CIVIC ENGAGEMENT – FYLPROCon

October 30, 2021November 19, 2021 By fylprocon

The Role of Filipino Americans in the 2022 Philippine Presidential Elections

Understand the power, the influence and the responsibility we have to participate in the Philippine elections – even when thousands of miles away from the Motherland. No candidate names will be mentioned during this panel, but our speakers will present historical data, behaviors, initiatives, and provide tools to support our audience to be wise voters and fight fake news.

Watch it on Youtube: https://youtu.be/sTaZExT0DQk

This panel is scheduled for:

Day 1: Nov. 4, 7:30-9:00 p.m. ET (Nov. 5, 7:30-9:00 a.m. Philippines)

Marvin Tomandao is a professional events host with many years in the entertainment and events industry. He hosted the 30th South East Asian Games, among many big personalities and companies in the Philippines. Tomandao is a former TV reporter with GMA News and Public Affairs and a singer-dancer at Universal Studios Singapore. He was also in the Ensemble of Aladdin The Musical.

He graduated from the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Consul General Edgar Barrairo Badajos assumed his post as Consul General of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles on 06 April 2021.
Consul General Badajos first joined the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in 1997. In the DFA, he has held various positions of responsibility including, most recently, as Director of the Political and Security Division of the Office of ASEAN Affairs. In that role, he played a significant role in negotiations related to the Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea during the Philippines’ Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2017.
Immediately prior to his posting to Los Angeles, Consul General Badajos served as Consul General at the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His other previous foreign assignments include the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto from 2000 to 2003, the Philippine Consulate General in New York from 2003 to 2007, and the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand from 2009 to 2015.
Consul General Badajos is a graduate of the U.P. College of Law. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the Philippines in Baguio.

Aries A. Arugay is Professor of Political Science from the University of the Philippines in Dilimanand Visiting Fellow at the Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Asian Politics & Policy, published by Wiley-Blackwell and the US-based Policy Studies Organization and a Founding Trustee of the Foundation for the National Interest, Inc., an independent Manila-based strategic studies think-tank. Aries obtained his PhD in Political Science from Georgia State University (United States) in 2014 as a Fulbright Fellow. He obtained his MA and BA (cum laude) in Political Science from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. His fields of specialization are comparative politics, international relations, and Philippine politics. In 2020, the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines awarded him as an Outstanding Young Scientist (Political Science).

October 29, 2021November 23, 2021 By FYLPRO Admin

All-Rise! Women Judges in Session Presented by NFALA

Hear four stories from our distinguished panel as they share experiences and lessons learned from their career journey and in building communities and the justice system.

Watch it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9JV0FZX08

This panel is scheduled for:

Day 3: Nov. 6, 7:30-9:00 p.m. ET (Nov. 7, 7:30-9:00 a.m. Philippines)

Judge Rizza O’Connor is the Chief Magistrate Judge of Toombs County and the first Filipino-American Judge in Georgia. Prior to her appointment as magistrate in November 2013, she worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the Middle Judicial Circuit and the Eastern Judicial Circuit. She presides over small claim civil cases and criminal warrant and bond hearings.

Rizza’s parents immigrated from the Philippines in the early 1980s and settled in Savannah, Georgia where they raised Rizza and her two sisters. Rizza graduated from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia in 2007 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. She received a Juris Doctor from the Walter F. Georgie School of Law at Mercer University in 2010 where she served as Student Bar Association President. Mercer University has since honored her with the Thomas Sewell Plunkett Young Alumnus Award in 2018 and the Mercer Law School Young Alumnus Volunteer of the Year Award in 2020.

From 2018-2019, Rizza served as the first Asian-American and 72 nd President of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia. She was named into the 2018 Georgia Asian Times list of 25 Most Influential Asian-Americans in Georgia and was recognized as a Rising Star by the Daily Report in 2019. In November 2019, Rizza was the first Georgian chosen as a participant in the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO). Through FYLPRO, Rizza travelled to Manila/Makiati, Philippines with 143 other Filipino-American young leaders from across the United States to learn more about the Filipino heritage and ways that they could serve as advocates for initiatives, programs and causes that advance US and Philippine relations. Rizza is also a member of this year’s class of Leadership Georgia and was named to the 2020 National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s List of “Best Under 40”.

Rizza lives in Vidalia, GeorgiaA with her husband, Daniel and two children, Judson (7) and Evie (5).

Judge Maria Monette F. Mesa was appointed as one of the Philippines’ first roving or at-large judges. Prior to her appointment, Judge Mesa was a Court Attorney at the Court of Appeals, and was an active member of the Gender Committees of both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. Judge Mesa taught law subjects in the Lyceum of the Philippines University and the Adamson University.

Before entering government service, Judge Mesa worked as lawyer for the Labor Department of the ACCRALAW, one of the Philippines’ leading law firms. Judge Mesa obtained her Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University (2nd Honors) and her Economics degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman (Cum Laude).

Judge Jasmine V. Hernandez is an Associate Judge with the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to ascending to the bench, Jasmine served as a staff attorney with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ Office of Chief Counsel – Midwest District. She served as litigation counsel in labor and employment matters pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Merit Systems Protection Board. Prior to joining the VA, she was an assistant state’s attorney (“ASA”) with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (“CCSAO”).

In that capacity, she prosecuted felony and misdemeanor offenses committed by both adults and juveniles, as well as focused on Internet sex crimes involving children. Sher served as co-chair of CCSAO’s Asian American Affinity Group. Before that she was the Administrative Supervisor and Compliance Officer for the First Municipal Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County. She earned my Bachelor of Arts from Boston University, Juris Doctor from University of Illinois College of Law, and Master in Labor and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois School of Labor and Industrial Relations. Jasmine is active in the Chicagoland legal community, serving as past president of the both the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago and the Filipino American Lawyers Association of Chicago.

Judge Charlene Clara Mendoza is one of the first Municipal Trial Court Judges-at-Large or Roving Judges under Republic Act No. 11459 primarily aimed to declog heavily docketed courts. Before her promotion to the Bench, she rose from the ranks in the Judiciary as Clerk of Court VI and Ex Officio Sheriff of the Office of the Clerk of Court -Regional Trial Court (“RTC”) of Batangas City and Clerk of Court V of RTC Batangas City, Branch 84, handling financial matters and assisting her judge, both administratively and adjudicatively. Before her government service, she practiced law as a Junior Partner of Mendoza and Mendoza Law Office and Associate of Baterina Baterina Casals Lozada & Tiblani Law Offices, handling administrative, criminal and civil law suits.

In only three years, Judge Charl graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Science from the De La Salle University – Manila with Honorable Mention. Inspired by her father, she proceeded to study law and graduated from the San Sebastian College Recoletos – Institute of law, immediately took the bar exam, and passed the 2010 Philippine Bar Exams.
Concomitant with her duties as an officer of the court, she promoted the welfare of her then fellow Branch Clerks as the Board Director for Region IV of the Clerks of Court Association of the Philippines (RTC-COCAP). She became an active member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Batangas City Chapter and also served her fellow Batangueños through socio-civic projects conducted by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Batangas Caballero. In her college years, she was President of the DLSU Political Science Society and Course Representative at the DLSU College of Liberal Arts. She used to be co-captain of the Basketball Varsity (2nd Team) of the Miriam College.

Due to her stellar work performance, Judge Charl was the sole awardee of the 2019 Outstanding Clerks of Court for the Second Level Courts, a prestigious award after a nationwide search by the Society for Judicial Excellence and Supreme Court of the Philippines. She was likewise a Nominee for the 2nd Gawad Balisong: Search for Outstanding Filipino Gamechangers of 2021 and a current nominee for The Outstanding Young Men 2021 by the TOYM Foundation and JCI Philippines.
Judge Charl came from a family of lawyers and they inspired her to become the woman she is today, an advocate of justice and the rule of law, and a believer in principles that to lead, one must learn how to serve and that public servants should be compassionate to others.

Moderated by:
Jeri Gonzalez Abrams, NFALA President (2021-2022), has practiced law since 2007 and practices exclusively in Immigration law. Ms. Gonzales is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the Oregon Chapter of AILA, and is the President of the Filipino Lawyers of Washington (FLOW).

Ms. Gonzales is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, where she was a member of the Moot Court Honor Board, the Tribal Court Criminal Defense Clinic, and served as Vice President of the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association. Ms. Gonzales attended Rice University on a full tennis scholarship, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude.
Ms. Gonzales handles cases, including immigrant visa waiver cases, before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), formerly known as United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and now a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Ms. Gonzales also handles cases before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), formerly known as INS, and now a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She handles Immigration trials before the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), and she handles Immigration appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and before the Federal Court of Appeals.

Ms. Gonzales has handled many cases, including immigrant visa waiver cases, and has legalized many people before the various U.S. Consulates throughout the world and through USCIS. She handles family Immigration cases, deportation and removal cases, Immigration bond cases at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma and other Detention Centers, visas for families and businesses, and waiver cases for Immigration benefits.
Prior to joining the Firm, Ms. Gonzales worked as an in-house attorney for a healthcare organization, where she was responsible for negotiating, drafting, reviewing, and managing various types of contracts on behalf of the organization. Ms. Gonzales has also worked as an associate attorney at one of the region’s most prestigious law firms, where she gained significant experience in various areas of law, such as Business, Bankruptcy, and Real Estate.
Source: http://www.jgonzaleslaw.com/jerilynn-gonzales-abrams.html

October 29, 2021November 22, 2021 By FYLPRO Admin

Filipinos in government: Who’s on the table, who’s on the menu? Presented by NaFFAA

With four million strong in the United States, the amount of representation we have in seats of power is still disproportionate. Are we getting there, though? This panel will explore the importance of representation and engage the viewers with their stories and observations as community leaders. In addition, NaFFAA also conducted a leadership series exploring campaign support for those interested in running for office. Get the key takeaways from our presenters.

Watch it on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-io9PPQWhFs

This panel is scheduled for:

Day 2: Nov. 5, 7:30-9:00 p.m. ET (Nov. 6, 7:30-9:00 a.m. Philippines)

Jessica Caloza is a Commissioner on the Board of Public Works, the governing and oversight body of more than 5,500 employees responsible for delivering critical services and infrastructure projects in the City of Los Angeles. She was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti in February and confirmed by the City Council in March 2019. She is the first Filipina American to serve on the Board and is the lead Commissioner for the Bureau of Engineering.

Previously, Jessica served as Mayor Garcetti’s Director of Scheduling since 2017, overseeing the Mayor’s entire scheduling operation — including strategic planning, day-to-day logistics, and coordination with various Departments and agencies. She also served as Deputy Director of Scheduling, and came to the Mayor’s Executive Office from the Office of Immigrant Affairs, where she helped lead the City’s immigration policy, grant programs, and civic engagement initiatives focused on expanding access to resources for immigrant communities.

Prior to joining the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, Jessica served in the Obama Administration in the U.S. Department of Education — where she worked on higher education policy, Congressional and legislative affairs, student data and privacy, immigration policy, and gender equity issues. She has also been a campaign aide to several members of Congress, including former Rep. Xavier Becerra of California; former Rep. Mike Honda of California; and Rep. Albio Sires of New Jersey. In 2012, she was a community organizer for President Obama’s reelection campaign and helped lead various field offices in Virginia.

Jessica is also passionate about giving back to the community and volunteers with various Asian American and Filipino American organizations. In 2014, she was selected as one of ten delegates for the Filipino Youth Leadership Program (FYLPro), an international leadership program led by the Ambassador of the Philippines. Most recently, she served on the boards of KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress, FYLPro Executive Committee, and the Leadership Council of the Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE).

A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, Jessica is a proud first-generation immigrant.

Joshua Ang Price is from Maumelle, Arkansas. His father is from the small town of Antoine, Arkansas and his mother is a registered nurse from Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines who was recruited to work in rural America.

Joshua is the owner and CEO of Hybrid Strategies, a public relations consulting firm specializing in economic development projects, tourism, nonprofit organizations, women and minority-owned small businesses, and government communications and policy. Joshua is also the Director of Marketing & Growth for LumoXchange, an international money transfer FinTech company.

Joshua is involved with civic, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations focused on advancing minority small businesses, access to mental health care, historic preservation, and the arts. Joshua is the president and co-founder of the Asian American Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus of Arkansas. In 2018, he ran for State Representative — the first Filipino-American to run for that office in Arkansas’s history.

Joshua serves on the board of two organizations with missions in the Philippines – the Basilia Womens Foundation, which provides shelter to abused women and children; and the Meguko Foundation, which provides scholarships to underserved children.

Joshua attended the University of Central Arkansas, where he studied sociology, public administration, and community and city planning.

Sergio Alcubilla III served as an attorney and the Director of External Relations at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, a non-profit, public interest law firm where he focused on providing legal help, advocating for the interests of the most vulnerable in our community, and improving access to justice throughout the state. In this role, Sergio helped establish court self-help centers statewide and through his leadership, involved over 500 volunteer attorneys to help nearly 35,000 residents with their legal needs.

Sergio has served on various committees of the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, is a board director of the Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association, and is an active board member and volunteer for the Hawaii Workers Center, a non-profit organization that advocates for the rights of low-wage workers. Sergio was selected by the Hawaii State Bar Association as a Leadership Fellow and honored by Pacific Business News’ 40 Under 40.

Sergio is a graduate of the University of Florida with a double major in political science and economics, holds a Master’s degree in religious education from the Unification Theological Seminary, and a law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law. He was born in Iloilo City, Philippines and currently resides in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Steven Raga currently works as the Executive Director for Woodside on the Move, a 45-year old advocacy and education non-profit in NYC. Most recently, he served as Northeast Regional Manager for Policy & Advocacy for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Chief of Staff at the NY State Legislature, Campaign Manager for Assemblyman Brian Barnwell, and was previously Senior Strategist for Multicultural Leadership at AARP. Currently, he is also a NY State Advisory Committee Member for the US Federal Commission on Civil Rights, appointed under President Obama, where he has conducted investigations on housing, policing, education, and prison reform. He also currently sits on the boards of Queens LGBT Pride, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), and Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro) which he founded in Woodside in 2009. Steven also holds appointments as a Member of NYC Community Board and the Queens District Attorney Advisory Commission.

Steven is currently completing Cornell University S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management’s and Weill Cornell Medicine’s Dual MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership program and an Executive Certificate in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice. He holds an MPA from the Baruch School of Public Affairs via the National Urban Fellow Program, a Graduate Diploma in International Human Rights Law from the American University in Cairo, a Masters in Public Policy & B.A. in Political Science from Stony Brook University, and recently graduated from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.

Michael Dahilig currently serves as Managing Director for the County of Kauai in Hawaii, the youngest individual in the County to be appointed to that position. He was formerly Planning Director and a Deputy County Attorney for the Kauai County. He volunteers as legal counsel at the Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce, Kauai Philippine Cultural Center and Honolulu Filipino Junior Chamber of Commerce. He was also Vice Chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and a Board Member of the Sariling Gawa Youth Council. Michael served in the University of Hawaii Board of Regents, where he graduated with a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning and a BS with honors in Geology and Geophysics and minor in Political Science.