FILAM-Jan-2024

Issue 71, January 2024

White House

ConGen Senen Mangalile His 1st year in New York

A FAHM celebration... in November

Nora Galleros

Her CPA firm among top M/WBE companies

Letter from the Editor

I

The new year always brings hope

n the intimacy of our homes while the lights twinkle in the gloaming, we quietly celebrate the advent of another Christmas and look hopefully to another year, albeit one with an extra leap day in its fold.

We Filipino Americans buy our hams, craft our fruit salads and try to give into the joys of the season. We try to ignore or set aside the discordant, depressing noise of the holidays.

That would be the ugliness of war -- in Gaza or Ukraine. That would include speeches calling people “vermin,” or others as “poisoning the blood of our nation.”

Some people do not want to bring any more children in such a troubled world wracked by so much hate. Indeed, why add to the litany of the worlds’ suffering. It is hard to argue against such a view given the depravity of inhumanity invoked by so many these days.

The vitriol seems so contrary to the message of what Christmas proclaims which is peace to all people of goodwill.

We declare fidelity to the New Year in the hope that peace will prevail not only on one street corner but in every single portion of the world.

The world may be in bad shape but it is not hopeless. Photo: Unsplash

Founding Editor Cristina DC Pastor

Contributing Writers Tricia J. Capistrano

Managing Editor Rene Pastor Address P.O. Box 8071 New York, NY 10116

When one looks out on this blue orb hanging so precariously in the firmament of our solar system, one cannot help but wonder if this planet we call our home would last much longer.

The only thing we can really hang onto is hope, the belief that we will find a way, no matter how dire the situation looks, to discover a means to work together rather than indulge our self-destructive impulses.

In this time when we go back to mark Christmas and seek to remind ourselves of our common heritage as human beings, we can earnestly pray that there is much more we have in common than divides us.

The alternative to not finding the way to help each other is too horrible to contemplate.

Is the world in bad shape?

Yes, it is.

But no. It is not hopeless. It will be hard, but not impossible to claw our way, inch by painful inch, out of the morass we have dug ourselves into.

We have no choice. We do not want to see those hopes extinguished. Christmas always means hope and resilience. We shall never quit.

Contact Thefilamny@gmail.com 646-717-7460

Joel David

Ludy AstraquilloOngkeko

Wendell Gaa

Lindy Rosales

Allen Gaborro

Vicky Potenciano-Vitug

The FilAm is a publication of A&V Editorial THE FILAM

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Maricar CP Hampton

Consul General Senen Mangalile on his 1st year in N.Y.

By Cristina DC Pastor

In January 2023, Senen Mangalile officially assumed the position of consul general in New York. He came into a discordant community that was struggling to understand why the shift in consular chiefs was abrupt and reeked of confusion.

M

angalile explained by saying that diplomats are like soldiers.

“Just like in the military we have the same sense of mission. It basically means we go wherever we’re needed and it is up to them to deploy us as they see fit,” he said when interviewed in the talk show Makilala TV. His experience in the United Kingdom in 2013 came to mind.

“After a month in the UK, they sent me an order to go to Turkey to temporarily head our embassy there because they needed somebody with seniority to continue engagements with the Turkish government. I had to leave my wife and my daughters behind,” he recalled. “It happens with this job. We are like soldiers. We are sent by command to wherever our skillsets are needed.”

On arriving in New York, Mangalile hit the ground running. He buckled down to his official duties at the same time that he was getting to know Filipino American leaders and organizations. Some in the community thought he was funny, friendly, and accessible.

He was somewhat hindered by the fact that some of his consular officers were, like him, new in their posts and also learning the ropes. Yet, FilAms saw a Congen who worked diligently to foster cooperation and gain their trust.

He extended “with absolute sincerity an offer of partnership” to Filipino Americans in the U.S. Northeast in his January 9, 2023 New Year message. He said he is working to “spark new collaborations among various organizations and individuals…in promoting Philippine culture, protecting the rights of migrants, and strengthening economic linkages.”

Before coming to New York, Mangalile was Chief of Mission II in the Philippine Embassy in Bern, Switzerland. He was previously Deputy Chief of Mission and consul general at the Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom. He was elected the 2018 president of the Consular Corps of London (CCL), the association of all Consuls General and consular officers, both career and honorary, working in London. He is the

Consul General Senen Mangalile and wife Ma. Fe Mangalile at St. Patrick’s Cathedral during the October congregation in the U.S. of nearly 400 Filipino priests. Photo by Edwin Josue

Exploring Central Park one leisurely afternoon. Facebook photo

first ASEAN diplomat to lead the prestigious club with a 121-year legacy.

Mangalile hails from Baliuag and Malolos, Bulacan. He would occasionally reveal little known facts about himself, exposing his selfdeprecating humor and his fluency speaking in deep Tagalog.

He and his wife Ma. Fe have two daughters. He joked about being “outnumbered” in his “femaledominant household.” Sometimes, he said, he is pampered like a king and other times treated like a “chauffeur who takes them wherever they need to go.”

The jolly, beefy Congen calls himself a foodie. He loves to eat but stays away from hardboiled eggs and beansprouts. In fact, Peter Luger steakhouse in THE FILAM

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Brooklyn was the first New York landmark he fancied visiting when he first arrived.

When asked to describe his first year in New York, he replied, “Gallimaufry.” The word sent me to the dictionary. he explained the use of a quaint British word that defines food “of different flavors, all coming together into one satisfying dish” to describe Year One. “That’s my first year in New York, a jumble of different activities, events, causes, personalities, concerns, wish lists, aspirations, all coming together as a platform for our engagement with the vibrant Filipino diaspora in this part of the world,” he said.

Now, we all learned a new word.

White House celebrates Filipino American History Month

O

n November 28, 2023 for the first time, the Biden Presidency celebrated Filipino American History Month (FAHM) with an in-person attendance of 100 FilAms at the White House.

In 2021 and 2022, the Office of President Biden presented only a roundtable discussion with 20 FilAms at the White House due to the pandemic.

However in 2023, FilAm political leader and civic engagement & electoral practitioner since the Clinton Administration Vida Benavides dared to ask Erika Moritsugu, deputy assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) senior liaison, whether she would accept a proposal for a full-blown celebration of FAHM in the White House. Vida was welcomed to submit a proposal.

October is Filipino American History Month, established by the U.S. Congress in 2009, due to the work done by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) founded by the late Dr. Fred Cordova and his wife, Dorothy.

Why October? The first recorded arrival of Filipinos – known then as “Luzones Indios”-- was in Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587.

Vida then called up producer/director Ted Benito, who helped in the Biden campaign in 2019, to submit a full-blown proposal which he submitted in May, 2023 to Erika Moritsugu.

Months went by without a confirmation from the White House.

When Ted learned from JoAnn Fields, San Diego community leader and government affairs expert that First Lady Dr. Jill Biden was coming to San Diego, California in August, Ted went to the event and personally spoke to the First Lady’s staff about his proposal for FAHM. In September, Vida tapped her colleague, Irene Bueno, government and policy adviser who was a Clinton appointee and worked in the West Wing.

She knows the ins and outs of the White House.

Finally on November 6, the White House Office of Personal Engagement Senior Advisor Philip Kim confirmed

Members of the FAHM organizing committee at the Indian Treaty Room at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House. Seated from left: Emmanuel Munda, JoAnn Fields, Tia Carrere, Nani Coloretti. Standing from left: Philip Kim, Luisa Blue, Ted I. Benito, Irene Bueno, Chris Chatman, Jennifer Paz, Jules Aurora, Reggie Lee and, Krystal Ka’ai. Not in photograph: Lou Diamond Phillips and Vida Benavides.

From left: Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo; Patrice Cleary, Purple Patch owner; Sonia Delen, Filipino Food Movement president and director of Bank of America Global Leasing; Hon. Gina Ortiz Jones, former Under Secretary of the Air Force; and Loida Nicolas Lewis, author of ‘Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?’ and CEO, Reginald Lewis Foundation. the FAHM would happen on November 28, after Congress approved the budget, which avoided the shutdown of the government in October.

The ad hoc committee composed of Vida Benavides, Ted Benito, JoAnn Fields and Irene Bueno went to work feverishly. Because the event was assigned the Indian Treaty Room which holds only THE FILAM

100 people, they had to trim the invitation list of 800 FilAm elected officials, White House appointees, not-for-profit officers of national organizations, personalities in arts and entertainment, sports, labor, military, and the food industry.

Ted was able to connect with longtime friends Lou Diamond Phillips and Tia Carrere who agreed to | 4

serve as co-emcees. Actors Jennifer Paz, Reggie Lee, and Jules Aurora all agreed to present various segments, and singer Chris Chatman agreed to perform a musical number.

Thus, in the chilling morning weather of November 28, some FilAm leaders glorious in their Filipiniana attire, trekked to the White House Executive Office. President Joe and First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris were in Atlanta, Georgia attending the funeral services for former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

Two Asian American Cabinet secretaries came to speak: Labor Secretary Julie Su and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai. The highest ranking FilAm in the Biden administration, Nani Coloretti, deputy secretary of Budget and Management also addressed the audience.

Lou Diamond Phillips spoke about Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) which advocated the creation of the Filipino American History Month since its foundation.

Ted also got his superb AV producer Emmanuel Munda to present the video of FilAms who have raised the FilAm profile through their achievements in all sectors of American society. The photos and research came from Ted’s company, LXV Enterprises, LLC. Aside from creating the program, the expenses for the event including the lunch provided by Purple Patch restaurant had to be raised. White House provided the space but all other expenses were taken care of by the FAHM ad hoc committee.

To the rescue came sponsors to the event: CALIDA Inc. (Alan and Megan Camaisa), the Filipino Food Movement (Sonia Delen), the Apl.de.Ap Foundation International (Audie Vergara), the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation and many other donors.

Next year, Vida Benavides remarked to me that the White House FAHM celebration should be taken over by a national organization like the Filipino American National Historical Society or other civic engagement and cultural arts-based coalitions.

The death of King Phojanakong opens 2023, the end of ‘Here Lies Love’ finishes the year The passing of Chef KING PHOJANAKONG on January 2 was an upsetting way to start the year 2023 for the Filipino American community. The beloved owner of Kuma Inn on the Lower East Side died from a rare amoeba infection, according to his family. The culinary community was in grief.

of an Asian American woman,” etc. — as the author continues to criss-cross the U.S. for book signings.

Nine JOLLIBEE WORKERS were illegally terminated when they submitted a list of grievances to management. On July 6, which is National Chicken Day, they held a protest in front of Jollibee Journal Square in Jersey City.

The NLRB ruled Jollibee committed “unfair labor practice” and ordered all nine workers reinstated. The fired workers returned to their jobs in October.

Loida Nicolas Lewis’s ‘Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?’

King Phojanakong The arrival of new Consul General SENEN MANGALILE brought a certain bounce to the community following the unexplained departure of his predecessor. On January 9, he gave his New Year message extending an “offer of partnership” to FilAms in the Northeast. He has won over FilAms with his friendly demeanor, relatability and folksy humor.

Considered history-making, STEVEN RAGA took his oath as New York State Assemblymember on January 15, becoming the first Filipino American elected to Albany.

As a newly certified politician, he pledged to stay away from scandals that would hurt his reputation and to “keep my nose clean.” He has a two-year term.

LOIDA NICOLAS LEWIS’s “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?” is one well-traveled book since it was published in March. The reviews were mostly beaming with praise – “inspiring memoir,” “powerful testament to the strength

NORA GALLEROS presided over the wellreceived 125th Philippine Independence Day parade on Madison Avenue in June. It is Nora’s second year as president of PIDCI. With the recent election of ARMAN DAVID to succeed her, it looks like a new breed and brand of leadership is now in place at PIDCI. Jollibee workers protest ‘HERE LIES LOVE’ with its all-Filipino cast captivated Broadway with its immersive theater and the epic story of Imelda Marcos set to pulsating disco music of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. Sadly, the musical lasted only five months disappointing some of its fans, after it previewed on June 17 and officially opened on July 20.

November 26 was its last show.

LADY AILEEN ORSAL became the first Filipino language preceptor to teach at Harvard University. Aileen, who hails from Cavite, began classes in the Fall term of September amid speculation that House Speaker Martin Romualdez, a nephew of Imelda Marcos, is funding the course.

Nora Galleros THE FILAM

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St. Malo, Louisiana Filipinos: Separating fact from fiction

By Lynn Topel

There have been claims that in 1763, in a little-known fishing village on Lake Borgne in Louisiana called St. Malo, Filipino fishermen built houses on stilts, learned to live with the elements, and energized the local shrimp industry. Nearly 9,000 miles away, Filipinos in Louisiana were a long way from home.

Prof. Randy Gonzales is a descendant of the early Filipino Louisianans.

His greatgrandfather, Miguel Guillera, owned the Filipino Colony Bar which became the central hub for local community gatherings.

Photo by Somer Greer in Lafayette, Louisiana

H

owever, as historians and researchers dug through the scant records available about that time period, there seems to be little evidence to back up this oft-repeated piece of trivia.

Though it is very likely that Filipinos jumped ship when their vessels docked on the New Orleans port, the earliest account that can be found on this is not till the 1830s—more than 60 years from the alleged 1763 founding of St. Malo as a Filipino fishing community.

This is not to say that these communities didn’t exist at that time. Randy Gonzales, associate professor of English and assistant department head at the University of Louisiana of Lafayette, explains: “1763 is wrong.

It is based on Louisiana becoming part of New Spain, but in 1763 this was only on paper. Spain didn’t take full control of the territory until 1769 as there was a rebellion by French planters. This misinformation has been repeated and shows a lack of awareness of Louisiana history… The first Filipinos in Louisiana were probably in other locations before they went to St. Malo.”

||Filipinos in the West

For 250 years starting in 1565, ships called Manila galleons sailed between Mexico and the Philippines. Spanish merchants and traders brought with them the much-coveted spices (and other exotic goods such as silk and ivory) from the East to sell in the West. Other European merchants, like the British, also stopped at the Philippine ports to stock up on sugar and abaca, or manila hemp.

Many of the ships’ sailors were Filipinos who already had their sea legs from working as fishermen and were already adept at navigating the many islands that make up the Philippine archipelago.

Drawing by Charles Graham based off sketches by J. O. Davidson – Hearn, Lafcadio (1883). “Saint Malo: A Lacustrine Village in Louisiana”. Harper’s Weekly. 27: 204.

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||The Dried Shrimp Enterprise

The Filipinos earned their livelihood by fishing, harvesting shellfish, and using their knowledge of drying shrimp in order to make these crustaceans last a little longer, in an age when modern refrigeration had not yet been invented.

The Filipinos had established another settlement on Barataria Bay, which was called “Manila Village,” and it became one of the communities with a thriving shrimp-drying business.

In a process that involves boiling the shrimp in brine, these were then dried out on wooden platforms. By the third day, the shrimp’s shells were removed via a process called “shrimp dancing”—the “dancers” walked over the shrimps causing the peels to be separated from the meat. Both of these may be collected separately as the powdered shells may still be used in cooking sauces, fertilizers, and hog feed. Initially, these salty shrimps were mainly used for the Filipinos’ subsistence. Later, with the help of Chinese traders, they found their way into mainstream Louisiana cuisine and are

now sometimes used as an ingredient in dishes like Gumbo and Jambalaya.

||(Nearly) Wiped Out

In 1906, the village of St. Malo was destroyed by a hurricane. Some accounts have 1893 as the end of St. Malo. However, in 1906, another hurricane battered St. Malo, and news reports indicated that 100 fishermen, who had stayed on from the last hurricane, perished. Although other hurricanes hit the island years later, that was the last of any reports of a village existing on St. Malo, explains Gonzales, who pegs the end of the community in 1906.

Those who survived moved on to Manila Village on Barataria Bay and Clark Cheniere, another bayou community.

This piece of history would have been nearly wiped out if not for the efforts of the descendants of those early Filipinos and Filipino Americans who reside in Louisiana today. In November 2019, a historical marker, which was requested by the Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society, was finally unveiled to mark the first permanent Asian settlement in Amer-

THE FILAM

St. Malo marker. Photo by Randy Gonzales ica. The marker uses the “first half of the 19th century” as the establishment date, basing it on the first written record of the settlement—still making

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it the earliest of its kind. It is a proud testimony of the Filipinos’ place in U.S. history as well as their many contributions to Louisiana life and culture.

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TheFilAm.Net Books of 2023

n the last few years more and more Filipino American stories are being published in the United States. What an exciting time for us and for our children!

Here’s our select list of books we wish everyone would find time to read. We included some passages from their cover blurbs.

This year, we are kicking off TheFilAm.net’s yearly selection of Filipino American books. At the end of every year, we will list recently released books

by Filipino Americans, most of whom were reviewed in this publication.

By Tricia J. Capistrano

||Hues and Harmony: How the Rainbow Butterfly Got her Colors

by Marissa Bañez

||We Cook Filipino compiled and edited by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri

Douglas’ dark past as a feared gangster in Hong Kong is forcing him to face a future that clouds his relationship with his daughter.

||Settling St. Malo by Randy Gonzales ||I’d Rather Burn than Bloom by Shannon C.F. Rogers

Packed with voice, Shannon C.F. Rogers’ “I’d Rather Burn than Bloom” is a powerful YA novel about a Filipina-American teen who tries to figure out who she really is in the wake of her mother’s death.

||Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

||I Was The President’s Mistress by Miguel Syjuco

Lila Macapagal deals with the return of the prodigal cousin, Ronnie, whose mom runs Tita Rosie’s Kitchen. As Ronnie tries to prove that he is not just a schemer and a swindler and tries to regain his family’s trust, a mysterious death takes place at Shady Palms Winery, where he had hoped to start producing lambanog. Now accused of murder, Lila has to help clear up the family name and hope that Ronnie is truly innocent for Tita Rosie’s sake.

Vita Nova, a fictional persona in the movie industry takes part in a series of interviews conducted by “Miguel Syjuco,” the real author’s conjured scribe for the celebrity’s “tell-all memoir.”

||Forgiving Imelda Marcos by Nathan Go After suffering a serious heart injury, Lito Macaraeg reaches out to his estranged son–a journalist who lives in the United States, far from his father’s Manila nursing home–to promise him a scoop: the story of a secret meeting between Imelda Marcos and Corazon Aquino.

David Remnick, editor of the The New Yorker calls Patricia Evangelista’s book, “one of the most remarkable pieces of narrative nonfiction I have read in a long, long time.” Selected by the New York Times as one of the 10 Best Books of the Year.

“Hues and Harmony” deals with mixed race kids, self-acceptance, belonging, and parental love, using primary colors, basic chemistry, and common shapes.

||A Tiny Upward Shove by Melissa Chadburn Marina Salles’s life does not end the day she wakes up dead. Instead, in the course of a moment, she is transformed into the stuff of myth, the stuff of her grandmother’s old Filipino stories–an aswang, a creature of mystery and vengeance. She spent her time on earth on the margins; shot like a pinball through a childhood of loss, she was a veteran of Child Protective Services and a survivor, but always reacting, watching from a distance, understanding very little of her own life, let alone the lives of others.

||Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista

||Multo, A Thriller by Cindy Fazzi Mystery, suspense, tension, moments of despair, and the darkest depths of human behavior coexist with the most benevolent and charitable of actions and terms of endearment in Cindy Fazzi’s book.

||Storm Across My Cherished Bamboo Bridge by Gene del Carmen Fifteen-year-old Meiling has always sensed that her Dad, Douglas, has been keeping a secret which can shed light on why she grew up without a mother. Now that he controls the largest laundry-supply business in the Northeast, USA, THE FILAM

“Settling St. Malo,” is a collection of Randy Gonzales’s poems reflecting the early Filipino settlers’ years in the Louisiana bayous. Randy Gonzales is an Associate Professor of English and Assistant department head at the University of Louisiana of Lafayette.

||Every Ounce of Courage by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino “You don’t know me, but your mother saved my life.”

The late night conversation with an American World War II veteran revealed to Elizabeth Ann Besa Quirino the untold stories of her mother’s remarkable wartime heroism and sparked a 20-year journey of discovery about her lifelong acts of bravery and compassion.

||Horse Barbie by Geena Rocero As a young femme in 1990s Manila, Geena Rocero heard, “Bakla, bakla!,” a taunt aimed at her feminine sway, whenever she left the tiny universe of her eskinita. Eventually, she found her place in trans pageants, the Philippines’ informal national sport. When her competitors mocked her as a “horse Barbie” due to her statuesque physique, tumbling hair, long neck, and dark skin, she leaned into the epithet. By 17, she was the Philippines’ highest-earning trans pageant queen. | 9

This book, compiled and edited by UK-based Filipina editor Jacqueline Chio-Lauri, presents the extraordinary food culture of the Philippines in stories and recipes from 36 culinary trailblazers— award-winning chefs, food writers and social media stars from around the globe. They share not just their favorite recipes for classic Philippine dishes like Adobo, Sinigang and Ginataan, but also their personal family stories about what Filipino food culture means to them.

||Why Should Guys Have All the Fun? by Loida Lewis In her memoir “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?” Loida Lewis provides us with her collection of personal experiences and momentous turn of events that took place in her life.

|| You’re That Bitch by Bretman Rock

Hilarious and earnest, this collection of essays, and never-before-seen photos goes far beyond what we know of Bretman Rock from social media. Who is Bretman Rock Sacayanan behind the screen and how did he become the original superstar influencer and today’s beloved best friend of the internet?

COVER STORY

Nora Galleros firm among elite M/WBE companies in New York

By Cristina DC Pastor

Balancing work and family can be a tightrope act if you’re a woman.

T

hat’s why Nora Galleros, CEO of Galleros Robinson Certified Public Accountants and Advisors, created a company with a culture that recognizes the importance of family and does not regard it as a liability.

The CPA firm with 72 employees in the U.S. -- New York, New Jersey, Florida, and soon Chicago – and the Philippines and a gross revenue of over $5 million and growing, is one of the largest certified Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses (M/WBE) in New York and New Jersey in the accounting field. It has contracts with government agencies, the private sector, as well as not-for-profit institutions. With a flagship office on Madison Avenue in Manhattan, Galleros Robinson is one company that has attracted women and young couples because of what Nora calls its “family first culture.”

“We have an IT infrastructure where you can log in anywhere. Your family needs you? Don’t feel guilt, drop everything. Go to your family,” she said when interviewed by The FilAm. She added how the company was not badly disrupted when the pandemic erupted because employees are used to working flexible hours and working from home. “Sanay na kami,” she shrugged.

The whole “family first culture” became her personal philosophy when she was working for O’Connor Davies LLP in 2008 as its first Asian partner.

“My son was 6 years old,” she said. “We would tutor by cellphone. We hardly saw each other.

Nahirapan ako, I became guilty as a mother.”

Reflecting on “what’s best” under the circumstances, Nora quit the company after three years and formed her own. She was joined by other young mothers who, like her desired flexible hours.

“They liked that I could give them flexibility even if high salaries could not be offered,” she said.

That was the start of Galleros Koh being M/ WBE-certified, meaning it is at least 51% owned and controlled by minorities or women, according to the definition of regulatory agencies.

The company expanded from there with other partners joining Galleros Koh. “We didn’t just accept them, we made sure we could get along.”

The partners brought their commercial accounts, experience and skill sets to complement what is now known as Galleros Robinson CPAs LLP. The company currently has seven partners with Nora possessing majority ownership. Including her, it has nine partners and officers: Stewart Robinson, Richard Levychin, Derek Flanagan, Magdalena Lopez, Robert Engler, Cristina Koh-Tungol, Ronald Weinbaum, and Barbara Siochi.

In one of its most recently completed contract for a total of $500,000, the company was given a PE rating of “Excellent.”

One of her first partners was Christina Koh, a Filipino Chinese CPA who was recruited from the Philippines.

“We have big public service and non-profit contracts. That has always been my experience. Why not take advantage of our specialization. We could subcontract and we have the people…I would say that we are one of the top (in the industry),” she said.

On hiring Filipinos: ‘I’m so proud of the people who work in our firm.’

The Philippine team of Galleros Robinson in Phuket, Thailand for a little bit of R&R and team building.

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The company joins the Philippine Independence Day Parade on Madison Avenue.

||Honorary Bedan

Nora said she makes it a point to invite professionals in the Philippines to work with her.

In 2009 when there was a staffing shortage of auditors and senior accountants in the U.S., Nora brought in Magdalena Lopez, formerly a manager at SGV, a top accounting firm in the Philippines, among other accountants.

Shared Nora, “I recruited her from the Philippines for O’Connor Davies. When she was about to have a baby about 10 years ago she joined Galleros Robinson.

She was attracted to the company’s culture where she sees herself being able to raise a child and work at the same time. She added Lopez “took a pay cut.”

Lopez is married to another accounting professional from San Beda, Czar Lopez. He joined the board of Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. when Nora was its president for two years.

“I went back and recruited more from San Beda,” and Nora came to be known as an “Honorary Bedan.”

With New York State Governor Kathy Hochul at 2022 Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Celebration held at the Executive Mansion.

||Opening a Chicago office

Galleros Robinson is opening an office in Chicago in February. Nora is looking at the auspicious date of Chinese New Year to inaugurate her fifth location.

“Palakihin natin ito,” said Nora of her dynamic firm that continues to expand over the years.

While her client base is not Filipinos, she takes pride in the services provided by a Filipino-owned company, and continues to nurture her relationship with the Filipino community.

“We’re still looking for people,” she said. She continues to look at the Philippines for professional support.

“I’m so proud of the people we have in the firm, our work ethic, our skill sets. If I can help one person in the community, why not help more?” This kind of corporate ethic has Nora written all over it.

Visit the website at www.gallerosrobinson.com

Company takes a break and enjoys a Broadway show. Photos courtesy of Nora Galleros THE FILAM

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Calendar

of Events ||January 7 to 27

Kinding Sindaw in Honor of Our Ancestors La Mama Galleria 47 Great Jones Street NYC

||January 15

Deadline to apply: 2024 Filipino Young Global Leadership Program Contact: info@Philippinelivingheritage.org

||January 19

Ms. Kay Habana in Concert Philippine Center 556 Fifth Avenue NYC

||January 27 ||January 5

3rd Annual Filipino Heritage Night (New Jersey Devils vs Chicago Blackhawks) Prudential Center 179 Mulberry Street Newark, N.J.

||January 7

Sinulog sa Katedral: Celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 89 Ridge Street Newark N.J.

27th Friends of Pleiades Invitational Show (group show featuring the art of Susan Angeles) Pleiades Gallery 547 West 27th Street Suite 304 NYC

|| March 8

Jo Koy World Tour TD Garden

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100 Legends Way Boston, MA

||March 9

Unique Salonga, The Juans, Adie and Kean Cipriano La Boom New York 56-15 Northern Blvd Woodside NYC Contact Amor Yu: 818-818-4301

||March 22

Jo Koy World Tour Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA

||May 11

Sounds of Manila 15th Anniversary with The Dreamboats and Johnny Pandora Breslin PAC Felician University 262 S. Main Street Lodi, New Jersey Contact Amor Yu: 818-818-4301

‘ Pasko in America’: 5 Christmas-inspired takeaways

W

By Angelito Cabigao

hether you can relate to Disney Christmas’s “From Our Family to Yours” or an Ayala mall Philippine Christmas experience, the December 16, 2023 Pasko in America was a unique event that captured the essence of both. Let’s take a look at five reasons why:

||1. Parol.

One of the most recognizable symbols of the Filipino Christmas is the Parol, which is a Christmas lantern. “Pasko in America” contributed to the Parol recognition through the Capiz made lanterns being sold by Parols of America.

CEO of “Pasko in America” Fernando Mendez designed paper-made parol given to over 30+ sponsors and exhibitors in recognition of their participation.

||2. Mass and Christmas choir.

The Simbang Gabi mass which is usually celebrated at night opened Pasko in America in the morning. The Filipino mass had a Filipino choir singing church and Christmas songs.

For those of you who are accustomed to eating food after the Simbang Gabi, there were food trucks -- Kapamilya and Twelve Truck -- serving Filipino favorites like pandesal and pancit.

||3. Filipino American businesses to large global corporations.

American Dream is an entertainment and retail center in East Rutherford, New Jersey that is also known as the second biggest mall in America. “Pasko in America” provided an opportunity for FilAm businesses to showcase their products and services. Pocket Kings BK is a Brookly-based FilAm-owned business that sold a variety of men’s fashion apparel, including unique handmade Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant-inspired jackets. They were sold out during the event. Addition-

ally, other businesses like Gretz Jewelers sold pearls from Palawan while Angelwreaths sold handmade Christmas wreaths. Anyone looking to get some Queso de Bola delivered to their doorstep for the Noche Buena?

America’s largest online Asian supermarket, Weee!, was helping audience members sign up to their app. Lastly, large global corporations like New York Life and AARP also took part in the event to showcase their support for the Filipino community.

||4. Community Empowerment Awards for the Holidays.

A meaningful moment during the event was awarding organizations engaged in the community during the 2023 holiday season. Their contributions include hosting events that provide toys to children in NYC and the Philippines, parol making classes, food events, providing Filipino American authors like Lynnor Bontigao and Jamille Nagtalon-Ramos a platform for story time reading. Among the outstanding organizations are: Project Barkada, Philippines Fest, The Filipino School of New York and New Jersey, Pinoys of New York, Knights of Rizal of NJ, and the teachers group UNIFFIED.

Cast of 'Here Lies Love' goes caroling.

||5. “Here Lies Love” Broadway.

Ten amazing talents from the “Here Lies Love” musical graced the “Pasko in America” stage with performers like Band of Brothers that sang familiar pop tunes and Camille de la Cruz with her original hits. The HLL cast included Arielle Jacobs, Angelo Soriano, Sarah Kay, Roy Flores, Nathan Angelo, Carol Angeli, Danielle Troiano, and Timothy Matthew Flores. Imagine an all Filipino Broadway cast interacting with the UNIFFIED musicians?

How about the all-time favorite Disney song, “A Whole New World,” being performed in Tagalog? And the THE FILAM

American Dream mall hosts a Filipino Christmas. Photos by Angelito Cabigao & Eric Bustamante.

Christmas song called “Pasko na, My Love” was performed to help fundraise for Broadway Cares? They did all that.

“Pasko in America” in American Dream Mall was a unique event that captured the essence of the Christmas traditions celebrated in the Philippines. Filipinos who | 13

could not celebrate Christmas in the Philippines were able to experience it in a popular mall with sentimental Jose Mari Chan music playing in the background.

Let’s continue to celebrate each other during this season. Maligayang Pasko!

Fired Jollibee workers return to work Workers at Jollibee Journal Square branch who were illegally terminated were offered reinstatement by the fast food corporation following months of community pressure and a judgment from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

T

wo of the illegally terminated workers returned to work on October 16th in the Jersey City location, according to a press statement. They vowed to continue to pressure the corporation for their original demands prior to being let go: higher wages, holiday pay, and better working conditions.

“I feel happy because we are coming back to Jollibee and also got the job in order to support my family,” said Keyser Garganera, one of the reinstated workers. “This means we are one step closer to justice that we deserve. My message to other Jollibee workers: please organize and don’t let them silence your voice. Thank you everyone for the support. We’re really happy and this wouldn’t be possible without the support of the community.”

“Although we have full reinstatement, it does Reinstated Jollibee workers outside of Journal Square not mean the rampant workplace issues will restaurant. Photo: Justice 4 Jollibee Workers be brushed over. Jollibee’s offer was certainly needed and appreciated, but does not mean that our voices still won’t be heard…We have accomplished our goals, but it does not mean we will stop to speak for the unspoken,” said Patricia Bui, another one of the nine terminated workers who is returning to work.

All nine workers who were illegally terminated in February will be receiving a sum total of $84,600 back pay and consequential damages, according to the Justice 4 Jollibee Workers.

“Four of the nine workers will be returning to work in the Journal Square location. Management will also be sending a formal apology to the workers, acknowledging the illegal firing and reciting their rights to organize.”

“The reinstatement should be a big lesson learned,” said Jackelyn Mariano of the Mission to End Modern Slavery (MEMS), a community organization that has been supporting the Justice 4 Jollibee Workers’ campaign.

“For Jollibee’s management and corporate leaders, the lesson is that when they break labor laws, they will be held accountable. The workers cannot be exploited and abused as easily as Jollibee thought. For Jollibee workers, the lesson is that when they speak up and fight for Workers say ‘solidarity won the campaign.’ Photo: Siklab Media THE FILAM

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their rights, they will win and they have nothing to be afraid of.”

On July 6th, former and current Jollibee workers, including five of the nine illegally terminated workers, launched the Justice 4 Jollibee Workers Campaign with a protest action at the Journal Square location calling for reinstatement, back pay, and a public apology.

Jollibee initially responded to the workers’ demands by arguing that they are experiencing financial difficulties, despite publicly announcing strong financial growth, alongside aggressive plans to open 500 stores in North America in the next five to seven years, adding to the over 6,300 stores across the globe. The Journal Square location is believed to have hired 13 workers to replace the nine workers, discrediting claims that the company is in dire finances.

The NLRB brought charges against Honeybee Food Corporation, the North American owner of the Philippines-based Jollibee fast food restaurant for violating federal law. The U.S. federal labor agency found merit to the complaint made by the nine workers that they were illegally terminated in February after organizing a petition for higher wages and better working conditions.

The complaint required Jollibee to comply with the Journal Square workers’ demands, including reinstatement of the nine workers, back pay for wages lost due to termination, and a letter apologizing to the workers for their termination.

A teenage girl's relentless search for her Filipina nurse mother who abandons her at birth!

Available at amazon.com or contact the author at 732-996-5966; gpdelcarmen@gmail.com

After 36 years, Arlene Ureta still finds fulfillment as a lawyer

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By Marissa Bañez

sk law students why they are studying to become lawyers and, chances are, many will say it’s because they want “to help others.” Dig a little deeper and you’ll likely find that those law students have a narrow (and probably unrealistic) idea of what that means in the real world where bills must be paid. They need to see how “helping others” can be achieved in different ways. They also need to see that achieving that dream may require going through a circuitous route.

Meet Atty. Arlene Lapuz Ureta. Throughout her 36-year career, she has used her prodigious legal talents in the corporate world, in academia, and in the public sector to help others. Her work embodies the ideal many law students envision for themselves as they embark on their profession.

Ureta climbed the steep ladder of the corporate world, culminating in an eight-year tenure as general counsel – the highest position for lawyers in corporations – for Metrobank, the second largest bank in the Philippines. Instead of simply doing banking work at the top of the bank’s legal food chain, she capped off her career there by spearheading the exposure and arrest of one of the largest embezzlers in Philippine banking.

Maria Victoria Lopez, head of Metrobanks’s Corporate Service Management, stole about $54,000,000 over approximately 15 years. Lopez lived lavishly in an exclusive village in Quezon City, sent her children abroad for school, and owned at least nine cars.

When alerted of irregularities in loan documents handled by Lopez, Ureta came up with a plan with bank officials and the National Bureau of Investigation for a sting operation. The operation worked flawlessly and Lopez remains in jail today, almost six years since.

Ureta’s operation obviously helped the bank, but it had a far more expansive and significant reach.

Because of her efforts, the Philippines instituted stricter banking regulations and other major improvements in banking security. Her efforts helped the entire country’s banking industry and everyone – corporations and individuals alike – reliant upon it. It’s no surprise she was recognized by the prestigious Legal 500 General Counsel Powerlist, Southeast Asia Teams, 2018, as well as the Legal 500 General Counsel Powerlist, Philippines, 2023.

After retiring from Metrobank in 2018, she became a law professor at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, from where she graduated near the top of her class in 1987. She taught Banking and Financial Laws, as well as Legal

Cleaning up the banking industry in the Philippines then; assisting asylum seekers in the U.S. now Method, and Torts and Damages. Because she drew extensively from her professional experiences, she helped students see beyond the “book learning” and youthful wide-eyed idealism by presenting them with a realistic and practical view of legal practice.

Before all that, Ureta served in the public sector.

After law school, she was chosen as one of the elite few to clerk for the Philippine Supreme Court. She then became counsel for the Philippine government as a Solicitor General. She worked on appellate matters, including cases of the Philippine Commission on Good Government, which was tasked with recovering for the benefit of the Filipino people assets allegedly improperly taken by the late President Marcos and his associates. Notably, she worked on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant bribery case in the U.S. and the arbitration damages case in Switzerland. Later, Marcos associate Herminio Disini was ordered by Philippine courts to repay $50.6 million for defrauding the country. In 2021, the Philippine Supreme Court upheld that ruling.

In 2022, following the death of her husband, Jonathan Ureta, who was Philippine National Police Brigadier General, Ureta joined her two adult daughters, Hazel and Michelle, in New York City. Not content to be a retired “woman-of-leisure,” she began working for the New York City Government Asylum Project immediately after receiving her work permit in July 2023. She often happily works late into the evenings and sometimes even on weekends, finding fulfillment from helping asylum-seeking immigrants with their applications.

As if that’s not enough, she also volunteers with the Catholic church and the Sant’Egidio Community THE FILAM

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Ureta with her family: Daughters Hazel (far left) and Michelle, and late husband Jonathan. to feed the homeless, serves as a board member of an international NGO to promote access to health, and is a board member and past president of the U.P. Women Lawyer’s Circle, which advocates protection of the legal rights of women and children abuse victims in the Philippines. And, she is the first Filipina to head a regional alliance of in-house counsels in Asia as Secretary General of Asia Pacific Corporate Counsel Alliance.

But if you think she’s all work and no play, one look at her Facebook page will quickly dispel that thought.

She is quite socially active with the NYC Filipino community, including being an active part of the committee that put together a “Hawaiian Summer Feast” last October. The fundraiser was organized “for the benefit of poor and needy street children and to help the building of churches and the undertaking of medical missions for the less privileged members of society as well as to lend assistance to the unfortunate victims of human trafficking, both in the Philippines and the United States.”

Reflecting on her life’s work, Ureta imparts this advice, especially to young Filipinos and Filipinas just starting out: “In whatever you do, always do your best; find a purpose and meaning in it – how it can help others.”

Lawyer Marissa Bañez is a contributing writer for The FilAm. She has published two award-winning children’s illustrated books – “Hope and Fortune” and “Hues and Harmony” (How the Rainbow Butterfly Got Her Colors).

COVER STORY

Nena Lozada Smith and her fabled Red Poinsettia Ball

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ena Lozada Smith has been through a myriad of community organizations since she first arrived in the U.S. in late 1990s, made tons of friends, and is known to bring joy to people’s lives through her vivacious parties.

From then till now, her name is associated with dazzling fundraising where women wear floor-length gowns that swish and sparkle.

Nena swears, “Filipinos love to dress up.”

She should know. Her legions of guests are growing by the year. Her last Red Poinsettia Ball on December 3, 2023 had 490 attendees (from 300 to 350 in previous years) at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck, New York some showing up even though they did not RSVP. Nena has learned to deal with such unexpected situations. “I just asked for more tables,” she shrugged.

Red Poinsettia is by far her most well-attended. It happens during the holidays, a season for celebrating. A dedicated fundraiser becomes Miss or Mrs. Red Poinsettia for the year. The proceeds go to the titleholders’ favorite province to support medical missions, public schools and other humanitarian causes. Women – among them professionals, nurses, caregivers, teachers, retirees, single parents, etc. -- said this is what attracts them to support the Red Poinsettia Foundation.

It’s not all about purposeless partying although dressing fancy is part of the fun.

Other Nena events, such as Friends Indeed USA and Philippine American Women Glambassador of Hope and Friends, are equally well patronized.

Friends Indeed USA, which was organized in mid-2000 and almost two decades in existence, is a more stately black-and-white dinner affair usually held in September or October. Friends Indeed is proud to be the recipient of the Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino Award in 2018 courtesy of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. Nena (together with friends Corazon Reyes and Linda Pelayo) went home to Manila to receive the plaque from

no less than President Rodrigo Duterte.

The LINKAPIL award is conferred on Filipino individuals or organizations for their “exceptional or significant contribution to progress and development in the Philippines. It speaks of the enduring sense of bayanihan of Filipinos even when they have found new homes in other countries.” A Friends Indeed Village in Bohol is a recipient of their charity work.

The Philippine American Women Glambassadors of Hope is another one of Nena’s many fundraising platforms. The charity raises funds for needy communities in the Philippines, she said, especially “children in difficult situations.”

Nena’s efforts have not gone unnoticed.

She has received numerous awards recognizing her many projects for the Filipino American community: Most Outstanding Asians bestowed by the City of New York’s Office of the City Comptroller, Achiever Community Awards given by the Philippine Consulate, Outstanding Filipino-American Award in Community Service from the Filipino Heritage Foundation are just some of many for which she is grateful.

As a true mover and shaker, Nena has been associated with many legacy organizations such as NaFFAA, FALDEF, PIDCI, and Handang Tumulong. One wonders, what else could she be planning next?

||Maria Eva Villa: Connecticut’s pride at Red Poinsettia

Maria Eva Villa from Greenwich, Connecticut is this year’s Mrs. Red Poinsettia Beacon of Hope and Light.

When she walked around the Leonard’s Palazzo ballroom wearing sash and crown, she said she couldn’t believe what was happening to her.

Eva, 70, said she was like floating on air wearing her extravagant red gown by the Paris brand Anne Fontaine. Her unfathomable joy made her emotional.

“I was very happy, ang ganda ng feeling.

Maybe this is what it means to have a good life. I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

When told she didn’t look her age, she just smiled and brushed off the compliment.

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Red Poinsettia founder Nena Lozada Smith. Photo by Joros Razon

“I’m the only one in America of my four siblings,” said Eva who hails from Iloilo where her family owns farm lands.

Her father worked as a farmer and a carpenter and her mother was a cantor in church.

Eva has an adult son, age 36, who has a thriving auto emission center business in the Philippines.

Maria Eva Villa as Mrs. Red Poinsettia Beacon of Hope and Light 2023 Eva met Nena last year at an event in Connecticut organized by a Filipino women’s association in the state. She said she is honored to be chosen the 2023 Mrs. Red Poinsettia Beacon of Hope and Light.

Eva came to the U.S. in 1989 through Spain. She was working as a nanny for the family of a Spanish airline executive who has a home in Upstate New York. When the family decided to return to Spain, she stayed behind and worked for a Morgan Stanley bank manager in Connecticut. She worked as a caregiver and cook for this family for 20 years and was able to become a U.S. citizen through this employment. She later became a caregiver for a gentleman with a kidney-related condition. She was trained in dialysis treatment and provided care for him for four years. When he passed, he left her a house in Connecticut, she said.

their sashes and crowns walked the ballroom to applause and the approving smiles of guests.

“I felt blessed, grateful and thankful,” said Melissa. “I see this crown as an opportunity. An opportunity to represent Red Poinsettia charitable trust, an opportunity to serve, which I am looking forward to, to go back to our country to help a school in our province of San Carlos City, Pangasinan and to be the best version of myself.

I represent this charity with pride, grace and ||Melissa Lyn & Jaylyn poise.”

Rivera: Mother, daughter Melissa, who works as a micro technician with BAE Systems and an entrepreneur met Nena in make Red Poinsettia one of her events in Connecticut. She was introhistory duced by her friend Vina Dunn.

December 3 was a historic Red “We had instant connection,” she said. “I Poinsettia night. Melissa Lyn Caywanted to be part of her humanitarian projects.” abyab Rivera from Manchester, New She wanted to donate school supplies to chilHampshire and her youngest daughdren in her province and support a feeding proter Jaylyn Myles, 6, were honored at gram. Red Poinsettia organizes missions to the the dinner gala.

Philippines where they donate food and clothing For the first time a little girl was to underdeveloped provincial towns. crowned Little Red Poinsettia 2023.

Daughter Jaylyn is the youngest of three chilHer mother Melissa Lyn would join dren of Melissa and husband Paul John Rivera, her as Mrs. Red Poinsettia Ball Queen a senior software engineer at Hewlett Packard 2023. Mother and daughter wearing Enterprise. Their two other children are Jaymier Lyle, 15, and Jayred Lloyd, 10.

Jaylyn is a first grader at Green Acres Elementary School. Her teacher describes her as “extremely shy but a smart girl.” Her two older brothers whom she calls her “bodyguards” take good care of her even if sometimes she bullies them, according to Melissa.

She enjoys her modeling, gymnastics and dance classes.

Her favorite actress is Vanessa Hudgens, a fellow Filipina, who plays Gabriella Montez in Disney Channel’s “High School Musical.”

Melissa came to the U.S. in 1998 and met her future husband here.

She enjoys attending and dressing up for pageants especially the elegant ones organized by Nena Smith.

As she likes to tell her friends in jest: “We don’t have this in New Hampshire.” – Cristina Melissa Lyn Rivera & daughter Jaylyn Myles are named Mrs. Red Poinsettia Ball DC Pastor Queen 2023 and Little Red Poinsettia 2023, respectively.

THE FILAM

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Issue 71, January 2024

Parol and other takeaways

Nena Lozada Smith

Growing her Red Poinsettia Ball

Photo by Joros Razon

‘Pasko in America’

Atty. Arlene Lapuz Ureta Still looking for fulfillment after 36 years