IN most cities across America, Cultural Arts Commissions exist to honor citizens whose contributions to the arts and achievements are formally recognized; to expand the utilization of the Cultural Arts Center by both touring and local artists, and to broaden community awareness of the arts through work with PTAs and other citizen groups and organizations.
In the City of Torrance in Los Angeles County, the Vice Chairman of the Cultural Arts Commission is Benito Miranda, appointed as the City’s first ever Filipino American Cultural Arts Commissioner. Appointed to the Commission in 2006, Miranda’s term expires in 2010. It speaks volumes of Miranda to be appointed Vice Chair of the Commission. He is tasked to continue honoring Torrance citizens who have made significant contributions to the arts. Certainly, your City honors you if it appointed you to honor its noteworthy citizens.
Benito Moras Miranda was born in Cebu City, Philippines, the son of a prominent family of Spanish/Chinese heritage. He moved to the United States in 1968 to attend school at Woodbury College in Los Angeles, majoring in Business Management with a minor in International Trade. By his junior year he became the school’s first foreign student body president.
In his early years in California, Ben’s love for his country made him seek out avenues that allowed him to be a part of the Filipino – American community. By 1969, he was one of the original members of the Filipino Basketball Youth Association.
After graduating from college, Ben became Operations officer for Security Pacific Bank in Burbank and later Assistant Cashier for City National Bank headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA. Soon after, Ben moved to Montana where he worked in Butte as HUD’s Community Development Fiscal Officer and then moved to Billings to work for a couple of different financial and investment organizations such as New York Life and First Bank’s Insurance Division.
After 10 years in Montana, Ben returned to Los Angeles. His diverse experiences in management, creative sales and marketing strategies have helped to expand markets and maximize sales resulting in substantial profits for the companies he worked for.
Ben’s love for the Filipino-American community is evidenced by his participation in civic and community events. As the Territory Manager, South Los Angeles County area for his company, PacifiCare’s Secure Horizons Medicare Division, a division of United Health Care, Ben not only assists in promulgating Filipino-American causes, but also uses his influences in the corporate arena to gain access to corporate awareness for the Fil-Am groups he is currently a member of. Acknowledgement of his contributions came in the form of a Certificate of Appreciation from the Philippine Consul General of Los Angeles.
Benito Miranda has never been the type to just rest on his laurels; he has always wanted to give more of himself to noteworthy causes that will make his life more meaningful. A true community leader, Benito became president of the Board of Directors of SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans), where he previously served as one of its Board Members beginning in 2000. He was also Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors for FASGI (Filipino American Service Group). Ben continues to sit on the Board of Fil-Am Athletes International, NAARC, and the Federation of Fil-Am Associations of Long Beach. He has also been recently elected President of the Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown.
Ben has made it one of his life’s goals to do his part in enhancing the quality of life of Filipino Americans in LA and throughout Southern California. That’s why he continues to passionately serve the FilAm community thru SIPA, the largest Filipino American non profit organization in the US. His passion is to make a better future for the next generation. He once gave an emotional speech in a SIPA event, fighting back tears as he summed up one of SIPA’s core focus: “Do not forget our children. Nothing can replace the joy of seeing hope in the eyes of a young child.”
This community leader has come a long way from his childhood days in Cebu. His greatest wish today? To celebrate his 60th birthday in his hometown a few months from now, on January 30, 2009, with his wife, artist Becca Godinez, and their two daughters, Natasha and Ann Marie. Certainly, it is a time of celebration and a time to honor this Cebuano –yet another Filipino who makes us Pinoys proud. (www.asianjournal.com)
(Published October 22, 2008 p.B2 LAMDWK)
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