Filipina Babae Network
December 3, 2007 -- Got something to say?
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Talking about FWN, pity the real Top Filipino Women Leaders who had to endure the embarrassment during the chaotic awards night at the Hyatt Hotel in Washington D.C. late last month. Up to now, local women are still talking about the affair. The event was FWNs 5th annual summit. The verdict among those who attended the affair was that it may well go down in history as the most disorganized awards night ever held in the nations capital. Caught in the middle was the host organizing committee which was made up of volunteers in the Washington metropolitan area. While they had no hand in drawing up the program for the evening, they were blamed for the snafu that followed.
Here are some random comments from some of those who attended the affair: Nonoy Mendoza of TOFA should have been hired as consultant. Unlike TOFA where the honorees did not have to pay for their own dinner, FWN required all awardees to shell out more than $120 just for the dinner. We, the volunteers, was not even given a free dinner! We were kept in the dark about the program. Neither were we given a complete list of awardees or the manner in which they were selected.
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A newspaper quoted Mil Arcega, one of the emcees, as saying it was a free-0for-all. This was the most disorganized event Ive ever attended. The newspaper that published the critical report was not even mentioned in the website of FWN as having filed a report of the award night. And this was the same newspaper that FWN had a full page ad! One media practitioner said the persons honored were, the ones who confirmed their awards in advance! No confirmation, no presence, no award. This was obviously copied from Nonoy Mendozas nomination system. Mabuhay and Filipina Babae Network!
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Many are still talking about how Filipino Americans of all shades and political color got together in the campaigning for the unsuccessful bid of Vellie Sandalo Dieterich Hall for a seat in Fairfax county board of supervisors. Whats very surprising was seeing Filipino Americans volunteering their time, money and effort to distribute flyers, conduct a door-to-door campaign, launch a hakot motor ride on election day, and give money, observed one volunteer. Another said: It was amazing to see Democrats and Republicans, Kapampangans and Visayans, rich and poor volunteering during their spare time to campaign door-to-door, man phone banks, participate in meetings and distribute flyers in the Mason district where Vellie was running. Imagine diehard Republicans Inday and Rene Alvir rubbing shoulders with similarly diehard Democrats Gloria Caoile and Jon Melegrito in campaigning for Vellie. Other volunteers said Americans were surprised by the hospitality, friendliness, warmth and amiability of the Filipino American election volunteers, something which many of them have not experienced before.
Everybody is agreed that the campaign showed that Filipino Americans can forget social, regional and political rivalries and come together for a good cause. The Filipino American is worth dying for! Mabuhay.
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Rico is winning high praises from the Filipino American community. He is Consul Rico Fos, the replacement of Joy Quintana as cultural officer of the Philippine embassy. One organization in Maryland is calling him as a possible replacement for Wowwowwees Villarme.
But local mediamen are complaining about the reported lack of PR from the officers at the office of the defense attach in the Philippine embassy. In the past, all the navy, airforce, and army attaches went out of their way to mix with the community. One of the friendliest defense attach who now holds a top position in the Philippines is Col. Prestoza who is now chief of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyos security command in Malacanang.
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Pssstt.Some Tsismosos are asking, Where is Patty Paez, the erstwhile press attach in the Philippine embassy? Patty, the embassy official who was ultra-friendly to the media and the community, had suddenly disappeared from the scene for several months. There were unconfirmed reports that she was recalled for home assignment. No, there is no truth to the rumor that she was sent home by Ambassador Willy C. Gaa for retraining or brainwashing. Now, there are unconfirmed reports that she has mysteriously reappeared in the embassy. Reports are that she is now keeping a very low profile and is sneaking in and out of the embassy, possibly on some secret missions. If true, welcome back Patty, said someone who looked like Bing Branigin.
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I read something about Maryland ex-delegate David Valderrama organizing a business summit or something in Prince Georges. Can you give me some tsismis about him and his work? Thanks. Thank you for your query. Dave, who is now known as the father of Maryland assembly delegate Kris Valderrama, is not engaged in any monkey business. As far as is known, he is a business consultant or official of Prince Georges County Executive Jack Johnson. According to reports, he was responsible for organizing the recent business summit meetings in Maryland to promote PGs economic development projects. He is also said (unconfirmed) to have convinced Philippine Ambassador Willy C. Gaa to give County Executive Johnson an embassy award for being friendly to Filipinos and Filipino Americans.
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The Filipino American community is wondering what is happening to the Philippine cultural center, a pet project of Valderrama in PG county for which funding has already been allocated by the state of Maryland and the county. Sorry, I have no recent information about this subject. Maybe Imelda Marcos, oops, sorry..I mean Imelda Abella, newly-appointed official of PGs multicultural office of PG can answer your question. My opinion is that Dave or the people in charge of the center is waiting for the opportune moment to announce the opening of the center with a big bang! Or perhaps, Maryland Pinoys do not want Virginia Filams to be using its facilities once it is open.
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