ALLICE’s 10th annual ‘Free from violence’ in SF October 2

Cherie M Querol Moreno

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ALLICE’s 10th annual ‘Free from violence’ in SF October 2
The 10th annual Free from Violence is a free event from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct 2, at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, USA

CALIFORNIA, USA – The first Filipino elected to the California State Legislature has endeared himself to his community for many reasons.

Months after taking his seat as representative for District 18, Assembly Member Rob Bonta last year fulfilled his promise to honor unsung Filipinos for their erstwhile uncredited contributions with AB123, his bill signed into law requiring public schools curriculum to include the Filipino efforts in organized farm labor sparking formation of the United Farm Workers. (READ: Rob Bonta: California’s first Fil-Am assemblyman)

Less is known of his work to benefit families.  

Bonta has supported the following California State Assembly bills and resolutions boosting protections for victims of domestic violence: AB1014, taking firearms out of the hands of potential abusers; AB1629, expanding peer counseling services for victims of violent crime; AB2321, establishing a domestic violence and sexual assault awareness license plate program, and SJR2, ensuring sustainability of vital programs to keep women and families safe from violence and abuse.

He also backed SCR 68, commemorating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Next month, Bonta will rally a gathering of advocates for domestic violence prevention as keynote speaker at the traditional Filipino American event launching observance of the period.

“We must remain vigilant in increasing public awareness and understanding of the immediate and long-term effects of domestic violence and do all we can to connect victims to the resources they need to heal and thrive,” Bonta explained his participation in the 10th annual Free from Violence, a free event from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct 2, at the Philippine Consulate.

His words resonate in the wake of the case of Ray Rice, the Baltimore Ravens star sacked by the NFL for domestic violence following release of a video showing him punching his then-fiancee in a casino elevator.

Though unable to comment on the breaking news being out of town at press time, Bonta, a former deputy City Attorney in San Francisco, said he believes education is the first step toward violence prevention.  

Raised and educated in California and Connecticut, he can relate to all children and particularly to immigrant and children of color’s need for positive reinforcement.  

The 41-year-old legislator was born in the Philippines to activist parents who took him and his siblings to the farms while they supported pioneer labor leaders struggling for equal pay and better working conditions.  They complimented him and encouraged him to follow his dream and always give back.

Married for 17 years, he and wife Mialisa Bonta, executive director of language and literacy skills nonprofit Bring Me a Book and mother of their three children, model healthy interaction.

“As a father of three children – one boy and two girls – I know that teaching them to be responsible and respectful of each other and their mother will help them grow into healthy, successful and happy adults who value themselves and others,” said the representative for Alameda, Oakland, and San Leandro. “It’s especially important that my son respects his sisters and mother. He has grown up watching his mother and me share all family responsibilities in child rearing and maintaining the household, so I believe he has seen from a very young age the best example of a healthy, caring, and equal partnership, which he will carry into his own adult relationships.”

Crucial tip 

“My wife and I have tried to impart to my daughters their self-worth, with the hope that they will seek friendships and relationships with men in the future who have the same values.” 

Other families do not enjoy the same dynamics.  In some households, every day is a struggle when one parent or elder inflicts suffering on the other, which could lead to the next generation falling into the same situation knowing no alternative behavior. 

Aware that children who witness abuse are, according to national statistics, twice likely to become abused or perpetrators in adulthood, Bonta encourages the public to learn how elders’ behaviors impact the emotional and psychological development of their young. 

“My wife and I have a healthy and happy relationship because we put a lot of work into it, respect each other as people and partners and share common goals,” Bonta told PNews. “Sadly, these same vital components are missing from many relationships and can often result in domestic violence. I am hopeful that through the work of ALLICE and its resource provider allies, people can learn some of these basic skills that may not come as naturally to them and, therefore, avoid the tragedy of damaged and violent relationships.” 

The Bontas’ careers run parallel.  Both are community-oriented, dedicating their Ivy League education to give opportunities to the underserved.  Hers began at LEAP (Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership), a Connecticut-based nonprofit renowned nationally for its youth programs. 

Mialisa, who is of Puerto Rican heritage and hails from Bronx, New York, earned a master’s degree in education from Harvard and a juris doctorate from Yale, also her husband’s alma mater.  

Prior to his election to the Assembly in 2012, Bonta was elected to the city council of Alameda.  As vice mayor, he prioritized public safety,  economic development and fiscal responsibility.  

He is a big believer of access to quality health care, having been elected previously to the Alameda Health Care District Board of Directors.

Bonta’s public service spans the City of Alameda’s Economic Development Commission, where he focused on business attraction and business retention efforts as an appointed member and then chair, and as board president for the Social Service Human Relations Board.

Like his mother the former Cynthia Arnaldo and his father Warren Bonta, Rob Bonta has fought to preserve safety net services for the most vulnerable members of the community.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

“I am honored to participate in the 10th Annual Free from Violence seminar and resource fair to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month and highlight available community resources to help survivors,” he responded to ALLICE’s invitation to be their guest honor and keynote speaker next month.  “I am happy to do everything I can legislatively and through community outreach efforts to help the victims of domestic violence and also find ways to prevent the violence from happening in the first place.” 

“We are thrilled to have Assembly Member Bonta keynote this year’s presentation,” said Jose Antonio, ALLICE 2014 president and a vice president with Union Bank.   “In the two years he has been in the Assembly, he has championed quality education and neighborhood safety, particularly from gun violence, a critical issue in domestic violence cases.  We thank him for embracing our cause as his own.”

Bonta will stand shoulder to shoulder against domestic violence with Consul General Henry Bensurto on Oct. 2.  Giovannie Espiritu, a Hollywood actor and acting teacher, will flesh out the experience of domestic abuse survivors and share what helped start her healing process. 

The free event staged by ALLICE Kumares and Kumpares will feature the following community-based resource providers who will consult with attendees about their programs and services: 

API Legal Outreach, Asian Women’s Shelter, Building Futures with Women and Children, Catholic Charities, Center for Domestic Peace, Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse, Community United Against Violence, Cooperative Restraining Order Clinic, Filipino Mental Health Initiative, Futures Without Violence, Filipino-American Law Enforcement Officers Association, Peninsula Family Service, and West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center.

The event is co-sponsored by Lucky Chances, Union Bank and Yashi Okita Design in cooperation with Thomasians USA. 

Free refreshments will be served compliments of donor allies Lucky Chances and Moonstar and Starbucks Coffee Company. 

Prizes for the free raffle drawing will be given courtesy of donor allies San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, Philippine Association of University Women and Filipino Bar Association of Northern California.

Philippine News, Philippines Today, and The Filipino Channel are longtime media outreach  donors. 

For more information about the 10th annual Free from Violence, call the Philippine Consulate (415)433-6666 or visit www.allicekumares.com.  To reach Assembly Member Bonta visit his website. – Rappler.com 

PNews Executive Editor Cherie M. Querol Moreno is founder-executive director of ALLICE and a member of the San Mateo County Commission on Aging.

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