Sen. Grace Poe. FILE PHOTO
LOS ANGELES鈥擲en. Grace Poe reminisced about her life as an immigrant in the United States as she addressed Filipino-Americans celebrating the 116th听Philippine Independence Day.
鈥淚 was once an overseas Filipino like you,鈥� Poe, told hundreds of Fil-Ams听attending the annual 鈥淜alayaan听Grand Gala鈥� at the Westin LAX Hotel in Los Angeles Saturday evening (Sunday in Manila).
鈥淚 know how hard it is to start a new life in a foreign land.听Tulad听nyo,听naranasan听ko听maging听homesick, kung听papaano听mag drive para听sa听mga听anak,听pumasok听sa听trabaho,听magluto,听maglinis听ng听bahay听at kung听anu-ano听pa听(Like you, I felt homesick, I had to drive the kids to school, go to work, clean the house and do miscellaneous errands).鈥�
After graduating in 1991 from Boston College with a degree in political science, Poe started her family life with husband Neil听Llamanzares听in Fairfax, Virginia. They lived a quiet life for 12 years, raising their children 鈥撎鼴rian, 21, Hanna, 16, and Nika,10.
Poe, the adopted daughter of movie icon and national artist Fernando Poe, Jr. and wife Susan听Roces, said that just like most Filipino immigrants in the US, she decided to move to the US for economic reasons.
鈥淣oong听ikasal听ako,听sabi听ko,听naku听papaano听ito?听Kahit听gaano听kaganda听ang听edukasyon,听hindi听ka听mabibigyan听ng听sweldo听na听makakayang听bumuhay听ng听pamilya听(When I got married, I asked myself, what am I supposed to do? Even the best education can鈥檛 get you a salary that鈥檚 enough to raise a family),鈥� she recalled.
鈥淣ahiya听ako听sa听tatay听ko. I felt so embarrassed because I married right after I graduated.鈥�
Poe said she did not want to keep depending on her parents. So when her husband got a job in the US, they decided to live as immigrants in a country where 鈥渙pportunities are limitless鈥� for those who work hard.
In 1995, when Brian was 2 years old, Poe started to teach at a local preschool, the Montessori School of Cedar Lane. After three years, she left the school to serve as procurement liaison with the United States Geological Survey. In 2001, she joined the CSC Scientific, a manufacturer of scientific equipment. Poe worked there until she returned to the Philippines in 2004, when her father ran and lost in a disputed presidential election. The elder Poe died from a stroke seven months after his electoral loss.
贬别濒濒辞听骋补谤肠颈听
鈥淚f not for听Hello听Garci, I would have lived a quiet life here in the US,鈥� said Poe, referring to the alleged phone conversation听between听 former President Gloria听Macapagal-Arroyo and听 then听 Commission on Elections commissioner听Virgilio听Garcillano听during the 2004 elections. The call was allegedly about a plot to rig the results of the election in some areas in Mindanao.
鈥淎fter what happened to my father, I decided to go home to see what I could do to help,鈥� said the senator.
Poe, who emerged No. 1 in the 2013 senatorial election, garnering 20.3 million votes, said she 鈥渘ever expected to receive an overwhelming mandate.鈥�
鈥淲e were up against (candidates) with unlimited funds. We had very little. It was hard work,鈥� she said, thanking supporters who propelled her to victory.
鈥淏ut more important, what helped us was a capital that my father left behind 鈥� his good name and reputation as a Filipino who truly cared for his countrymen even if he wasn鈥檛 in government service,鈥� said Poe, who celebrated Father鈥檚 Day in Los Angeles.
Speaking before Fil-Ams听garbed in听Filipiniana听attire in honor of Independence Day, Poe said the revolution started in 1896 鈥渞emains unfinished.鈥�
鈥淔or most of our听kababayans听(compatriots) today, economic independence remains elusive and virtually impossible to gain,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n fact, it is the quest for economic freedom that drove many of us to migrate to the US.鈥�
Freedom of Information听
During the celebration of the country鈥檚 freedom day, Poe also talked about the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, which she sponsored in the Senate and was recently approved on third and final reading.
鈥溾�橮ag听hindi听naaarawan,听tutubuan听ng听mikrobyo鈥� (what is not exposed to sunlight gets infected with germs),鈥� she said, using the sunshine analogy to describe the importance of the FOI in curbing corruption by exposing government transactions to public scrutiny.
The proposed law will give citizens the right to request access to government records, subject to reasonable exceptions.
鈥淗indi听po听lalala听ang听problema听ng PDAF or pork barrel kung may FOI,鈥� she said, eliciting wild applause from the audience.
Poe said 70 countries, including the US, have such a law and it鈥檚 about time the oldest democracy in Asia also has one.
When asked by the听Inquirer听how living in the US shaped her as a person and a public official, Poe replied: 鈥淭o have independent views, to rely on yourself, non-self entitlement, those I learned here in the US.鈥�
On the perennial question of whether she plans to run for president or vice president in 2016, she said: 鈥淚 have no plans, but (then) we don鈥檛 hold the future entirely in our hands.鈥�
The cultural event commemorating the 116th听anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, was organized by听Kalayaan听Incorporated, a coalition of community groups headed by听Joveno听鈥楤ing鈥� De La Vega.
Among those who attended the event were Consul General Leo Herrera Lim, Cerritos Mayor Mark Pulido, Carson Mayor Jim Dear, Carson Mayor Pro Tempore听Elito听Santarina听and Bishop Oscar Solis, the first Filipino bishop in the US.
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