YourSay: Guam Deja Vu

Hi Ed,

How are you?

Do you remember our conversation re. recruitment of workers for Guam? The news article brings me back to what I was sharing with you that was forgotten by people in Region 3 and Olongapo-Zambales .

I was sharing with you that my late father, TEOFILO E. HERMOSO from Candelaria,Zambales facilitated the recruitment of workers from Zambales-Olongapo and provinces of Central Luzon and Pangasinan & La Union. Later he became the president of Guam Filipino-Employees Association, a 20,000 member organization of the Filipinos in Guam with whom he fought for equal pay rights as in the mainland USA in Guam being a trusted territory.

The campaign at that time earned a Congressional inquiry from the Philippines and became a banner headline in Phil newspapers. My father used his personal resources to bring the case to the US supreme court but somehow, Pres. Marcos after winning the elections did not push for it anymore after my father campaigned with the 20,000 employees with their families.

At that time having 20,000 voters plus all their families was a huge advantage which is why Marcos got 80% of votes. My father was often with Marcos in his campaign sorties and was used. The Guam employees were the first OFWs from the Philippines. They were the first to have built those houses that were considered "better-off" during those times. Most are gone and delapidated except for a few. They were the two-storey wooden houses whereas most then were one-storey houses. He was responsible in selecting the applicants and took advantage to get 300 workers from Candelaria (his town) San Marcelino (town of my mother) and Subic (where he met my mother) and all the other towns were allocated 200 workers each.

He reviewed and approved their applications and had them to sign their employment contracts with the US Navy who later on blamed him and his team for recruiting "not-qualified" and "without skills". My father often explained to us that he passed them to get the employment contracts in Guam even if they do not have the required skills. Imagine hiring 200 to 300 workers from each town that has no electricity, no water system and practically without motorized vehicles and yet he applied them and passed them on as electrician, plumbers, auto-mechanics, office clerks, skilled laborers and technicians of all sorts. With the US Navy being confronted with so much workers that are barefoot farmers and half-baked technicians and without skilled labor force, he then set to organize with the US Navy in Guam special tutorial classes to train the unqualified and skill less workers. Later they all became skilled and when they came home, they started to set up their shops and made there learned skills as business or later employed in the Philippines being skilled workers already.

Isn't that some kind of patriotic move? I have met some people who were in Guam, many have passed away of course but when I talked to some of them, they remember well and in fact I hired a motor-repair and an auto-mechanic who told me stories how they went to school in Guam and learned the trade with which they were employed as they continued their schooling.

The Filipinos in Guam were the same who later on moved to Hawaii and eventually many became qualified to step in the US mainland.

I thought this could well be a piece of history as once again, Filipino OFWs will re-populate Guam.

I also remember talking to some workers in the PWC in Subic Naval Base who came from Guam with their civilian supervisor named KEITH PARSONS. They all knew about it all.

I remember that a marker was put up in Candelaria to honor his efforts but was soon forgotten. A good research will justify the forgotten history.

sincerely,

ALEX HERMOSO

Olongapo mayor: Guam can take a cue from our city's experience

Olongapo City Mayor James Gordon Jr. says Guam can take a cue from the experience the province of Zambales went through in terms of hosting a U.S. military base.

Gordon is one of eight mayors from four provinces in the Philippines who are attending the Second Annual Pacific Mayors' Conference being held at the Hibiscus Hall of Fiesta Resort and Spa.

“We would like to take a major part in this effort because we can share our knowledge in what kind of jobs are needed,” said Gordon.

He said Olongapo City would be ready for any kind of jobs.

“In fact, we just created the Task Force Guam and we will have about 8,000 manpower that will be available,' he said.

Gordon said that both areas would benefit from these cooperative efforts, including exchanges in other forms like in areas of marine life.

“We can learn from them on how they will manage their clean waters and beaches,” he said.

Gordon said efforts to make the waters and beaches in Olongapo and the whole province of Zambales clean has been on top of their priorities, especially with the increasing volume of tourism.

Another mayor from Zambales who is present for the conference is Wilma Billman of Castillejos town.

Mayors from the province of Batangas are Eulalio Alilio of Lemery, Marissa Reyes of Balete, Michael Montenegro of Taal, and Epifanio Sandoval of San Nicolas.

Sandoval and Montenegro said they are here to promote the eco-tourism industries in their municipalities. Both also attended the first conference in Guam last year.

“Our town is the heart of tourism in Batangas. Right now we just opened a state school that offers courses in construction, welding maintenance and electrical technology. With this we can provide employment for our people,” Sandoval said.

He said both Taal and San Nicolas towns can participate in an exchange program with Guam, especially for the upcoming military buildup.

The vice mayor of San Pedro, Laguna, also arrived with the total of 12 delegates, including some councilors.

Another mayor arriving today from Hagonoy, Bulacan, is Donato Marcos.

This would bring the total delegation from the Philippines to 30, including six from Batangas, eight from Bulacan, four from Zambales and 12 from Laguna.

The largest U.S. naval military base outside the U.S. mainland was formerly located in Subic Bay but it was phased out in 1991 after the Philippine Senate rejected to extend the 1947 military bases agreement.

The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, also in 1991, left the naval facility in ruins, along with the Clark Air Base in Angeles, Pampanga.

Both have been converted to the Clark Freeport and Subic Bay Freeport that now employ over 100,000 workers. By Nazario Rodriguez Jr. - Saipan Tribune

Task Force Guam Created, assigned Ambassadors of Goodwill to Guam

Task Force Guam headed by Councilor Ed Piano was created by Mayor Bong Gordon to ensure participation of workers and businessmen from Olongapo in the Guam Buildup and to foster good relationship between Guam and Olongapo City



Video above was taken during Olongapo City, Philippine Goverment and Private Sector (PASEI) Mission to Guam last April 24 to May 1, 2009. The Guam Industry Forum was brought about by the impending transfer of US Military Base from Okinawa, Japan to Guam, USA. Around 8,000 US Marines and 10,000 dependents has to be relocated to Guam by 2014. In addition 6,000 Navy, Airforce, Coast Guard and other armed services will deploy additional personnel and will be joined by estimated 8,000 dependents.

An "unprecedented" funding to the tune of US $20B is expected to pour in, around 15,000 to 20,000 workers are needed to accomplish the task.

Buildup-related construction projects scheduled for fiscal 2010:

Utilities project, Headquarters building, Medical clinic, Fire station, Bachelor enlisted quarters, Aviation utilities, Aviation parking, Dog kennel, Wharf improvements, Access roads, Training facilities, Exercise support building, Naval hospital, Perimeter fence road, Electrical infrastructure project, Vehicle maintenance facility, Operations facility, National Guard center, Seawall repairs.

The Olongapo City Sangguniang Panglungsod recently passed a resolution supporting the sisterhood of Guam and Olongapo. In addition, Mayor Gordon, Councilors Piano & Baloy, EA Ronnie Lopez and Honorio Gomez was officially designated "Ambassador of Goodwill" of Olongapo City to Guam.

Olongapo City to forge sisterhood with Guam

OLONGAPO City and Guam are set to forge sister city ties to further enhance goodwill and trade relations between the two communities which share a history of hosting America’s Asia-Pacific naval facilities.

Olongapo Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. and Guam Sen. Eddie Calvo have started talks on possible areas of mutual cooperation.

“Subic is a community that once had a strong US military presence. We can learn from their experience and share in the prosperity ahead,” said Calvo.

Gordon was in Guam recently along with a contingent of Philippine officials for the Guam Industry Forum that provided updates for thousands of local, national and regional businesses interested in providing products, services and skills for the US military buildup in the area.

Guam officials and the US navy have expressed their preference to hire former Filipino base workers from Olongapo for their training and experience during years of employment under the US Navy in the erstwhile Subic naval base.

Gordon said that aside from opportunities for workers, the people of Olongapo are also interested in investments.

--People’s Journal