairment they were too shy to talk before. They are often bullied and insulted by hostile children and uncaring adults, making them feel like outcasts and unwanted. After the life-changing operation awarded to them by the IDF and the Israeli government, they will go home proud with brand new handsome faces.

I asked them who gave their beautiful clothes after taking notice of their nice attire and appearance.

Rex and Yanny (through Spencer): The Israelis, Ziv Bellaus from the IDF Humanitarian Mission, these are the names that they remembered.

Spencer, do you have any message to the IDF Humanitarian Mission, IsraAid and the State of Israel?

Spencer: I would like to thank the IDF and Israel for the generosity they have shown to us. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done. On behalf of these two kids whose lives have been changed and which they will treasure for the rest of their lives, my heartfelt gratitude to the Israeli people. Personally I want to thank them for allowing me to see the place called “Holy Land” which I only read in the Bible.

What do both of you want to be when you grow up? (through Spencer)

Yanny: Undecided yet.

Rex: I want to be a soldier or police.

Lastly, since Christmas is coming, I asked both kids what they wish for Christmas as a gift from Sta. Claus?

Yanny said he didn’t know yet while Rex wished for a toy gun.

Because I wanted to somehow make them happy, I became their lady Santa. So, I brought them to a toy store and bought them toys. Yanny chose a badminton set (which I think is perfect for his age) and Rex Nino chose a toy gun. We had dinner and parted ways afterwards. It was a great feeling knowing them and spending some time with them.

As part of their story, I also had the chance to have a glimpse and know this beautiful young lady who was with them most of the time while they were here in Israel. Ms. Aviya Shilo, a 17-year-old student, is a volunteer at Ezer Mizion through their Managing Director Ms. Yuri Dzilobzki.

Ezer Mizion is the Israel Health Support Organization, offering an extensive range of medical and social support services to help Israel’s sick, disabled, elderly and underprivileged populations. Since its founding in 1979, Ezer Mizion has grown to become one of the largest non-profit organizations in Israel, benefiting over 650,000 people every year. Ezer Mizion has branches in over 20 cities throughout Israel, with over 11,000 volunteers and an annual budget of US$75 million.

Ezer Mizion’s diverse line-up of services includes the world’s largest Jewish Bone Marrow Donor Registry and specialized programs for children with special needs, cancer patients, the elderly, and terror victims.

Rex, Aviya, Yanny and Spencer

How did you become a volunteer to be in the company of the kids?

Aviya: I met them when they went to a show in Tel Aviv. We came there to help cancer patients who live in the same hostel where the two boys stayed, at Beit Horami. They were all brought to the show in Tel Aviv to give them a fun day. So we met there and I volunteered to accompany them. I met them before the operation.

With this different experience, I mean being with people of different nationality, how do you find it?

Aviya: I find this mission special because they are people who are not in real danger. They are here to improve their lives and people here in Israel find it important enough to give what they need. And I’m really glad that I’m part of it. It’s an experience that I will always remember. It’s very nice to know people from other countries.

Yanny and Rex, together with Spencer, departed from Israel last December 12, 2013.  The two boys are now enjoying their new smiles and new lives together with their families in their hometown.

Thank you Aviya and Spencer for taking time in bringing the kids and be interviewed by me. You’ve proven that the youths are truly the hope of our future with what you two are doing at your very young age. May you both have the best journey as you go on with your lives. Best of luck and God bless to both of you!

To Yanny and Rex, may you treasure the life-changing gifts that the IDF Humanitarian Aid and Israel had awarded to both of you as an early Christmas gift. May with this brand new person that you are now become the beginning of your great journey in life. May the handsome smiles show the kindness in you as you touch others too with your simple gestures of generosity and love for humanity as you grow old, and that this once-in-a-lifetime experience and opportunity the Israeli government bestowed upon you be kept in your hearts and not be forgotten in your memories…

To our kababayans who gave their help and showed love to Yanny and Rex, God bless you all!  May we continue to be a blessing to others.

To the green angels of IDF, the IDF Humanitarian Aid and Israel, may the peace that this country has been struggling for centuries be finally achieved. Thank you is not enough! God bless you all and God bless Israel.

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New Year is always a time for serious reflections, looking back to the past year and looking forward to what’s ahead. Let me assure you that God wants you and me to enjoy success all the years of our lives. I encourage you to read and apply the following tips on how to take hold of a great year. This is Part 1 of a 2-part series.

The Rose Mission

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An interview with Ma. Nancy Fostanes, Melinda Adel and Mr. Yariv Fischer

By Cheryl Sevegan

2013 proved to be a successful year for many Filipinos in the international scene as Filipina beauty queens emerged winners in major beauty contests worldwide. As we embark on another eventful year this 2014, another proud moment greeted us Filipinos with the triumph of Ms. Rose “Osang” Fostanes as the first winner of X-Factor Israel, once again a Filipino world-class talent recognized in the international stage.

Call it luck or destiny, 47-year-old Rose works as a caregiver and did it her ‘way’ as she made her dream come true when she sang what many aspiring singers dread to sing, “My Way”. Her very touching personal story and her powerful voice were her only major weapons, she gained respect and admiration from the viewers and followers every time she performed on stage.

X-Factor Israel offered her a life-changing opportunity to showcase her immense talent not only in Israel but to the whole world. She’s been compared to Susan Boyle of Britain’s Got Talent for both of them have a similar tale… an inspiring story and great talent that can move one’s heart.

Ate Osang [as she’s fondly called by her friends] is the familiar voice you’ve heard in many gigs and Filcom programs. She has sung at Pinoy Resto Bar, Bahay Kubo, Tambayan and Mommy’s Place where she was a regular performer. Eldest among 4 siblings of 3 girls and a boy, their father left them when they were still kids. She became the family’s sole breadwinner when both of their parents died. Her poignant story is akin to rags-to-riches fairy-tale of survival and success.

This special interview reveals the story behind the ‘surprise’ she received before the finals of the X-Factor Israel, to get to know her more, and the people behind who love her and support her all the way through.

Let us know these two significant persons in Rose Fostanes’ life- her youngest sister Ma. Nancy Fostanes, 42 years old, and her girlfriend Melinda Adel, 52 years old.

How did you know Ate Osang auditioned and was accepted in X-Factor Israel?

Nancy: She told me that she auditioned and was accepted during one of our chats. Our mom told me she loves to sing at an early age and always wanted to join singing contests, and mom would just allow her to sing on stage so she wouldn’t get upset and Ate Rose loved it.

In the 1980′s she became our barangay’s bet in every singing competition. She always gives her prize to mother whenever she wins without thinking of herself.

Mel, how did you meet Rose?

Mel: I was a student then renting an apartment above the canteen where she worked. As one of their regular customers, she invited me to attend a birthday party where our relationship started. She was 16 years old at the time.

When did Ate Osang start working abroad?

Nancy: She was 23 when she first went to Egypt to work as a caregiver.

Mel: We were both contractual workers in Purefoods when she decided to leave for abroad because of our irregular jobs. She wanted to help her family and for us to have a better life, so we agreed in her decision to try her luck overseas.

 

Did Rose try joining any TV singing competition before?

Mel: She tried to audition in Bagong Kampeon hosted by Pilita Corales. She passed the audition and was asked to return, but because of some hindrances like dress to wear and budget constraint, she didn’t go to the competition because we need to prioritize working to earn money. So she set aside her dream of being a singer.

What were your reactions when she entered the semi-final stage of X-Factor?

Nancy/Mel: We were so happy and proud and we all hoped that she will make it because we believe in her talent. Our kabarangay relatives and friends were so happy too and they said Ate Rose will make it because she really has a talent in singing. Even our relatives abroad shared her pictures and congratulated her. We always encouraged her that she will win it because she has the talent and it’s her dream.

What do you think Mel is the factor/s that played a big role in maintaining your relationship with Rose for 33 years?

Mel: For me it’s the trust and constant communication.  We always practice give and take whenever we disagree. If she’s mad I let her alone for a while and wait till she feels okay and then I will talk to her and explain everything and vice-versa. We always settle our misunderstanding in a very nice way.

About the ‘surprise’ for Rose, who contacted you?

Mel: Mr. Yariv Fischer called me when Rose was on the 7 finalists. He asked me if I am Rose’s girlfriend and if I want to go to Israel to surprise Rose. I told him ‘Yes’ but I don’t have money to buy a ticket.  He told me ‘No problem!’

Nancy: X-Factor called me first, asked if I am the sister, and if I want to go to Israel. I said I have a problem with my expired passport. They told me they will help to fix my papers. Then they said Yariv will talk to me to submit all the requirements and promised me they will do their best to help me.  Afterwards Vice Consul Ferdinand Flores called me and explained everything I needed to do. We have roundtrip tickets including hotel accommodations courtesy of Mr. Yariv Fischer of Fly East and I-Remit. We arrived last Jan. 11, a few days before the finals and will go home on Jan. 31.

Did Rose know anything about your coming? Her reaction when she saw you…

Nancy and Mel: They hid us when we arrived. She was so surprised when she saw us although she said she already had a feeling because she saw our interviews on TV when media people interviewed us at the airport.

Did you have the feeling that she’ll win the title?

Mel/Nancy: We expected her to be the runner-up only since she’s competing in a foreign country although she has a big chance considering her voice. Although we have confidence in her ability and talent and we believe that she has the best voice amongst the contestants, our minds dictate otherwise thinking Israelis will give priority to Israelis. What’s important is that the whole world heard her voice and we are so overjoyed for her.

She has a simple dream to be recognized with her talent in singing and we understand all the changes in her life. We expected her to be very busy and will have less time for us just like now. She’s already considered a celebrity and we understand that she’s a different person now.

What do you expect from Rose after her triumph?

Nancy: Knowing all her sacrifices, working abroad for almost 20 years and everything she did for us, I hope she’ll have a better life to enjoy and to prioritize her self now although I know she’ll share whatever wealth and success she has. She whispered in my ears when I hugged her while crying after the announcement that she won, “I am doing this for all of you.”

Mel: It was our dream to have our own flourishing business which we can depend upon during that time when we don’t have the financial capacity to make it happen. And now that we have something to begin with, I hope that we can really start to make our dream together turn into reality.

Your message to Fly East knowing they are responsible in bring you here to Israel.

Nancy/Mel: From the bottom of our hearts, we’re so thankful to Fly East especially to Mr. Yariv Fischer for helping us arrange everything to be with Rose during the time she needed a family to hug and kiss on her most precious moment in life- the realization of her dream. We will never forget Fly East and Mr. Yariv Fischer for their generosity.

What can you say about Israel and its people?

Nancy and Mel: We’re so happy we reached Holy Land to support Rose, it’s a very beautiful country with beautiful people. We are so thankful to them for making Rose’s dream come true and for giving her the chance to prove her talent and worth as a person. We’re exhilarated to visit the Wailing Wall and we prayed that the Lord God will give her good health.

Your message for Rose?

Nancy: I know my sister very well and she will never change. And I am here to support her all the way. I am so happy and proud of the success you achieved and of course our family. Take care of yourself and stay healthy. Don’t forget to call God always and we love you so much.

Mel: I wish that she will not change wherever success leads her and that we will continue to reach the dreams we weaved together and for our relationship to grow stronger. I love you and hope nothing will change between us. May you remain the same Osang that I knew 33 years ago. I will always be here to support you with all my heart.

I also talked to Mr. Yariv Fischer, CEO and co-owner of Fly East and I-Remit, the one responsible for the wonderful ‘surprise’ our X-Factor winner received. Fly East is a travel agency specializing in tourism in the Far East, whilst I-Remit engages in   money remittance, both serving the foreign workers in Israel.

Hi Sir, whose idea is it to surprise Rose by bringing her sister and girlfriend in Israel?

Mr. Fischer: It was my idea because Rose is one of our clients at Fly East and I-Remit. Upon hearing her very touching story and of course I love her voice, I thought I owed something to make her happy, so I decided to make a move and give her a surprise and the thought of bringing her loved ones here would be a great idea.

How did you make that idea happen?

Mr. Fischer: With the help of our Public Relations Department, they contacted the X-Factor Israel production staff. The Philippine Ambassador Generoso Calonge and Vice Consul Ferdinand Flores also helped me a lot in arranging the passports and papers of Rose’s sister and girlfriend. It took only 4 days to process instead of 14 days that’s why I’m so thankful to them.

We brought her sister Nancy and gf Mel to Israel with roundtrip tickets including hotel accommodations at New Benjamin Hotel, Herzliyya Pituach. We gave them a car/driver and we called this “The Rose Mission,” all because we love Rose and we wanted her to be happy.

Rose’s reaction with this ‘surprise’?

Mr. Fischer: She was crying and said that I don’t know what this meant for her and she’ll always be grateful to us for what we did for her. And we are happy that we made her happy.

I went to Ben Gurion Airport to personally greet Nancy and Mel   who were so excited for the reunion with Rose. One of the X-Factor production crews escorted us. I just want to share this backstage scene wherein the Philippine Ambassador was also present. The production staff and everybody were so excited for the surprise. You can really feel and see that everybody loves Rose. We think that we really did the right thing.

A great idea indeed, your message to Rose and the Filcom?

Mr. Fischer: We know that she will never forget what we did for her for the rest of her life. Fly East and I-Remit is happy for her for winning the first X-Factor Israel. We are hopeful that she’ll pursue her singing career and that it will be the first step towards becoming famous as a singer in the whole world. We believe in her and she really deserved everything.

Fly East and I-Remit Israel sees the Filipino community in Israel as part of our big family for more than ten years. We will continue to serve and do our best to give Filipinos the excellent service that they deserve, make them happy here in Israel and to offer them our finest products in the cheapest price there is.

Focal Magazine is so proud and happy for you Ms. Rose “Osang” Fostanes. We love you and thank you for bringing pride to the Filipinos. God bless you!


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2013 proved to be a successful year for many Filipinos in the international scene as Filipina beauty queens emerged winners in major beauty contests worldwide. As we embark on another eventful year this 2014, another proud moment greeted us Filipinos with the triumph of Ms. Rose “Osang” Fostanes as the first winner of X-Factor Israel, once again a Filipino world-class talent recognized in the international stage. Call it luck or destiny, 47-year-old Rose works as a caregiver and did it her ‘way’ as she made her dream come true when she sang what many aspiring singers dread to sing, “My Way”. Her very touching personal story and her powerful voice were her only major weapons, she gained respect and admiration from the viewers and followers every time she performed on stage. X-Factor Israel offered her a life-changing opportunity to showcase her immense talent not only in Israel but to the whole world. She’s been compared to Susan Boyle of Britain’s Got Talent for both of them have a similar tale… an inspiring story and great talent that can move one’s heart. Ate Osang [as she’s fondly called by her friends] is the familiar voice you’ve heard in many gigs and Filcom programs. She has sung at Pinoy Resto Bar, Bahay Kubo, Tambayan and Mommy’s Place where she was a regular performer. Eldest among 4 siblings of 3 girls and a boy, their father left them when they were still kids. She became the family’s sole breadwinner when both of THE ROSE MISSION An inter vie w with Ma. Nan cy Fostanes , Melin da Adel an d Mr. Yari v Fis cher By Cheryl Sevegan their parents died. Her poignant story is akin to rags-to-riches fairy-tale of survival and success.

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Using her powerful voice and innate humility as her major weapons, she conquered Israel and became
the topic around the world after winning the first-ever X-Factor Israel singing contest, in the process bringing pride and honor not only to Filipinos in Israel but around the globe. The FFCI, as the umbrella organization of the Filipino community here in Israel, organized a tribute to give back the honor to our one and only Ms. Rose Fostanes.

A Valentine’s Special Straight from the Heart of Ms. Rosanna ‘Osang’ Fostanes

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By Cheryl Sevegan

Born in Manila on January 3, 1967, 47-year-old Ms. Rose Fostanes is the first-born child of parents Natividad Caspello Igdanes and Benedicto Tubo Fostanes. She came to Israel as a simple caregiver and now achieved celebrity status after sweeping the first-ever X-Factor Israel singing contest.

After 6 years of working here, she didn’t expect that her life will change dramatically through her singing talent. Her name became one of the hottest trending topics in the internet due to her humble beginnings and extraordinary life story to stardom. It was a victorious moment for Filipinos all over the world as she made history, bringing great pride and honor to our country so timely after the massive destruction brought by super typhoon Haiyan.

Dear readers, it’s a great privilege having a tete-a-tete conversation with this modest woman as she opened her heart and shared her thoughts about her exhilarating experiences, unconsciously giving immense honor and tribute to LGBTs and Filipinos in Israel and around the world.


Hello Ate Osang, congratulations and again thank you for giving pride to Filipinos. Can you tell us how it all started (joining X-Factor Israel)?

Rose: It was Nathalie Slosher who convinced me to try out in X-Factor. I also auditioned in Kokav Nolad before but they didn’t accept me because I’m not an Israeli citizen although they told me that I have a beautiful voice.

Then X-Factor came in. I tried out with a song by Rihanna “I Love The Way You Lie” which I sang in a cappella. Then they told me to wait for their call. While waiting for their call a talent scout from X-Factor went to Mommy’s Place where I regularly sing and asked me if I wanted to join. I said I already did the audition and just waiting for their call.

After one month they called me and I did the re-audition because they thought that I’m only good for the song I auditioned. They asked me to sing Lady Gaga’s song “You and I” and Katie Perry’s “One And The Same.”

Then they told me again to wait for two weeks and advised me to prepare 5 songs that I sing best. After that they requested if I could sing something that is very touching and so I sang “Girl on Fire”. It turned out a li’l funny because they asked me if it’s touching to me and the song isn’t a touchy song. I sang “This Is My Life” instead which they liked so much. During my first appearance on TV, I never expected that they will give me a standing ovation.

How did your journey in singing started here in Israel?

Rose: When I went to Egypt and Lebanon I stopped singing. Through my neighbor who told me to apply to Israel, here I am. I started singing again for free just for fun and to train my voice as well through Pinoy Pinay when I was already 8 months here. Then they organized a singing contest yearly wherein the winners were Alain David, AJ Masajo, another Filipina, Rani Montemayor, and I was the fifth winner. After that I joined Asian Idol in Karat Resto Bar where I placed 2nd only. I asked ‘Mommy’ of Mommy’s Place if I can be a regular performer because I learned that they are looking for singers.

Do you remember the first prize money you received from singing?

Rose: I remember the first song I sang was “Pearly Shell” when I was a kid. They paid me 1 peso for singing it. From there I got addicted in singing because of the prize and because it made me happy. Everything I won I gave them to my family.

Did it ever cross your mind that someday you will reach this kind of life-changing achievements?

Rose: Honestly no! I never imagined that I will win in this kind of major competition and that I’ll be famous. Until now it hasn’t sunk in yet and I still can’t believe it’s really happening.

I noticed that everytime you perform on stage you always wear the same color and type of dress. Who chose your outfits?

Rose: The X-Factor people chose my clothes because they said I’m a Diva, so I should wear that kind of dress. I also complained about it because most of my friends noticed it.

Have you ever had an inkling winning the competition knowing you’re just a foreign worker here?

Rose: I also didn’t believe I will win because I know Israelis are very loyal and they always prioritize their fellow countrymen.

Why didn’t the host announce the prize money for the grand winner of X-Factor?

Rose: I don’t know why she didn’t announce it although they told us beforehand.  I think what’s important is the singing contract which is 3 years. I will start to record my first album soon.

So what visa category do you have right now?

Rose: They gave me two options. The first is a caregiver visa category with extra visa for singing.The second option is to give up my employer and a singer visa only.

My employer is so nice and very supportive of me. Galit Sige is 47 years old, has two wonderful kids and husband but suffering from scleroderma disease. I took care of an old woman in Jerusalem when I arrived in Israel on Sept. 2007 but they brought me to a religious family with 8 children. I worked for other employers too. Exactly 4 months left on my visa when my employer before Galit died. Galit was already in need of a metapelet, thus, I worked for her and we became close. She knew from the beginning that I regularly sing at Mommy’s.

When I joined X-Factor, my employers supported me. X-Factor called them and they confirmed that I work with them legally. Galit gave me a vacation until the Final. She even watched my first live show from the hospital and was surprised when I received standing ovation from the judges. I appreciated it when they gave me standing ovations during the first few times, but doubts crept in my mind thinking it was a joke whenever they did it after my succeeding performances.

Singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” live on my third performance, I was at the backstage rehearsing for my presentation when suddenly I saw my name flashed all over the screen on the stage. I was touched and I really cried. I cannot imagine that this is it… the realization of my dream!

I rested for 1 day after winning in the Finals and went back to work only for my employer to tell me, “Mazeh? What is it? Why do you need to work now?”  She told me to rest. Actually my employer encouraged me to choose the singing visa. We always talk.

What was your first impression of Israelis when you first arrived here in Israel?

Rose: I like Israeli people. I’ve been to many countries like Lebanon and Egypt. If I will compare them, I will choose Israelis 100%. They are very different from them. Israelis are very straightforward. They will say to you things in front of your face.

After everything you’ve been through, you’ve tried many times but you failed; what have you learned in life?

Rose: Don’t lose hope! If you have the talent regardless of your age, don’t stop and never be shy to show it to the whole world. Just don’t give up. I can’t forget the first time I stepped my feet on the stage, I can’t explain my feeling. I felt so nervous but I was able to overcome it and later enjoyed it!

Have you ever felt the feeling of failure and rejection?

Rose: Yes, I’ve tried so many times and was rejected by people but it didn’t stop me. Failure? I’m always ready for it even here in X-Factor. I wasn’t expecting to win it. What was important for me that time was during the judges’ in-house audition. I told myself that I’ll make it better and do my best if I got in. I always prayed. And when I reached the Top 4, I said to myself it’s okay if I will be bundled out thinking at least I reached the Top 4 which is already a big achievement for me. Until now I still can’t believe that I reached the Finals and actually won it and that people from across the world especially in the Philippines know me and my achievement.

I believe that you and your humble background contributed to the high rating of the program which made people interested to watch it. Do you think that through your triumph the relationship between Israelis and Filipinos, especially employers and workers, has somehow improved?

Rose: I think yes because I heard that many employers are proud for having a Filipino caregiver and they talk about me with their caregivers and watched together the program. I hoped that I showed to them we’re not simply caregivers but also talented individuals.

What’s your greatest dream now?

Rose: Now that I’ve won, my dream now is for my singing career to continue prospering and that God continue to bless me with good health. Also for my siblings’ social status to get better because I only want the best for them. If I saw them okay and settled already, then I can say I can retire already (crying while sharing some of her family stories). I love my family very much that’s why every time someone touches that side of my life I get too emotional.

During the victory party thrown by FFCI, I cried on that event because while my friends on stage were singing “My Way” for me, I saw an Israeli guy having difficulty walking towards me just to have a souvenir picture with me. And so I took his hand because I felt touched and moved by the simple gesture from people I don’t know who really like and appreciate me. It made me cry because it never happened to me. I felt so appreciated and loved.

Do you have invitations in the Philippines?

Rose: I wanted to go home on the second week of February because ABS-CBN requested me to be a guest in ASAP. Also in GMA, German Moreno called and we talked over the phone. He said he’ll give me a walk of fame with stars on the side on his show. He is planning to give me a concert and there are still countless invitations. I hope that it will happen soon and I’m also excited for it.

How is Rose Fostanes now after all of these things?

Rose: Nothing, I’m still the same. I’m still me, it’s like nothing big happened to me. I’m still living an ordinary life. I believe that this is the plan for me and that everything happened for a reason… because I may be fat and the only way for me to reach my dream is through my talent.

How about you having your own family, you know what I mean…

Rose: I sacrificed everything for my family even my love life because they are my everything- they are my life. Mel is always there waiting and supporting me. She understands me. We’ll just save for our future so that we can support ourselves when we get old. But having children of our own, I think it’s not in our plan anymore.

How are you going to spend your Valentine’s Day?

Rose: Nothing special because Mel will go back to the Philippines. Maybe we’ll just talk over the phone or chat. It’s been many Valentine’s Day that passed that we are far from each other.  I might just go out with friends and if there are invitations I will be very busy performing for different communities during Valentine’s celebrations as well as parties and other events.

For family breadwinners like you, what can you say to them?

Rose: For fellow OFWs sacrificing everything for decades working abroad like me who are never tired supporting their families, just don’t lose hope. Find ways to earn extra income and somehow save something for yourself. I believe that everybody has a talent. We should   discover it and use it and let it our way to reach our dream.

What is the best thing you’ve learned in life that you think will inspire our fellow OFWs and kababayans?

Rose: Having a strong will, determination and not be ashamed of who you are no matter how you look in your personal appearance. Just like me, I’m not beautiful, I’m fat and not sexy, but I strove hard to develop my talent and discovered it more. And I never stopped chasing my dream.

Your message to everyone…

Rose: I want to thank everybody for the big help especially in voting for me. Without all of your help, I will not win the competition. After what typhoon Yolanda did to Central Visayas, at least we brought back our pride by showing to all that we are united. Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Focal Magazine and the Filipino community in Israel are so proud of you.  We are all so thankful for bringing pride and honor to Filipinos and most of all for inspiring us to continue reaching for our dreams.

Equality for Women is Progress for All – An International Women’s Day 2014 Special

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Compiled by Cheryl Sevegan and Ferdie Bravo

Hilary Clinton, Marie Curie, Margaret Thatcher, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Oprah Winfrey, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Serena and Venus Williams – they are famous women personalities around the globe. But what do these women have in common? Amongst them are current and former political leaders, scientist, intellectual educators, entertainer, entrepreneurs, activists and sportswomen, but one thing they have in common is that these are courageous women who raised their voice in protest of what they thought as unjust treatment to girls in their respective fields of profession.

No longer silent and passive, no longer confined to kitchens and household chores, women today are educators and athletes, politicians and activists, and doctors and adventurers. Women entrepreneurs are now successful in business. Women scientists make breakthrough discoveries. Women journalists and writers suggest new ways of examining issues and events.

As the world revolves into the next millennium, one thing is certain: Women will never be the same again and neither will the world. Women in this era help bring about major transformations in various aspects of our lives.

Consider this question in your mind: What would the world be like without Eleanor Roosevelt’s compassionate action? Would someone help the destitute and needy in India instead of the loving and caring hands of Mother Theresa? Where would societies be without the liberating message of freedom and equality from impassioned women like Betty Friedan, Margaret Sanger and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi? Can a man mimic the fearless voice of Mrs. Santiago that borders between truth and insult in the Senate?

Through the years, we’ve seen the greatest women in history making the greatest impact with their humble accomplishments that will be mentioned in the annals of humanity and their influence will definitely reverberate for untold years to come.

Women’s rights and equality between genders of both sexes have improved by leaps and bounds since the establishment of the International Women’s Day in 1911. Although there are still nations that look down at women as second class citizens due to strict adherence on their faith and belief (mostly in the Muslim world), most democratic governments now have gradually accepted that fact that everybody has the same rights irrespective of gender and race.

Through the years we’ve seen gutsy women speaking about abuse, discrimination and inequality, which spun into a revolution resulting to the many different feminist groups and activists, protesting what they perceived as unfair treatment in their workplace and environment where they live. The openness by which most government societies now accept women as a vital player in the progress and development is the product of an era marked by rapid change and upheaval in the industrialized world.

As the planet’s population continuously grows, demand for labor increasing, and new ideologies taking shape, women are thrust into a brave new world confronted with a host of different challenges where their contribution is seen as vitally important as the men’s. Thus, setting a day to commemorate the importance of women in the realization of our dreams is simply right and just like this International Women’s Day.

Two years after the first observance of the IWD, the date was officially set to March 8, the date by which it’s been celebrated globally ever since. Rallies and protests around the world demanding the rights for women to education, work, vote, be trained and hold public office, were constant features in various places every time IWD is celebrated.

Today, International Women’s Day is recognized by the UN and is an official holiday in 27 countries. On this day each year, men are asked to honor their mothers, wives, girlfriends and colleagues — similar to Mother’s Day, when boys and men celebrate and give gifts to their mothers and grandmothers.

Esther Rantzen

Esther Rantzen, a English woman who made pioneering programs on subjects including British women’s experience of childbirth, stillbirth, mental health and child abuse, concluded when asked about the significance of IWD for her, “Appreciating the freedom and opportunities that women in Britain have and challenging the fact that so many women in so many other countries round the world are still deprived of that most crucial gift of all – education. Of course, there are many barriers still to break down in Britain, but we at least recognize that women have the right to ask questions about why we don’t have equal pay and why we’re not represented in Parliament or the boardroom in sufficient numbers. But look at what the Taliban, for example, are doing to women who want to educate girls.”

This year’s celebration highlights the importance of achieving equality for women and girls not simply because it is a matter of fairness and fundamental human rights, but because progress in so many other areas depends on it.

Based on statistics and data, countries with more gender equality have better economic growth. Companies with more women leaders perform better and peace agreements that include women are more durable.  Parliaments with more women enact more legislation on key social issues such as health, education, anti-discrimination and child support and they are considered the ‘heart that speaks its conscience’ in many legislative and judicial bodies. Important gains have been made in access to primary education for girls and political representation by women, but progress remains far too slow and uneven.

Ms. Rantzen added, “A baby girl born today will still face inequality and discrimination, no matter where her mother lives.  We have a common obligation to ensure her right to live free from the violence that affects one in three women globally; to earn equal pay for equal work; to be free of the discrimination that prevents her from participating in the economy; to have an equal say in the decisions that affect her life; and to decide if and when she will have children, and how many she will have.

I have a message for every girl born today, and to every woman and girl on the planet:  Realizing human rights and equality is not a dream, it is a duty of governments, the United Nations and every human being.

I also have a message for my fellow men and boys: play your part.  All of us benefit when women and girls – your mothers, sisters, friends and colleagues — can reach their full potential.

Together, let us work for women’s rights, empowerment and gender equality as we strive to eliminate poverty and promote sustainable development.  Equality for women is progress for all!”

Lamenting discrimination against women and girls worldwide, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said: “Where men and women have equal rights, societies prosper.”

ONE FOR THE RECORD

Organizers of a rally marking the event in the Philippine capital, Manila, couldn’t agree more.

“The reason why we are doing this is because we want to reaffirm our commitment to create an enabling environment for women to become better in what they do,” said organizing committee partner, Gilda Patricia Maquilan. “In that way, they can help in uplifting the lives of their family and their communities.”

The Manila rally at the Quirino grandstand involved thousands of women standing in a giant human formation of the cross-like female scientific symbol. Not only was it a huge statement on behalf of women but the female formation could also make it into the Guinness Book of Records.

As the world marked International Women’s Day on March 8, thousands gathered in Manila to set a record for the biggest human formation of the female symbol—a circle with a cross underneath—to kick off month-long activities honoring the resiliency of Filipino women.

With a tally of 10,168, organizers of the event were confident that the activity would make it to the Guinness World Records for the highest number of participants forming the woman’s symbol, a gender sign that also denotes the astrological symbol of planet Venus.

Guinness requires only 250 people in formation for 15 minutes. Organizers said it would take a week before the record is officially validated by Guinness World Records.

There is no previous record for the largest human formation of a gender symbol, although the Guinness website lists 10,563 people as taking part in a giant formation of a droplet in Haryana, India, in November 2013.

The activity was held by the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), the national machinery for gender equality and empowerment, to raise awareness of gender issues and recognize women’s role in their overall contribution to progress and disaster recovery.

Wearing white shirts, delegates from the government, academic institutions, private sector and civil society groups assembled at Quirino Grandstand at 6 a.m. to join the human formation. The Armed Forces of the Philippines provided field marshals and aerial video documentation of the activity, which will be sent to Guinness.

By 7 a.m., the participants lined up for the formation on Burnham Green, Rizal Park’s parade grounds. They were given wrist tags for proper accounting, which was checked by auditors from Sycip Gorres Velayo and Co.

The launching of Women’s Month, with the theme “Juana ang tatag mo ay tatag natin sa pagbangon at pagsulong,” was held in partnership with Coca-Cola Philippines.

Six out of 10 women were beaten up at home and there was a high incidence of incest in the Philippines. However, victims are ashamed to seek help and, oftentimes, blame themselves. That’s why it is important to teach women at the barangay level to create a support system so as to prevent future abuses.

While the Philippines might be better off than other countries (we don’t have honor killing or the tradition of killing women who have been raped, female circumcision or dowry system), there is still a lot left to be desired when it comes to discrimination and equal opportunity.

As the world becomes more open and tolerant of women’s rights and equality, there is a great hope that someday they will be able to perform to their full potential as partners of men in shaping and directing our future. It will be a grand moment when women won’t be considered the weaker of the two sexes anymore, and that every field of human endeavor, every spectrum of the society, we will see women happily doing their tasks receiving equal pay for equal work just like the men.

Here are some Empowerment Quotes for women:

“Woman is the companion of man, gifted with equal mental capacity.” — Gandhi

“Women are leaders everywhere you look — from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads her household. Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes.” — Nancy Pelosi

“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

“Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of a man at twice its natural size.” — Virginia Woolf

“The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.” — Roseanne Barr

“The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.” — Charles Malik

My Top 3 personal list of empowered women:

1.)  The women leaders around the globe fighting for our rights and recognition as women notwithstanding whatever it takes them.

2.)  The Women in Uniform (especially the IDF ladies), who at their young age are already trained to defend their homeland. I personally give my highest regard and respect to them.

3.) I personally considered OFW women (especially mothers working away from their families and loved ones) as empowered women facing the challenges alone in life. They sacrificed a lot and struggle to give a better future for their families.

Without girls and women, humanity’s existence will simply cease to exist. They sustain the continuous presence of life on the face of the Earth which is their biggest contribution that we can’t deny. Nations and governments may be ruled by powerful men, but behind every man is a woman (his wife, sister or mother). On behalf of Focal magazine, we salute all beautiful, tough and strong women around the world.

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Hilary Clinton, Marie Curie, Margaret Thatcher, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Oprah Winfrey, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Serena and Venus Williams – they are famous women personalities around the globe. But what do these women have in common? Amongst them are current and former political leaders, scientist, intellectual educators, entertainer, entrepreneurs, activists and sportswomen, but one thing they have in common is that these are courageous women who raised their voice in protest of what they thought as unjust treatment to girls in their respective fields of profession.

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