2005 Report Card

The year began with the frenzy of activities in connection with the presidential inauguration festivities for the second term of George W. Bush. FARV leadership under helped organize and participated in the in the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Presidential Inaugural Gala.

Political action started in the spring when members solicited voter signatures to help GOP candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general meet their required petition signatures to register as candidates.

Leading to the state elections, we participated or supported the Fairfax county Republican committee=s Fairfax Fair=s booth, the Mason District Fair=s booth and manned our own booth at a Filipino-American independence festivity in Virginia Beach.

We continued to collaborate with other Asian-American groups, the Hispanics and African-American. In the summer, this coalition of minority ethnic groups successfully held a rally at the Edison High School auditorium in support of the GOP state candidates.

To spread the presence of FARV within the Commonwealth, we alternated meetings in Northern Virginia, Chesapeake/VA Beach and Richmond.

Elections for new FARV officers and directors were held in Richmond. Januario G. Azarcon took over as President and Vellie Dietrich-Hall became chairman of the board. The elected officers and directors were inducted into office in September, in Chesapeake, Va. The event was able to draw the presence of Sen. George Allen, candidate for Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, candidate for Attorney General Bob McDonnell, Mrs. Marty Kilgore, Rep. Thelma Drake, Chesapeake Commonwealth Attorney Nancy Parr, candidates for state delegates Sal Iaquinto and Matt Mueda Chesapeake Sheriff John Newhart. Dr. Jane Legaspi was the gala chairperson.

In September, we came out with our newsletter under the new name- The New Wave. The name is about us, the immigrants of the modern era. The paper is now produced by an all volunteer staff with Maurese Owens as editor-in-chief and Januario AWarie@G. Azarcon, Esq. as managing editor. In addition to distributing copies to members and party officials, we have experimented with using a Fil-Am store as our distribution outlet. We have received favorable feedbacks.

Then came the biggest event of the year, the state elections. Several FARV volunteers started to do phone banking as early as two months before the elections up until the voting begun. We participated in the FCRC breakfast pep rally and the Northern Virginia campaign rally by the GOP ticket at the United Van Lines compound in Fairfax. We planted yard signs, marched in parades, watched precincts and even went door knocking.

In addition to manpower, FARV also contributed funds to the campaigns of Jerry Kilgore, Bill Bolling, Bob McDonnell and several candidates for the state legislature. We generated funds from our gala event in Chesapeake and held special fund raisers for Jerry Kilgore and Filipino-American candidate Matt Mueda.

FARV was also represented at the RPV Advance at the Homestead in Hot Springs, VA in November. Vellie Dietrich-Hall was moderator of the Membership Advisory forum while J. AWarie@ Azarcon was one of the panelists discussing the political impact of immigration issues. When Democrat Craig Deeds forced a recount of the votes for Attorney General, FARV was also there to protect the votes of Republican Bob McDonnell. Harry Hall and Vellie Dietrich Hall volunteered as recount observers in Loudoun County. J. AWarie@ Azarcon drove miles to cover Shenandoah County.

FARV continues to support the cause of the World War II Filipino veterans in their struggle to claim benefits accorded to American World War II veterans. We collected signatures to petitions submitted to Virginia legislators asking their support for the claims of the aging Filipino veterans. Through the representations of Vellie Dietrich Hall, Gen. Delfin Lorenzana of the Philippine Embassy Office of Veterans Affairs and Eric Lachica of the Coalition of Filipino American Veterans, Sen. George Allen, along with other U.S. senators, sponsored and introduced a senate resolution recognizing the contribution of Filipino veterans to the victory of America in the Pacific during World War II.. The resolution passed in time for Veterans Day. Vellie also was picked to testify before a committee hearing in the House of Representatives involving the claims of these veterans.

As part of its commitment to public service, FARV sponsored a seminar on dual-citizenship for Filipino-Americans with Consul Henry Bensurto of the Philippine Embassy and Januario G. Azarcon, Esq., as resource speakers. Due to a favorable response to the first seminar in Chesapeake in November, we will hold a series of seminars in different locations in the Commonwealth.

FARV has complied with the State Board of Elections and Internal Revenue reporting requirements, thanks to Alma Conty, Astro Tejada and Chris Banagan.

We have increased our data base in the last year. We will continue to rise from the building blocks of the past.

Happy New Year.

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