With the presidential elections in high gear, and various state and local races slated the year after, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
Eastern Region is mounting its efforts in the political arena by drumming up voter registration in the Filipino community through its FilVote registration drive.
The FilVote Bergen registration drive was launched in Bergen County, on Sept. 14, at Wuzzup Café, through a community breakfast dialogue attended by various leaders from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The event was hosted jointly by NaFFAA FilVote Bergen, headed by chair Nelsie Parrado, and by NaFFAA region 1, headed by J.T. Mallonga.
Mallonga discussed the importance of increasing the numbers of the Filipino-American voting block to gain visibility in the local communities and government, and to strengthen and expand the Filipino-American community’s influence and voice in the political process.
The most recognized case of gauging the Filipino-American voters’ influence in the political process is the Filipino Veteran’s Equity Bill (S.1315), which has been introduced in various forms over the years, with efforts to get legislation passed to provide benefits for Filipino veterans falling short of the goal year after year.
S. 1315 finally passed in the Senate this year, but awaits passage in the House of Representatives.
With FilVote, NAFFAA hopes that the Filipino-American community’s voice will be strengthened and united so that important legislation and issues, such as benefits for Filipino veterans, will be given due importance and urgent action by elected officials, with the same gravity that is given to other voting blocks such as with the African Americans and Latinos.
NaFFAA again conducted FilVote activities in Bergen County on Sept. 21, where volunteers went on a door-to-door street canvassing, while another group did phone-banking.
Former Bergenfield Mayor Bob Rivas stated that he was quite impressed with the core of volunteers which included, among others, Frank Celoza and Liddy Chan from NaFFAA Massachusetts, and Marlene Stern from NaFFAA Connecticut.
On Sept. 21, the Filipino American Association of Fair Lawn, Inc. (FAAFL), a NaFFAA member organization, held a voter’s registration drive and fund-raiser at St. Anne’s Church from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon after mass.
Steve Parrado, president of FAAFL, called for get-out-the-vote volunteers and also asked everyone who has not registered (or has relatives or friends who are not registered) to come to the event.
