Historic partnership: Teaming up for “FilVote 2008”, a Filipino voter mobilization campaign in the U.S., are, from left, FASGI Executive Director Susan Espiritu-Dilkes, ABS-CBN International Managing Director Olivia Finina De Jesus and ABS-CBN International News Bureau Chief Regina Reyes. (Bryan Reynoso)

Partnership aims to mobilize Fil-Am participation in U.S. elections this year | REDWOOD CITY, CA, May 30, 2008 – ABS-CBN International’s Balitang America, the only Filipino news program in the U.S. aired daily on cable and satellite, and the Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI), a non-profit social service agency based in Los Angeles, recently teamed up to form “FilVote 2008”. The project is an election campaign effort designed to mobilize Filipino voter registration and participation in the 2008 U.S. elections.

A Memorandum of Agreement to seal the partnership

was signed recently by ABS-CBN International Managing Director Olivia Finina De Jesus, ABS-CBN International News Bureau Chief Regina Reyes, and FASGI Executive Director Susan Espiritu-Dilkes at the Filipino media company’s Redwood Shores office.

“This project is aimed at helping make Filipinos in the U.S. realize that they have a voice and that they should use it collectively to advocate for issues directly affecting them,” said Reyes. “The best way to make public officials listen is through the power of the ballot.”

The project adopted the name, “FilVote” which has been FASGI’s non-partisan voter engagement project whose mission is to unite Filipino Americans across ideological, religious, and class differences toward gaining genuine political power in the U.S.

“Partnering with ABS-CBN International’s Balitang America is the big media push that FilVote needs in spreading the word and keeping Filipino Americans informed about both the election process and issues,” said Espiritu-Dilkes. “We need to be aware that elections do have an impact on our day-to-day lives.”

The project outreach consists of a series of Get-Out-The-Vote campaign videos from ABS-CBN and FASGI that will be aired on TFCDirect! channels (TFC, ANC, Kapamilya Channel, Cinema One Global and Myx) during election period. Balitang America will also run FilVote segments and will create and maintain an interactive FilVote website. FilVote will also be present on the ground in big events that are either sponsored or produced by ABS-CBN. Companies, organizations and individuals will be encouraged by both parties to support the project through sponsorships and volunteer participation.

“ABS-CBN International exists to serve the Filipinos wherever they may be and part of that service is to empower them through media advocacy,” explains De Jesus. “With FilVote 2008, we hope to broaden the civic engagement of Filipinos in the U.S. by educating them and providing them a forum to voice out concerns that are important to them.”

About ABS-CBN International

ABS-CBN International was established in 1994 to be of service to the Filipino worldwide. With the launch of its flagship brand, The Filipino Channel (TFC), the company became the first and most successful Filipino broadcaster in the United States. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is the largest business subsidiary of ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ leading broadcasting company.

ABS-CBNi - The Filipino Channel: Successful Launching of Its 15th Year Anniversary and Its Collaboration with FASGI’S FILVOTE

ONTARIO, CA, September 21, 2008 – ABS-CBN International launched its 15th year anniversary celebration at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, California. The event was attended by more than 10,000 people and was a great success. The event showcased the best Filipino Talent – Martin Nievera, John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo, Charice Pempengco, Sheryn Regis and many others.

The opening ceremony was commenced by Councilmember Sheila Mautz, City of Ontario with a reading of a proclamation from the City. Councilmember Tony Cartagena of the City of Walnut, Councilmember Elliot Rothman of the City of Pomona, Councilmember and former Mayor Elito Santarina of the City of Carson, ABC Board of Education President, Mark Pulido of the City of Cerritos and Frank Quevedo of Southern California Edison graced the event with their presence.

The Filipino-American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI) conducted their voter outreach to Filipino-Americans during the event, called FILVOTE. A booth was available for eligible prospective voters to register during the event. FILVOTE was able to register approximately 100 voters. T-shirts and bumper stickers were distributed to promote FILVOTE.

FILVOTE is FASGI’s non-partisan voter engagement project whose mission is to unite Filipino-Americans across ideological, religious, and socio-economic class differences towards gaining real political influence in the U.S.

Since its creation in 1996, FILVOTE has registered over 25,000 Filipino-American voters in LA County, held multiple candidate fora and conducted voter behavior research projects. In 2000, FASGI partnered with AFL-CIO to implement a national FILVOTE project.

FILVOTE has 3 prongs:

1. California’s share of eligible Filipino-American voters nationwide (45% based on U.S. Census of 2000)

2. Filipino-Americans make up the 2nd largest Asian group in CA (based on U.S. Census of 2000)

3. The increased attention on California due to the State’s primary election in February and the Presidential election in November.