The traveling ‘BETARANO’ photo exhibit of the Frontliners Media Group, a display of portraits of World War II Filipino-American veterans, will make a brief stop at the Fairplex Pomona Fairgrounds on August 9 and 10 during the U.S. Philippines Expo.Sponsored by BALITA, the photo exhibit will give expo attendees the chance to see the faces of the living, albeit aging, heroes taken by the photographers of Frontliners Media Group, which has decided to join other advocates in bringing forth the Fil-Am veterans’ quest to attain full equity, who until now are being denied equal benefits accorded to other war veterans.
Though the U.S. Senate passed a bill to provide this added compensation to Fil-Am veterans, the U.S. Congress has yet to act on the measure, which needs 290 votes to pass for a sure passage, but Congress only has a few days left before it adjourns this year’s sesssion.
Advocates see this year as the bill’s last push. It has taken San Diego Congressman Bob Filner a decade for the bill to move in Congress. The measure would provide $900 a month more for each veteran living in the U.S. and $300 each for those in the Philippines. As penned, the Congressional Budget Office said it would cost $4.5 billion over five years for all Filipino veterans if approved.
The photo exhibit began last month at the Philippine Consulate. Next stop was held at the Los Angeles City College. After the brief two-day exhibit in Pomona, Frontliners will try to bring the photographs across the nation, and hopefully all the way to Washington — at the Capitol’s doorstep — to press for the passage of the equity bill.
Frontliners Project Committee Chief Jun Camacho urged everyone to visit the BALITA booth to see the photos. he also invited other Fil-Am veterans to come and be photographed so they can be included in the photo exhibit.
Balita and the FMG BETERANO exhibit will occupy four booths in the middle row leading to the main stage (Booths number 233-234, 259-260) at the U.S. Philippine Expo in Fairplex Pomona, Building 4, 1101 W. McKinley Avenue, Pomona Ca. and will be from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
The U.S.-Philippines Expo is the longest running ‘wholesome entertainment and fabulous consumer show’ dedicated to the Filipino-American community. It is held every August of each year since the early 90’s.
See you there and do not miss the BETERANO photo exhibit at the BALITA MEDIA booth.