2024 PAMANA Independence Day Gala Souvenir Program

OURMISSION

Tofosterandstrengthencooperation amongFilipinoAmericanorganizations intheNewEnglandregiontheUnited States,promotingmutual understanding,humilityandequality;

Tocoordinatetimelyandeffective mobilizationofallFilipinoAmerican organizationsintheNewEnglandregion torespondandrenderassistanceto victimsofcalamitiesinthePhilippines suchasearthquakes,volcanic eruptions,floods,typhoonsandsuch othermajordisastrousevents.

Toencourageactiveparticipationof allFilipinoAmericanorganizations intheNewEnglandregioninthe commemorationofthePhilippine IndependenceDay;

PAMANACARES

OURMISSION

Thisinitiativewascreatedduringthe COVID-19Pandemicasawayto partnerwithFilipinogrocerystoresto assistcommunitymembersinneed. Thelatestroundincluded40packages deliveredtoindividualsandfamilies acrossfiveNewEnglandStates.

Tofosterandstrengthencooperation amongFilipinoAmericanorganizations intheNewEnglandregiontheUnited States,promotingmutual understanding,humilityandequality;

YOUTHLEADERSHIP& EMPOWERMENT

Toencourageactiveparticipationof allFilipinoAmericanorganizations intheNewEnglandregioninthe commemorationofthePhilippine IndependenceDay;

PAMANAhostsyouthleadership conferencesforFilipino-Americanhigh schoolandcollegestudents.This includesbothin-personandvirtual eventsincludingvirtualcollegefairs andmentalhealthawareness.

FLAGRAISING

Tocoordinatetimelyandeffective mobilizationofallFilipinoAmerican organizationsintheNewEnglandregion torespondandrenderassistanceto victimsofcalamitiesinthePhilippines suchasearthquakes,volcanic eruptions,floods,typhoonsandsuch othermajordisastrousevents.

PAMANAhostsannualflagraisings inthecitiesofBostonandWorcester, collaboratingwiththerespective Mayor’sOfficestocelebrateFilipino culture.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jelyn Masa Chair

Joshua Bren Cueco Assistant Treasurer

Brian Mangilog Vice-Chair

Jennifer-Anne Canaday Secretary

Jennifer Aying Director

Stacey Domingo Vice-Chair

Jennifer Coliflores, Esq. Immediate Past Chair

Ruanne Catapang Director

Lidy Chan Treasurer

Aleman Director

Frank Celoza Director

Coliflores Director

Phyliss

Bertha

Joseph Coliflores, Esq. Director

Sarah Crowther Director

Angelina O’Connor Director

Lopez Director

Manansala Director

Linda Ravenscroft Director

Isabelo Solar Chair Emeritus

Rodriguez Director

Solar Director

Fracel Solar Chair Emeritus

Shadra Tiden Director

Elysia

Lauren

Philjay

Joshua

Philippine American Mainstream Advocacy for Nonpartisan Associations, Inc.

June 9, 2024

Dear Friends of PAMANA,

I am excited to wish you all a Happy 126th Philippine Independence Day!

Philippine American Mainstream Advocacy for Nonpartisan Associations, Inc , also known as PAMANA, celebrates its 26th anniversary this year. We are proud to continue and build upon the traditions started by the generations of leadership in the Filipino community of New England that came before us, including:

1

Our Philippine Independence Day Festival at La Salette Shrine in Attleboro, MA on June 9th,

Our Philippine Flag Raising at Boston City Hall on June 12th,

3

2 Our Independence Day Gala and Crowning of Binibining Pilipinas Kalayaan on June 22nd in Norwood, MA.

The PAMANA Board has been planning and preparing for months - from advertising, to securing vendors and performers, applying for grant funding, recruiting volunteers and all sorts of logistics to make this programming happen Huge thanks to the Board for investing your time and hard work into these celebrations, which provide our community members a chance to uplift the contributions of Filipinos in New England, connect with each other, and share our culture and heritage.

Since our Independence Day Festival in 2023, PAMANA has welcomed new Board members and a new executive committee As a proudly multigenerational Board, we are at a place now where former Philippine Independence Day Festival attendees, who were once young performers and parade marchers, are now the Festival organizers

PAMANA is grateful to continue serving the community through our PAMANA Cares Initiative, a program that delivers groceries from local Filipino businesses including Asian Food Mart in Holbrook, Pinoy Republic & Sons in Worcester, and Sure Pinoy in Quincy, MA to folks in need In December 2023, we collaborated with students from the Philippine Society of Boston College to assemble and ship 40 care packages to recipients across 5 New England states, just in time for the holidays We are also grateful to be recipients of the Boston Foundation’s Safety Nets Grant of $50,000, to expand our PAMANA Cares program

We look forward to growing our organization through community partnerships, engaging programming, and service to the Filipino community of New England. Thank you for celebrating with us. Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan!

Sincerely,

Jelyn Masa, Chair @ Philippine American Mainstream Advocacy for Nonpartisan Associations, Inc. (PAMANA) pamanainc.org | instagram.com/pamanainc | facebook.com/pamanainc

MESSAGE

The Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Washington, D.C. joins the Philippine American Mainstream Advocacy for Non-Partisan Associations, Inc. (PAMANA) and the Filipino community in Massachusetts in celebrating the 126th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence.

I extend the Embassy’s profound gratitude to the members of the Filipino community in Massachusetts for uniting in celebration of this monumental occasion. The Embassy deeply appreciates your invaluable contributions in nurturing mutual understanding and forging close bonds between the Filipino and American communities in the New England region of the United States.

May the theme “Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan. (Freedom. Future. History.)” continue to remind us of our shared history and collective resilience as a nation, guiding us through the challenges of today towards a promising future. This significant milestone reminds us of our country’s journey as we continue to protect our freedom, democracy, and sovereignty.

Rest assured that the Embassy and the Consulate General in New York remain steadfast in their commitment to advancing the interests of the Filipino American community.

Let us work together to strengthen our bonds and chart a new roadmap for tomorrow. May the dream of a revitalized Philippines - Bagong Pilipinas - inspire us to foster peace, progress, and prosperity.

Maligayang pagdiriwang ng Araw ng Kalayaan at mabuhay po kayong lahat!

09 June 2024

JOSE MANUEL G ROMUALDEZ

Bataan Street corner 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20036 : (202) 467-9300 | Website: philippineembassy-dc.org | Email: info@phembassy-us.org Phone

Ambassador

126THPHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCEDAY GALA

Registration

Greetings & Welcome

National Anthems

Star Spangled Banner

Lupang Hinirang

Singer: Venus Earley

Welcome Remarks

Jelyn Masa, PAMANA Chair

Consul Remarks

Deputy Consul General Adrian Elmer Cruz

Philippine Consulate General, New York

Invocation

Father Rosanno Soriano, MS

Lunch & Entertainment

Cultural Dance Performance

Philippine Dance and Culture Organization

Keynote Speaker

Ms. Reggie Ramos

Executive Director of Transportation for Massachusetts

Binibining Pilipinas Kalayaan Program

Royal March:

126THPHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCEDAY GALA

Recognition and Awards

Presentation of Sash: By Mr. John and Mrs. Elvie Reis

Trophy: By Ms. Cherry Smyth, CEO, Kids Philippines and former Mrs. Philippines of New York, and Mrs. Linda Ravenscroft, Grand Marshal 2024 and Director, PAMANA

Bouquet: by Ms. Jelyn Masa, Chairperson, PAMANA

The Farewell Walk

Binibining Pilipinas Kalayaan 2022

Miss Kaitlyn Chavez

Coronation of Binibining Pilipinas Kalayaan 2024

Ms. Theresa Johnelle Reis

To be crowned by: Ms. Kaitlyn Chavez, BPK 2022 and Ms. Reggie Ramos

Chairperson’s Acknowledgement and Closing Remarks

Dance Dance Dance

Masters of Ceremonies

Joshua Manansala, PAMANA Board Member

Elysia Rodriguez, PAMANA Board Member

Lidy Chan, PAMANA Board Member and BPK Committee Member

Music - Disc Jockey: Jojo Pineda

Photographer: Bromly Domingo

Guest Speaker

DEPUTY CONSUL GENERAL

ADRIAN ELMER SORIANO CRUZ

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL NEW YORK

REGGIE RAMOS

TRANSPORTATION FOR MASSACHUSETTS

Keynote Speaker

LINDA RAVENSCROFT

PAMANA BOARD MEMBER

Grand Marshal

MISS THERESA REIS

Binibining Pilipinas Kalayaan

KEYNOTE SPEAKER Reggie Ramos

Reggie Ramos is leading into action Transportation for Massachusetts’ (T4MA) strengthened commitments to transportation justice and equity. Reggie believes deeply that transportation can be a democratizing tool for social change

Prior to joining T4MA in 2023, Reggie served in roles at the MBTA and the Institute for Human Centered Design in Boston, launching expanded Fairmount Line service and free bus projects and

contributing to subway, light rail and commuter rail station design to ensure access for people with disabilities.

Reggie was previously the Undersecretary of Transportation for the Republic of the Philippines, where she led multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects, including the expansion of the MactanCebu International Airport, which sees more than 10 million passengers annually, and the Philippines’ first automated fare collection system. She was also a lead negotiator at the Paris Agreement at COP21

She holds a juris doctorate from Ateneo de Manila University and a master’s in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

SPEAKER

Deputy Consul General Adrian Cruz

Mr Adrian Elmer Soriano Cruz is the current Deputy Consul General of the Philippine Consulate General in New York.

He has communicated Philippine foreign policy and interacted with public officials of various governments as well as international NGOs and the private sector for more than 24 years.

His previous foreign assignments were in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia. Prior to entering the Philippine Foreign Service, he worked under the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines and served as Special Assistant to the Director General of the National Security Council of the Philippines.

He is married to the former Maria Citadel Munoz and has three daughters.

He wishes to connect and work with the Filipinos overseas on areas that include organization building, history and cultural appreciation, community outreach and youth empowerment.

Mr. Cruz believes that courage and confidence help bring about success, and family involvement must be part of community development.

GRAND MARSHAL Linda Ravenscroft

For over three decades Linda Ravenscroft has served as the Founder and President of Capitol Services International, Inc. with a mission to provide exceptional home care services and advocate for the elderly to empower them to maintain their independence in the comfort of their own homes. Linda’s dedication, expertise and experience has allowed her to deliver exceptional home care services for the elderly communities across Massachusetts. She also serves as an Executive VicePresident of Capitol Home Health, Inc. and as Chair of ABBA Home Health Inc. Linda is an alumna of the Holy Ghost College and St. Joseph’s.

A visionary leader, Linda takes great pride in her community by building and participating in many multi-cultural activities throughout the New England area. She founded the God the Father Children’s Apostolate of Greater New England and plays a crucial role in diocesan evangelization. Additionally, she has also served as the president of Fil-Am of Newport, is an active member of the Massachusetts Association of Home Care Aides and is a contributing board member of PAMANA, Fil-Am of Newport, and PDCO.

Linda, alongside her husband Robert have proudly raised four children in Southeastern Massachusetts where her passion and interest extends to her spiritual life. She is a committed parishioner of Good Shepherd and actively participates to give back to and better the lives of those around her and in the community.

BINIBINING PILIPINAS KALAYAAN

Theresa Johnelle Reis

Theresa Johnelle Reis is the thirteen year old daughter of John Reis Jr., a Portuguese-American, and Elvie Hortelano-Reis, a Filipina from Cebu City, Philippines. Theresa resides in Fall River with her family. She attends Mortom Middle School where she will be an eighth grader in the fall. She is a softball player and pitcher for Morton Middle School and the Fall River Girls Softball Team. Her brother Sebastian plays Varsity Baseball player at Rivier University. Theresa is a cheerleader and dances with Vibe Athletics. Her hobbies include Dancing for TikTok, singing karaoke, and cooking Filipino food with mom. She volunteers, helping the religious community during the catechism and is an assistant coach during games. Theresa loves to help others, including children in the Philippines.

PAMANA CHAIR

Jelyn Masa

Jelyn Masa currently serves as the Chair/President of PAMANA. Her commitment to serving the Filipino American community goes as far back as her elementary school days, as a dancer with the Philippine Dance Company of Boston. As an alumna of Bryn Mawr College and a Posse Foundation Scholar, she continued work in service leadership in undergrad, reviving Barkada, the Philippine Student Association.

After joining PAMANA in 2020, Jelyn supported many community-focused events and programs, including the Philippine Independence Day Festival and the FilipinoAmerican High School Leadership Program. She has led 3 rounds of the PAMANA Cares Initiative, delivering about 100 care packages of food to families in need across all New England States, in collaboration with local Filipino businesses. As PAMANA’s unofficial grant writer, she has secured $66,000 worth of grant funding to support PAMANA Cares, the Philippine Independence Day Festival, and the general growth of the organization.

Jelyn is currently a Senior Quality Assurance Analyst at America’s Kitchen with five years of experience in software testing, and 10 years of experience in project management. Outside of work she enjoys crocheting, discovering new OPM artists, and language learning. She is a proud alumna of Baba Bisaya’s Hiligaynon Language Immersion program.

CO-EMCEE

Elysia Rodriguez

Elysia Rodriguez is the Vice President of Media Strategy at Benchmark Strategies, a public relations and government affairs firm in Boston.

Prior to joining Benchmark, Elysia worked more than 15 years in television news as an Emmy award winning journalist. She worked across the country but most of her work had been in New England – with the CBS station in Providence, RI and the NBC station in Springfield, MA. She also spent the last 6 years in Boston at NECN/NBC10 Boston and then Boston 25 News.

She attended Dominican College in San Juan, Metro Manila then moved to Rhode Island to attend Roger Williams University. Her family is from Sorsogon and currently lives in Antipolo. She currently lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts with her daughter.

BINIBINING PILIPINAS KALAYAAN EMCEE

Lidy Chan is an accomplished, veteran leader in the AAPI community. She started her community service when she was in elementary school in Cebu, Philippines by tutoring students and providing free school supplies to underserved students in her school. She continues to do community involvement when she came to the United States in early 1990 and decided to reside in Boston, Massachusetts. She currently serves on the board of various Fil-Am organizations as well as in the Town of Foxborough Cultural Council.

Lidy is currently employed at Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) as a Risk Financing Manager. In addition to her day-to-day duties overseeing the Risk Management and Insurance Programs of MassDOT She is involved in MassDOT’s many programs serving as a mentor, committee member for the Partners in Transportation Diversity Planning Committee, chair of AAPI Heritage month celebration, a founding member for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Employee Advisory Council, a member of the MassDOT/Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Employee Resource Group (ERG) Council. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce with minors in Economics, Banking, Finance and Marketing at Southwestern University, Philippines. She attended a finance continuing education at Northeastern University, Boston and completed her associate in risk management designation at Insurance Institute of America. Lidy resides in Foxborough with her husband Jeff, two children Julie & Jessica, and toy poodles Winston & Milo.

CO-EMCEE

Joshua Manansala

Joshua Manansala was born and raised in Carson, California to two immigrant Filipino parents. Although he cannot speak Tagalog fluently, like many Fil-Ams of his generation, he can understand most of it!

Joshua’s passion for music paired with his outgoing personality lead to an early career in club promotion in the Los Angeles area. He developed deep connections within the community over the years. While pursuing a career as a DJ, he began to emcee various events such as weddings, nightclubs, traveling and hosting Hot Import Nights just to name a few.

Joshua currently is employed by Toyota which brought him to Massachusetts in 2022 by way of Kentucky where he first completed training He is currently the Operations Supervisor within Toyota at the Boston Parts Distribution Center in Mansfield, MA. He is excited to be a board member of PAMANA and surround himself with fellow Filipinos, Filipino culture, and of course, Filipino cuisine. Although living far away from friends and family, the connections and friendships he has made are always near and dear to his heart and is always continuing to spread his Filipino culture.

BINIBINING PILIPINAS KALAYAAN

2024 COURT

Brady Smyth Crown Bearer

Claire Rodriguez Flower Girl

Ian Medua BPK 2024 Escort

Miss Theresa Reis BPK 2024 pictured with Miss Kaitlyn Chavez BPK 2022

Max Olivenza Sash Bearer

In 2022-2023 PAMANA Cares delivered 97 packages

6 New England states 2910 lbs of food totaling to individuals and families across We thank our local grocery partners: Made possible by grant funding from:

Thank you to all our 2024 festival vendors, performers, community orgs, volunteers, and host, La Salette Shrine!

Special thanks to festival photographers Bromly Domingo, Angelo Bagalawis & Phyliss Aleman, PAMANA Board Member!

WEDNESDAY JUNE 12, 2024

Special thanks to City of Boston, City Councilor Henry Santana, and

M MOM, DAD, AND EBASTIEN REIS

BEST WISHES TO MRS LINDA RAVENSCROFT

CONGRATULATIONS TO JELYN MASA AND ALL THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2024-2025:

SAVE THE DATE and JOIN

MEDICAL MISSION- FEB, 2025

BERMUDA CRUISE- JUNE 27-JULY 4, 2025

“KANNAWIDAN FESTIVAL” AUG, 2025

ILOKANDIA TOUR- FEB, 2026 FOR MORE INFO: CONTACT: 781-492-2014

The Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance is a non-profit organization that believes in bringing the community together through cultural events that celebrate the core values of the rich and deeply rooted ancestry of the Filipino people. Our goal is to organize events on an annual basis in partnership with business owners and community leaders. As younger generations of Filipino Americans mature, connectivity, exposure and interactions with people that share their cultural heritage is paramount to enriching overall community diversity, equity and inclusion efforts while promoting Filipino Americans through networking, outreaching, and researching to ensure the prosperity of every individual involved. Our commitment to this organization and to our community is matched by an enthusiastic approach to each partnership and alliance that we create. We ask entities, corporations, and partners to join forces with us to contribute to the important cause of helping all Filipino Americans to thrive and prosper.

Ms. Jelyn Masa, Chairperson, PAMANA and Miss Theresa Reis, BPK 2024

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! Philippine