The Filipino Professionals and Businessmen’s Association (FILPABA) is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and installing its new officers with a Dinner Ball on Saturday, February 11, at the Westin Hotel in Millbrae, CA.
Elected new officers for the years 2012-13 are: Mario A. Santos, CLU, president; Ivan Desuasido, vice president; Cip Ayalin, secretary; Vence Contreras, treasurer; and Raul Picardo, Esq., parliamentarian. The elected members of the Board of Directors are Bert Galang, Bambie Fernando, Roger Palaad, and Charlie De Guzman. The immediate past president is Osserman Caceres.
The second-termer incoming president (1998 to 99), Mario Santos, is a life and health insurance professional and broker. Mario and his wife Marylou Garlitos Santos have resided in San Francisco Bay area for the past 34 years.
In his acceptance speech after his election held at Patio Filipino restaurant in San Bruno, Mario thanked the members for their support and confidence and said that he will continue the projects of FILPABA with the support of its members. He also said that with friendship, respect, unity and a service attitude, FILPABA can do more for their professions and businesses, the local community, and the Philippines.
FILPABA was founded in 1962. Until the early 1960’s, the image of the Filipinos in the United States was that of “lowly” wage earners and laborers. The image has stuck despite the steady influx and impressive accomplishments of Filipinos in the professions as well as businesses. Filipinos in the US have felt the urgent need to be recognized for their achievements, successes, and many contributions to society.
In that year, then Philippine Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez urged a group of Filipino professionals and businessmen to form an association that would upgrade the image of Filipinos with mainstream USA. Thus, its founding with 15 members headed by the late William Bobadilla as its founding president, was followed by 26 other past presidents today.
Some of the projects of FILPABA since its inception includes the contributions of funds for the construction of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, sending financial aid to victims of Taal and Mt. Pinatubo volcano eruptions, sponsored the Philippine team for international competitions, sent boxes of medicine to Cebu in response to an appeal of Cardinal Julio Rosales, and organized award events for outstanding community leaders. FILPABA also donated medical equipment and supplies to the Ospital ng Maynila, initiated the Filipiniana library at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco, arranged donation of an ambulance in northern Luzon, initiated the Philippine garden project at the SF Golden Gate Park and sponsored a major fundraising event that generated $100,000 for the garden program that brought rare Philippine plants, provided funds and other types of aid to typhoon victims in the Philippines and raised funds to support to the project aimed at rehabilitating child prostitutes in the Philippines through Caritas Manila.
In 1998, FILPABA established the computer and science lab project at the Holy Angels Elementary School in Colma, CA. The association also collaborated with the organizations of Filipino Educators and Employees of the San Francisco Unified School District to establish a college scholarship program for deserving Filipino American high school students. It organized several charitable and economic missions to the Philippines.
The FILPABA foundation was established to provide financial and logistical support to the St. Martin De Porres Charity Hospital in San Juan, Metro Manila. FILPABA also was among the first to extend moral and financial support to the Veterans Equity Center which was fighting for the equitable treatment by the Federal government of the Filipino veterans of WWII. It has supported the organizing and service projects of the Filipino American Development Foundation and the Bayanihan Center, and donated $25,000 for the Bayanihan Center. It hosted and sponsored meetings featuring the ABS-CBN Foundation and raised funds for the Bantay-Bata Children Village.
In the early 2000’s, FILPABA was the lead organizer of the highly successful business conference during the first Filipino Global Networking convention at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. It led the founding of the Filipino Business Alliance and supported the first Parol Festival.
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