Filipino nonprofit organizations and their supporters rallied in front of the San Francisco city hall last night, protesting officials for not including Filipinos in the city's $9 million funding for disadvantaged families.  They say other ethnic providers got their share of the pie, but not those that deal directly with Filipinos. 

Five Filipino-run organizations, Westbay Pilipino Multi-Service Center, Resource Center for Youth and Families, Pilipino Senior Resource Center, SOMA Health Clinic and SOMA Employment Center all applied for grants from the family resource center initiative. All were rejected.

The groups stand to lose $350,000 from their annual funding.  This means a loss of programs directly affecting struggling Filipino families and seniors. 

Elaine Manzano, a youth who benefits from the services provided by Westbay, was part of the protest.  Manzano was opposed to the budget cuts because Westbay “helps a lot of people, including my family.  It would be bad for everyone.”

“If the funding gets cut,” said Westbay volunteer Tammy Arnaiz, “the kids are not going to get the tutoring, the afterschool programs, and the life skills that will teach them.”

There are 50,000 Filipinos in San Francisco, half a million in Northern California and over two million in the state.  The protesters warned politicians that they have numbers to affect election ballots.
 
"We're determined.  We're going to start exercising our clout.  We're going to remember the politicians that ignored us. We're going to vote those who support us,” said community leader, Rodel Rodis.

The board of supervisors are expected to make a final vote on the budget later today.