Month: August 2004

  • Filipino Consciousness at Work

    The Stimulant: August 28, 2003 marked the first day I started working at Northside Community Center in San Jose, California, with the staff, headed by Ben Menor, President & CEO of the Filipino American Community Development Council, Inc., giving me a warm welcome during their weekly meeting that morning. My entry was perfectly timed to…

  • Going Beyond The Customer Service Complaint

    Initial Caveat: The names of the city and the hotel are not important in this story. The Stimulant: In December of 2003, I made an unexpected trip to the Philippines. My beloved dad had passed away, finally at peace after four years of round-the-clock assisted living care under the careful supervision of my doctor-sister, Belen…

  • Stepping Out of the Shadows

    The Stimulant: On December 16 to 18, 2003, I was one of the Filipino Americans who went to the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila, Philippines to participate in the Second Global Filipino Networking Convention. During the closing session, Loida Nicolas-Lewis, the National Chair of NaFFAA (National Federation of Filipino American Associations), announced that the…

  • Sample Press Release: LEARN, SERVE, ACHIEVE: HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS PREPARE

    SACRAMENTO, March 30, 2003 — On March 31, 2003, hundreds of young persons in schools and after-school programs throughout the state of California are participating in varied activities to honor the life and values of Cesar Chavez, a civil rights activist and a labor organizer of Mexican-American ancestry who had fought for the equity and…

  • Sample Press Release: Canyon Woods

    A Boost to the Philippine Economy: Residential Resort Living in the Philippines Attracts the U.S. Market August 5, 2003, San Francisco, CA — During the past few years, Bay Area Filipino Americans and residents have met Philippine real estate developers marketing their properties to interested buyers and investors. There were companies that studied the U.S.…

  • Sample Press Release: Northside Community Center

    NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER’S FIRST-EVER FIESTA FILIPINAS AT SAN JOSE FLEA MARKET: A COMPOSITE OF CULTURE, PATRIOTISM, ENTERTAINMENT, AND SHOPPING San Jose, CA, October 20, 2003 — Whenever San Jose/San Francisco/Oakland Greater Bay Area consumers think about shopping for the best deals in town, a special trip to the San Jose Berryessa Flea Market generally means…

  • Sample Press Release: NaFFAA

    NaFFAA Northern CA Regional Conference Builds Bridges and Dreams at the “new” Northside Community Center on Oct. 25-26, 2003 SAN JOSE, CA, October 13, 2003 — On October 25 and October 26, 2003, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, Northern California, Region 8 (NaFFAA R8) will hold its regional conference at the soon-to-opened Northside…

  • My Virtual Office

    I’ve been procrastinating about writing this essay. Here I am, preparing for the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention in my hometown, Cebu City, Philippines. The event’s dates feel like an imprinted brand on my forehead: January 20 to 22, 2005 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel. Yes, I accepted the responsibility of being the USA…