Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

The Face of Pinoys in LA City Government

The only organization of Filipino-Americans working for the City of Los Angeles was born out of a challenge. Twenty-eight years ago, in 1982, Pinoy Larry Rivera, then grants management specialist of the Community Development Department, was chided and challenged by his officemate of Mexican descent, the late Dorothy Orozco Tyndall. Dorothy was then executive vice-president of the Los Angeles City Employees Chicano Association (LACECA). "What’s the matter with you Filipinos?" Tyndall asked Rivera. "You’re so many in the City and you don’t have your own association? Look at us Chicanos and what our association is doing for us." She showed him LACECA’s newsletter, constitution and by-laws, programs and invitations of their annual banquets and other activities as she persuaded him to organize a Filipino group.

Larry Rivera was then a member of the City Advisory Affirmative Action Committee, of which Cres Abad was chairperson. In one of the committee’s meetings, Larry broached to Cres the idea of organizing the Filipino Association. It turned out that Cres had been mulling over the same idea. So Cres and Larry agreed to spearhead the organization of the Filipino association.

Though there had been previous proposals and attempts to organize a Filipino association of employees of the City of Los Angeles, it was not until March 1982 through the efforts of Cres Abad and Larry Rivera that the dream became a reality. The first organizational meeting was held at the Council Committee Chambers on Thursday, March 25, 1982. A total of 84 Filipino employees of the City attended, which was a rather impressive number for an initial organizational meeting. "This is the biggest turnout yet of the six ethnic and affirmative action organizational meetings I have ever attended," said Sam Sperling, then head of the Affirmative Action and Training Division, Bureau of Management/ Employee Services, Department of Public Works, who was a special guest.

Larry and Cres explained the need for and advantages of organizing an association of Filipino employees of the City of Los Angeles.

The assembly unanimously approved the organization of LAFACE (the name was proposed by Eve Buranday), which was registered with the City Clerk to invest the association with authority to represent its members in administrative cases and in the City Advisory Affirmative Action Committee. They later drafted the Constitution and By-Laws of the organization.

The first LAFACE election was held on July 21, 1982. Elected were: President Cres Abad, First Vice President Evelyn Buranday, Second Vice President Anita Domingo, Third Vice President Rudi Bernabe, Treasurer Virginia Barrientos, Assistant Treasurer Grace Aquino, Recording Secretary Lina Partosa, Corresponding Secretary Marie Rafael, Auditor Ed Trillo, Auditor Public Relations Officer Larry Rivera. Soon after their election, the newly elected LAFACE officers called on then Mayor Tom Bradley and expressed to him the pledge of LAFACE to contribute to the advancement of service in the City government.

The objectives of LAFACE are: to assist Filipinos in seeking employment and promotion in City service; to enhance the general advancement of Filipinos in City service; to serve as advocate of Filipinos who may become victims of discrimination in City service; to cooperate with other minority groups in promoting equal employment opportunities in the City; to assist Filipino businesspersons and community organizations in acquiring contracts, funding, grants and other benefits from the City, except when a conflict of interest arises; to disseminate to members and other interested parties news and information that are of interest and benefit to them; and to promote the economic, educational, social, and cultural advance of Filipinos in the Community

After Cres Abad’s term ended (1982 – 1983), the following people followed him as president of LAFACE: Larry Rivera (1983 –1984), Eve Buranday (1984 – 1985), Ludi Cruz-Herrera (1985 – 1986), Fred Bertulfo (1986 – 1987), Johnny Blanco (1987 – 1988), Domingo P. Miranda (1988 – 1990), Caroline Lorenzo (1990 – 1992), Eleonor Esguerra (1992 – 1994), Domingo P. Miranda (1994 – 1996), Lina Senatin-Partosa (1996 – 1998), Domingo P. Miranda (1998 – 2000), Ma. Elena "Yey" Coronel (2000 – 2002), Adelaida Villanueva (2002 – 2003), Edna Brown (2003 – 2004), Caroline Lorenzo (2004 – 2006), and Ruby Devera (2007 – 2009).