JGL Eye

By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA

C HICAGO, Illinois (JGLi) – May is the fiesta month in the Philippines. But for Overseas Filipinos, particularly, those in the United States, they have marked June as a red-letter month.

It is that month of the year that the Filipino community feels uneasy as its members try to fulfill its annual social obligation to pay homage to the land of their birth – the celebration of its June 12 Philippine Independence.

They don’t mind if they would take days off from work or buy dinner tickets that will lighten up their wallets.

They really could not avoid this self-denial like a plague. The viruses that sometimes bit the community are as pesky as a swine flu. For the civic-conscious community, it is like Christmassy atmosphere in June: it’s better to give than to receive.

From a solo celebration more than 20 years ago, the Philippine Independence Week celebration in Chicago area would subdivide like amoeba into four groups. Thankfully, it did not multiply by geometric progression but is now heading into absorption as two of these celebrators are trying to blend some of their activities, like water seeking its own level.

Hopefully, these four groups will come together one day and will sprout from a single tree – the Philippine tree.

In fact a visiting official from the Philippine National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), who came by Chicago some years ago, and came to know about this quadruple celebration found it strange that the Filipino non-government organizations (NGOs) are leading the charge of the celebration, instead of the Philippine Consulate officials, who are relegated to the sidelines of the festivities.

Even my news group – the National Press Club of the Philippines in the United States of America (NPC Phil-U.S.A.) -- was bitten by community-organizing fatigue bug. We did not really want to compete with other community organizations to stage an event in June but it just so happened that a dream guest of our club from the Philippines happened to be able to visit Chicago area in June.

Instead of staying in the sidelines, the officers and members of the NPC Phil.-U.S.A. led by Ms. Lourdes M. Ceballos are finding themselves in the limelight as  newsmakers and news shapers.

T hey will share a full plate of community activities as they welcome in their midst, the multi-awarded book author and insightful and compelling columnist Conrad S. De Quiros of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Mr. De Quiros will be the featured speaker at the induction of Officers and New Members for 2009 and 2010 of the NPC Phil.-U.S.A. at a luncheon on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 21, at Chateau Ritz at 9100 North Milwaukee Ave., Niles, Illinois.

The induction is going to be followed by a Media and Community Relations Workshop that will last until 3 p.m.

A host of government officials, including Consul General Blesila Cabrera, has been invited to grace the event.

Mr. De Quiros will also give participants, mostly press relations officers and presidents of community organizations, and community journalists, some pointers on how to write an effective column.