• Laugh out loud with Fe • ‘Kabalikat’ hails domestic workers pact • Photographers hold exhibit
The Queen of Comedy Cabaret Fe de los Reyes will bring her brand of humor to Queens, performing excerpts from her hit show “Amerika Na” and the cleverly put together, “Fe’s Book.”
The musical-comedy show will be held June 26, 7 p.m. at Payag Restaurant in Woodside, Queens. Tickets are $25 and are exclusive of food and beverage. Contact the restaurant at 347-935-3192 for reservations. The concert is being organized by Fast Twitch Productions in cooperation with S.A.P. and Love2Laugh.
A graduate of economics from Ateneo de Manila, Fe was a backup singer of Kuh Ledesma in the ’80s. She later joined the Music and Magic show band. When the group disbanded seven years later, she went on to pursue a solo career.
But her journey to fame and fortune didn’t end there. She left for the States in 1993 and got her green card as an Alien of Extraordinary Ability reserved for those with extraordinary achievements in the arts in their field. Fe acquired citizenship in 2002, and works as an accredited realtor in California.
Joining Fe in the show as guests are Kirby Asunto and Apple V. Kirby, 13, is a regular at community gatherings after winning the Child Access Broadway and Philippine Fiesta Idol contests. Apple V is known for her gifted vocals and crazy antics.On June 30, Fe will perform with Sounds of Manila at WuzzUp Asian Café in Bergenfield, New Jersey at 8 p.m.
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The Kabalikat Domestic Workers’ Support Network of Philippine Forum celebrates the passage of the Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers by the International Labor Organization (ILO). ‘Kabalikat’ means “shoulder to shoulder” in Filipino.
Kabalikat said domestic workers have remained invisible. This state of unprotected employment conditions puts Filipino workers at risk for exploitation, abuse, and trafficking, with no guarantee that they will be given protection by the Philippine government, which, instead, has been promoting domestic work through its Labor Export Policy.
“Even as workers continue to support the Philippine economy through their remittances, they have received less or no support at all from the Philippine government,” said Michelle Saulon, a Kabalikat coordinator. “This has been an outstanding problem.”
Kabalikat was formed following the death of domestic worker Fely Garcia in New York. The group said they received no assistance from the Philippine Mission in repatriating the body back to the Philippines.
The Philippine Forum, a community-based organization in Queens, raised funds to help family members of Ms. Garcia come to New York and take Garcia’s body back home. Kabalikat has since been involved in other cases and campaigns against exploitation and trafficking of Filipino domestic workers.
Domestic worker Lorena Sanchez said she is glad that the ILO has passed this very historic convention.
“Of course, the more important point for us is to ask: from these very large decisions made, how are we in our everyday lives as domestic workers, affected?” she said.
She called for continued education and organizing, noting that the primary struggle is always the collective action of the people on the streets, supplemented by parliamentary struggle in the halls of Congress.
“This is only the beginning,” said Sanchez.
Kabalikat is a program of Philippine Forum, a not-for-profit grassroots organization offering services to Filipinos and the larger immigrant community in New York and New Jersey. Philforum is a member organization of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, Migrante International, and the International Migrants’ Alliance.
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The American Society of Philippine Photographers will be holding a group exhibit at the Philippine Center Gallery on Fifth Avenue from July 5 to 15. The artists reception is on July 8 at 6:30 p.m.
The following photographers are participating in the Sinag Fine Art Photography Exhibition: Bong Alcid, Jun Hernandez, Frank Jimenez, Eddie Belen, Rob Baton, Vicky Bobila, Mae Palaci, Robert P. de Tagle, Donna Samonte, Dulcie Dee, Pat Villaruel, John Militar, Eleonor Deveras, James Vigilia, Ross Inciong, Norman Montifar, Archie Reyes, Rene Ner, and Marc Arevalo.
For details, contact: Donna Samonte at 917-302-6818; Frank Jimenez at 973-652-4422; Jun Hernandez at 732-422-6905 or Robert P De Tagle 201-918-2113.
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