kc concepcion photo

BOOM
JANUARY
2016
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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Happy 2016 Everybody!!
We have a great year ahead going into a milestone – YEAR 5 – of FYLPRO!
There’s certainly a lot to be excited for this year, including the induction of our first
Board of Directors, officially operating as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and PI
& US Elections, among other things.
Before we go in full swing for this year, I’d like to recognize the top 10 FYLPRO
moments of 2015 (in chronological order):
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Joining US-Philippines Society in Tacloban where we met local government and identified areas of collaboration to support typhoon victims. (January)
Completing a FYLPRO Alumni workshop where we identified the official FYLPRO Core Values as part of the NYC FLY-IN. (June)
Listening to Fil-Am iconic leader, Mrs. Loida Lewis share her stories and advice, over dinner at her NYC residence. The most memorable part of the whole affair was the impromptu dance lesson from the FYLPRO Alumni Hawaiian delegation (Zulueta & Dahilig) who taught Mrs. Lewis and FYLPRO alumni how to sing and dance the “Hukilau” – in the same living room where Mrs. Lewis had hosted a private event for the Democratic party attended by President Obama. (June)
Walking with the Department of Foreign Affairs at the Filipino Independence Day Parade in NYC –strolling down Fifth Avenue and waiving the Philippine Flag representing FYLPRO from all four batches. (June)
Legacy Project Spotlight: Panalo, starting internship program for Philippine students to work with US companies. Additionally Panalo has over 50 new US companies now working directly with Philippine technology teams and talent.
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6) FYLPRO Executive Committee passing first
official FYLPRO Resolution urging qualified Filipino Americans to exercise their right to
vote in the 2016 Philippine presidential, national and
local elections. (September)
7)Celebrating Filipino American History Month at the
White House with fellow FYLPRO alumni and community
leaders from across the country was incredible. To celebrate
and share stories and experiences we have had was inspiring. The
future of our community is bright! (October)
8) FYLPRO Alumni participating in APEC meetings and events in
Manila. (November)
9) Meeting with Filipino legend Washington Sycip for an intimate
discussion about the need to focus on projects that address illiteracy in the
Philippines. (November)
10) Taking the next steps with FYLPRO supporter Ayala Foundation, Makati
Business Club, and the American Chamber of Commerce, to institutionalize the
partnership through the development of a 5-year Memorandum of Agreement.
(November)
I sincerely look forward to what’s ahead of us and cultivating more impactful FYLPRO
moments.
Maraming maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.
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Bea Querido
FYLPRO AT THE WHITE HOUSE
On Oct. 2, FYLPRO alumni from across the United States
joined Fil-Am community icons Apl.de.ap, singer and cofounder of Black Eyed Peas and acapella group Philharmonics,
among other distinguished leaders from various Filipino
organizations at the White House Celebration of Filipino
American History Month – the first-ever FilipinoAmerican celebration at the nation’s capital, organized
by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders and the White House Office of
Public Engagement.
A message from President Barack Obama was read during
the event citing the long history of Filipino-Americans “who
have helped shape our Nation” and have helped “expand our
Nation’s promise throughout every aspect of our society.”
FYLPRO alumnus Jason Tengco, Deputy Director of
WHAAPI, emceed the program and was instrumental in the
success of the event. Administration officials offered remarks
including Nani Coloretti, Deputy Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, who is
also the highest ranking Filipino-American on the Obama
Administration. Coloretti shared stories and photographs about
her Filipino roots.
Also present was Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of the
U.S. Small Business Administration. Contreras-Sweet explained
how the federal government can help Fil-Am businesses, citing
1.6 million of AAPI businesses in the country that generate
than half a billion dollars every year.
more
León Rodríguez, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services, enumerated the benefits of naturalization
– travel benefits, certain government employment opportunities
and most important, having the ability to vote and influence
policies.
Vice Admiral (VADM) Vivek H. Murthy, U.S. surgeon
general, spoke about building a foundation of health in the
community. Murthy said Fil-Ams have the highest cancer and
epilepsy rates among AAPIs.
Tengco also helped organize a panel of “trailblazers” from
different backgrounds to inspire and share their personal stories.
The panel was facilitated by entrepreneur-actor-attorney Billy
Dec, a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on
AAPIs.
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WASHINGTON D.C.
FYLPRO Alumni on Oct 3-4 were also given the honor to spend the weekend at
the Washington D.C. residence of Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose
L. Cuisia Jr. and his wife Mrs. Vicky Cuisia, founders of the FYLPRO Immersion
Program. The Immersion Program selects 10 of the most outstanding young Filipinos
in the United States for an all-expense paid trip to the Philippines to engage in insightful
and inspiring dialogue with dignitaries in government, business and nonprofit leaders.
FYLPRO officers and alumni spent the weekend with the founders working on ways
to improve the annual Immersion Program and how to ensure that this honorable
opportunity sustains in the future.
Bea Querido, FYLPRO President, shares that, “it is important to continue the annual
Immersion Program started by Ambassador and Mrs. Cuisia. The FYLPRO officers
and alumni are working hard to allow more exceptional Filipino young leaders to
be selected and given the unparalleled opportunity to experience the Philippines as
a FYLPRO delegate. This experience is then translated into Legacy Projects led by
FYLPRO alumni that directly help the Filipino community in varying sectors across
the U.S. and the Philippines.”
Pictured Above: Breakfast with FYLPRO Founder Mrs.
Vicky Cuisia with FYLPRO President Bea Querido ‘13,
FYLPRO Internal Affairs Director Melissa Medina ‘13,
and FYLPRO Alumni and supporters at the Philippine
Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C.
FIL-AM POLITICAL & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Jessica Caloza ‘15 was invited to speak at the 3rd Annual Filipino American National Town Hall
Event presented by KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress. The event brought together leaders
from across the country to discuss pressing social, cultural and political issues affecting the Filipino
community, including WWII Veterans, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and comprehensive
immigration reform. Caloza spoke about Filipino political and civic engagement. Along with other
invited speakers, the panel discussed strategies on engaging and mobilizing the Filipino community.
Council Member Mark E. Pulido from Cerritos, CA urged Filipinos to run for office and to submit
themselves to the community and to the public.
Picture left: Jessica Caloza ‘15 at the D.C. KAYA: Filipino American National Town Hall.
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DUAL CITIZENSHIP: ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE
In October, FYLPRO leaders passed a resolution urging qualified Filipino Americans to exercise
their right to vote in the 2016 Philippine presidential, national and local elections. Vice President
Louella Cabalona ‘12 took that call to action to heart and one step further. Louella obtained her U.S.
citizenship and reclaimed her Philippine citizenship and registered to vote in the 2016 Philippines
Presidential elections -- all in one day.
Louella recently told Rappler that FYLPRO lit a fire in her. Interacting with other young leaders across
the USA has inspired her to be a steadfast advocate for issues that affect Filipino Americans such as Dual
citizenship, Voter registration, passing the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and the movement to
awareness about the significance of Filipinos in American history.
Coming back to the homeland has also offered her a different perspective of the country. “The Philippines is booming.
We have businesses rising.,” she says recognizing that in the midst of this surge of leadership, our own role as diasporas,
as global agents of support and partnership, is becoming richer, more diverse, and more urgent.
“Since I went back through FYLPRO and discovered this movement,” Louella says, “I’ve had this hunger for news of what’s
happening and who’s making a difference.” She now tries to amplify these voices of progress, broadcast these stories,
and in the end educate the world about this new landscape.
With this renewed stake in the Philippines and the urgency of a very critical
national elections coming up, she and some of the alumni felt it was necessary to
officially be Filipino. By sharing her experience and engaging others to know the
facts about dual citizenship, Louella hopes that other Filipino Americans will find
it. People take it as a given that it’s a privilege to be American. “I want people to
know that being Filipino is the same. If you have the opportunity, if you have that
birthright, then you should claim it.” Kit Zulueta‘12 from Maui, Hawaii also took
the oath to reacquire Filipino citizenship earlier in October.
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PHILIPPINE
AMBASSADOR
JOSE CUISIA
Ambassador Cuisia
welcomed delegates and
encouraged #FYLPRO2015 delegates
to see the waves they will make in their
respective communities.
Ambassador Jose
Cuisia addreses
2015 FYLPRO
delegates
U.S. AMBASSADOR
PHILIP S. GOLDBERG
FYLPRO 2015 delegates met with
Ambassador Goldberg at his home
in Makati on July 3, 2015.
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THE AMBASSADORS, CONSULS GENERAL
AND TOURISM DIRECTORS (ACGTD)
MANILA 2015
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ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE
Anna Marie Cruz ‘15 recently wrote a blog post on why she thinks the
Philippines, based on her FYLPRO experience, is the perfect place to
become a social entrepreneur or hang out with one.
1. THE GOVERNMENT IS IN ON IT.
The Philippine government is prioritizing “inclusive growth,” the idea that low income segments of the population should benefit from the growing
economy. One way through which this is supported is the Conditional Cash Transfer, a government program that incentivizes the most vulnerable
to seek healthcare and obtain an education. Access to both improves employment preparedness and productivity and can prevent further
intergenerational poverty. Another is Go Negosyo, similar to Small Business Development Centers in the U.S., which provides technical assistance
and resources to support SME development all over the country.
Sadly, one of the many challenges faced by social enterprises or any business for that matter, is inefficient and non-transparent administrative
procedures. Filing for a business permit/license will cause a big, fat headache, although the good news is the ability to quickly jump on a plane to
a nearby island and cure said headache. An impressive initiative to combat inefficient bureaucracy, though, is bantay.ph, which mobilizes young
people, all volunteers, to evaluate local government offices and the delivery of their services in order to reduce corruption. By crowdsourcing
feedback real time, accountability is improved. Of course while bantay.ph is highly commendable, conditions still are not perfect.
2. THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS IN ON IT TOO.
The Philippine Business for Social Progress or PBSP is
the largest business-led social development program in
the country committed to poverty reduction, according
to their website. They support key areas such as Health,
Education, Enterprise development, and they also influence
companies to include Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) within their core strategy. The Makati Business
Club (MBC) is one of the most highly regarded business
associations in the Philippines. And when FYLPRO takes
you to a special luncheon with them, you can expect to
speak with country managers or CEOs of corporations like
DOW Chemicals, Philam Life, or Bank of America. One of
the objectives of MBC is to facilitate the exchange of ideas
to improve conditions within the business community. One
such idea led to the Integrity Initiative, an agreement that
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commits participants to maintaining ethical practices and reducing corruption.
3. THE LAND IS FULL OF OPPORTUNITY.
Literally. Many social ventures are emerging in the agricultural sector where most Filipinos are already employed. During a consulting project
in Vietnam I met a number of Filipino consultants and international development experts, one of whom doing capacity building work in the rice
industry. This is when I first learned about IRRI or the International Rice Research Institute, “the world’s premier research organization dedicated
to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science”originally founded and still headquartered in the Philippines. Agriculture is still the main use of
land in the Philippines but distribution remains problematic and is one of the reasons that prevents the country from achieving scale. Thus, there
are infinite opportunities to support smallholder farming and facilitate market access. How much of land is used for farming?
4. WE HAVE A YOUNG AND SKILLED WORK FORCE.
More than 50 percent of the current population is 24 years or below. This means a steady flow of people into the labor force. The country also
boasts a 93.6% literacy rate. Many are English speaking and college educated. Our young people are specializing in areas like computer science
and technology, which positions the country to be highly competitive for tech-based opportunities. As a result, their skills continue to be refined in
these areas. If you’re not convinced yet, you should check out Geeks on a Beach, an annual convention of sorts for tech-focused entrepreneurs.
Does geeking out get better than this? But tech isn’t the only area in which our young people excel. They continue to develop in accounting/finance,
sciences, and agriculture/fishing industries. There is so much potential to partner with these bright eyed, bushy tailed young people and carry the
torch of change.
5. WE HAVE THE BAYANIHAN SPIRIT.
Whenever I speak with Filipinos in Los Angeles, New York, or the Philippines, I refer to the Filipino psychology and our core values. If you grew
up in a Filipino household, there is no avoiding the concept of “kapwa,” the “bayanihan” spirit, in which we find our identity and strength. While I
highly value individualism, I am also proud to have been acculturated through a more collectivist perspective. The idea that no one is left behind
is in our core. It is why hospitality is second nature to us, why we make the best hosts at parties, and why when someone says “Tao Po” at your
door, you welcome this person or “tao” as a part of you as you are of him or her. This connectedness is a real advantage to us when thinking about
social enterprises because it naturally opens doors to collaboration and co-creation, both highly important when crafting solutions at the base of
the pyramid.
FOR FULL POST,
VISIT WWW.
FYLPRO.ORG
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BUZZFEED PHILIPPINES:
FIL-AM TRAILBLAZERS
A number of FYLPRO alums were featured in Buzzfeed Philippines
list of 34 Filipino-American Trailblazers You Need to Know. Included
in Buzzfeed’s list were Nicole Adrienne Ponseca ‘15, restaurateur of
Filipino restaurants Maharlika and Jeepney in New York, Ryan Letada
‘14, CEO and chief builder NextDayBetter, and Jason Tengco ‘14,
deputy director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI). Photo courtesy of Buzzfeed
Philippines.
NEW YORK TOWN HALL
FYLPRO alumni Nicole Ponseca ’15 and
Jennifer Coliflores ’15 shared experiences
from their immersion program on Oct.
28 at a Town Hall event presented by
the Philippine Consulate General
Mario de Leon of New York.
Young professionals from the tristate area attended to network
and collaborate at the event.
The event also concluded the
Filipino American History
Month of October.
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THE
OUTSTANDING
FILIPINOS OF
NEW YORK
Three FYLPRO Delegates were recognized at Carnegie
Hall in NYC on October 31 2015 as The Outstanding
Filipino Americans in NY (TOFA-NY) out of 15 awardees.
Steven Raga (FYLPRO 2012) for Community Service and
Advocacy, Rachelle Ocampo (FYLPRO 2013) for Media and
Publishing, and Nicole Ponseca (FYLPRO 2015) for Food
and Restaurants. They were honored with this distinction
for their work in their respective fields and contributions to
the Filipino community. Presented by AARP, TOFA-NY was
hosted by Filipino TV Personality, Boy Abunda, who led the
award ceremony with many laughs and his appreciation for
NY leadership. Rachelle Ocampo ‘13, one of the Lead Hosts
of Makilala TV, the first FilAm TV Talk Show in the NY Metro
area, thanked the Filipino community for their support“Thanks to the heroes and sheroes in our community that
make Makilala TV possible with their heartfelt and inspiring
stories.”
Steven Raga ‘12, NY State Chairperson for National Federation
of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), thanked TOFA
and urged the community for specific calls to action including
pushing for Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino WW2
Veterans and Jose Rizal markers at historic sites around NYC.
Nicole Ponseca ‘15 was recognized for pushing Filipino food
to the mainstream food industry and paving the way for
other Filipinos restauranteurs. Other young FilAm awardees
included Mark Bustos (Courage of Conviction), professional
hair stylist who provides free haircuts to the homeless and his
mantra of #BeAwesomeToSomebody, Councilman Jonathan
Wong (Youth and Sports) who is the youngest FilAm elected
to office in NJ, singer Gail Banawis (Entertainment) who
performed at the Pacquaio vs. Mayweather fight, and KC
Concepcion (Special Humanitarian Award) popular TV
and Film actor in the Philippines for her work as National
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Ambassador against Hunger for the United Nations’
World
Food Programme (WFP).
ONLINE AND OFFLINE CONNECTIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES
In a recent blog FYLPRO blogpost, Kevin Gabayan ‘15, a software engineer at Google from
California, explored how could he could better support technology education in the Philippines.
Prior to his FYLPRO immersion trip, Kevin traveled to Bacolod to observe and learn from
Google’s humanitarian outreach project, Google Reach. Before the FYLPRO program started
that week, Kevin was able to learn and observe from 16 Google colleagues in Bacolod that
share a passion for lending their talents to humanitarian NGOs in emerging markets.
On meeting with various mobile developers and tech entrepreneurs around the
Philippines, Kevin was “deeply inspired by everyone working hard to solve difficult
problems for their community, to create new jobs, and to provide more equitable
access to opportunities in the Philippines.”
Kevin was thankful for “renewed confidence that we each have the power to
contribute positive change in the world.” For Kevin’s full post Online and
offline connections to the Philippines, visit www.fylpro.org.
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ALUMNI ON THE MOVE
Louella Cabalona ‘12 was promoted to Manager for SYW
Analytics at Sears Holdings Inc, Hoffman Estates, IL. Louella
joined sears as a Senior Business Analyst Consultant in
September 2014.
Angela Cabellon ’12 welcomed her first son, Elijah Cabellon.
JR Calanoc ‘12 married Nancy Hwang in Monterey, CA.
Jessica Caloza ‘15 relocated to California from Washington,
D.C. and is now the Immigration Policy Advisor for Los Angeles
Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Greg Cendana ‘12 was appointed by Washington D.C. Mayor
Muriel Bowser to serve on the Commission on Asian and Pacific
Island Community Development.
Jennifer A. Coliflores ‘15 was elected as vice-chairman of
the Philippine-American Mainstream Advocacy for Nonpartisan
Associations (PAMANA), a Fil-Am organization based in Boston,
MA.
Addette Contreras ‘14 (Tinsel & Twine) and Nicole Ponseca
‘15 (Maharlika) were accepted in the Goldman Sachs 10,000
Small Businesses Program.
Mark Jimenez ‘15 is now studying for a Masters in Public Policy
at University of California at Berkeley.
Francine Maigue ’12 was appointed by the Chula Vista City
Council to serve as the International Friendship Commissioner.
Melissa Medina ‘13 is currently serving as the Congressional
Affairs Director for the Congressional App Challenge, a
congressional initiative to improve student engagement in coding
and computer science. She has been spearheading the effort to
get Congressional Representatives across the U.S. to host an
App Competition in their districts for high school students. Last
year, only 84 Representative hosted a Competition that had
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ALUMNI ON THE MOVE
(CONTINUED)
submissions. For this year’s Challenge, 155+ Members of Congress from
39 states have signed up and they are engaging with students on STEM
education.
If you know any High School Students who know how to code, Melissa
encourages you to share this competition with them. The open submission
period runs from Nov. 9th to Jan. 15, 2016.
Rachelle Ocampo ‘13 accepted a new ledership role as Associate Director
of Health Education at the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center.
Bea Querido ‘13 received a promotion at the Port of Seattle, serving
as the Strategic Planning Program Manager responsible for Operations
Excellence and Organizational Alignment.
Ryyn Schumacher ‘14 is the First Vice President of the Filipino American
Chamber of Commerce of Greater Los Angeles and Vice President of
Entrepreneurship for the Federation of the Philippine American Chamber
of Commerce.
Kit Zulueta ‘12 was recently installed as President of the Maui Filipino
Chamber of Commerce.
Pictured Above: Ambassador Cuisia with 2015 Delegates;
Alumni gather at the Philippine Consulate General in New York.
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Credits
Content : Louella Cabalona, Rachelle Ocampo, Bea Querido, Jen Coliflores
Design: Adette Contreras
Contributors: Bea Querido, Jen Coliflores, Louella Cabalona, Rachelle Ocampo
Photo Credits: Yetboy Loverita, Nilo Aquino Palaya, Buzzfeed Philippines
2016-2017 Board of Directors
JR Calanoc ‘12
RJ Diokno ‘14
Melissa Medina ‘13
Lakhi Siap ‘15
Ty Cullen ‘15
Rommel Clemente ‘14
Mariana Zobel De Ayala
Kit Zulueta ‘12
CONTACT FYLPRO
Website: www.fylpro.org
Email: mabuhay@fylpro.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FYLPro
Twitter: @mabuhayfylpro
Instagram: @fylpro
#FYLPRO
2016-2017 Council of Advisors
H.E. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., Ambassador of the Philippines to the U.S.
Tony Armada, CEO of Swedish Group
Jim Ayala, Founder and CEO at Hybrid Social Solutions
Rembrandt Flores, Managing Partner, EFG: Entertainment Fusion Group
2016 Executive Committee Leadership
Bea Querido ‘13, President
Jennifer Coliflores ‘15, Vice President of External Affairs
Anthony Guevarra ‘13, Vice President of the Leadership Immersion Program
Anna Marie Cruz ‘15, Vice President of Alumni Affairs
Jessica Caloza ‘15, Vice President of Legacy Projects
AT MARAMING SALAMAT PO SA
ATING MGA SPONSORS:
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