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Message from the Publisher

What will the Filipina American women be like in the year 2012?

A recent Google search of “Filipina” yielded 3,770,000 results. Yahoo yielded 5,530,000. Ask.com yielded 565,800. The search results listed hundreds of website links to dating sites, matchmaking, “bar” and “sexy” girls and personal ads. Yahoo did sneak in one link to the Filipina Women’s Network’s site. These sites have defined Filipina women. We need to stop the perpetuation of this popular image. Creating a powerful imagery is vital to establishing a presence in the public consciousness and in bringing about the acceptance of Filipina women as leaders and change advocates. We took action:

1) At the 4th Filipina Summit (October 2006), we embarked on a future search with one task: How to Advance Filipina Women in the U.S. workplace.

2) At the future search, we developed a game plan to elevate the presence and participation of Filipinas in leadership positions in corporate America, public service and government.

3) Imagery: FWN Magazine’s dual covers – two Filipina women on two successful paths: Tessie Zaragoza, Board Chair, takes a behind-the-scene role in helping guide the growth of FWN. Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye of the California Court of Appeal, changes the face of leadership in the legal field.

a. Nationwide Search of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S.

b. Imagery: Remarkable Filipina Womenc. Imagery: Filipinas in Politicsd. Imagery: Tessie Guillermo, President & CEO,

Community Technology Foundation of California It is essential that our imagery convey Filipina women’s experiences and our political objectives. Our work is cut out. It is a daunting task. Do your part – first, by joining FWN. Second, by putting yourself out there. As Justice Tani says, “Get your name ‘in play’… as the face of leadership and competence.”

W H A T ’ S I N S I D E

XII About FWNVIII FWN MembersIV Kaibigan ng FWN (Community Partners)IV FWN Sponsors

F E AT U R E S05 Remarkable Filipina Women of 200712 Remarkable Filipina Women of 2006X Filipina Power 1898XI 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S.XIII Filipina Women are Changing the Face of Politics

FILIPINA SUMMIT06 Report: 4th Annual Filipina Summit – FWN’s Future Search: Filipina Power 2012

XI 5th Annual Filipina Summit: Washington D.C.

02 Time Capsule 2012: Pinay’s Wish List for all Filipina Women

03 Blown Away at the FWN Future Search

11 Keynote Speaker: Tessie Guillermo

11 Keynote Speaker: Mona Pasquil

O N T H E C O V E R SVI Tessie Zaragoza13 Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye

A D V E RT I S E R L I S TV Allstate Insurance - Manny De VeraV Assure Financial RealtyV AT&TII Ayala Foundation USAV California State Automobile Association (CSAA)11 Clear Credit Exchange – Hazel Valera 04 CLO Funding Corporation – Ludy CorralesIX Fast Easy Divorce – Genevieve DwyerV Girl Scouts, San Francisco Bay Area – Polly Cortez04 Ihaw Ihaw04 Institute for Image Management05 Kabataang maka-Bayan USA / Pro People Youth 05 Lorna Lardizabal Dietz – Media KitsV Orientex - Ramar Foods04 The Philippine Center, San Francisco04 Philippine NewsIX TCB Consultant - Terry Bautista

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2

Filipina Women’s Network (FWN) is a nonprofit association for women of Philippine ancestry. FWN strives to enhance public perceptions of Filipina women’s capacities to lead; change biases of Filipina women’s leadership abilities; and foster the entry of Filipina women into positions of leadership in all sectors. For more info, visit www.ffwn.org.

How to reach the Filipina Women’s Network P. O. Box 192143, San Francisco, California 94119Phone: 415 / 278. 9410 | Fax: 415 / 840. 0655Email: Filipina@ffwn.org | www.ffwn.org. The views and opinions of advertisers and contributors expressed in this publication do not necessarily state or reflect those of Filipina Women’s Network.

Marily MondejarPresidentFilipina Women’s Network

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“Kaibigan ng FWN” Community Partners

FWN Sponsors I FI M

Institute for Image Management

CALIFORNIAWOMEN’S AGENDA

San Francisco’sDEPARTMENT ON THESTATUS OF WOMEN

The FWN Editorial Team

. . . . . . . .

DeVoted Publisher M A R I LY M O N D E J A R

DiVine EditorF A Y O LY M P I A

Angel Art DirectorA L S . P E R E Z

. . . . . . . .

LoVe Contributors

B E N M E N O RC H R I S T I M O R A L E S

D A Z L A M P A R A SD R U S I L L A C O P E L A N D

E D N A C A S T E E LF E R L I E A N D O L O N GG E N E V I E V E D W Y E RL E S L I E G U E V A R R A

L O R N A D I E T ZM A R G A R I T A A R G E N T E

M O N A L I S A Y U C H E N G C OP A U L E T E N C H A V E ZP E A R L P A R M E L E EP E R L A D E J E S U S

R A C H E L R E D O N D I E Z T E R R Y B A U T I S T AV I C K Y T I A N G H A

W I L M A B A U T I S T A

. . . . . . . .

Heart Photographers(Justice Tani)

A B B Y B O X W E L Lboxwellphoto@yahoo.com

(Tessie Zaragoza)D E N N I S M O J A D O

http://Photography.Mojado.com

O W E N D O N N A H O Owww.OwenPhotographie.com

V O LT A I R E Y A Pwww.VoltaireYap.com

. . . . . . . .

FWN BoardTESSIE ZARAGOZA

MARILY MONDE JARDINA GUINGONA

EDNA AUSTRIA RODISLAARNI SAN JUAN

CONNIE LLORENGENEVIEVE JOPANDA

© 2007 Filipina Women’s Network. All Rights Reserved. No part of this

publication may be published without the expressed written permission

of the publisher.

RightsThe Outstanding Women in the Nation’s ServiceP H I L I P P I N E S

Filipino American Human Services, Inc.

(FAHSI)

Consulate General of the Philippines

in New YorkCecilia B. Rebong

Consulate General of the Philippinesin San FranciscoRowena Mendoza Sanchez

V

Our Members and employees share a tradition of caring for our communities. Promoting a better quality of life is part of our heritage and our business.

Maasikaso. Maaasahan. Mapagkakatiwalaan.

California State Automobile Association Northern California, Nevada, Utah | aaa.com

AAA Cares

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2

Manuel De VeraExclusive Agent

Allstate Insurance Company4804 Mission Street, Suite 208San Francisco, CA 94112

Phone 415. 469. 7333Fax 415. 469. 0692

CA Lic. # 0706118

Polly S. CortezBoard of Directors

Girl Scouts of San Francisco Bay Area842 Navaronne WayConcord, CA 94518Home: 925. 676. 7465Cell: 925. 876. 7695pscortez@aol.com

F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r gVI

hen Tessie Zaragoza was approached to be part of a core committee to restructure FWN, from an informal gathering of Filipinas to an agent of change, with a strategic mission and concise goals, she never hesitated. At that time, she was a community outreach coordinator for the Filipino community with the California Transplant Donor Network (CTDN). Her outreach effort was perceived as “You only come to us (minority communities) when you need something.” “Yes,” Tessie says, “I was asking the Filipino community to become organ donors and rely on their altruism to give.” The distrust was prevalent. She developed her philosophy of a community outreach strategy. “You must be an active community participant in a symbiotic and reciprocal relationship.” She approached her manager at CTDN and FWN became part of her community outreach. “I became the organ donor and vagina (puki) lady. Though she is no longer with CTDN, she continues to be actively involved with FWN working behind the scenes to achieve the goals of this nascent organization.

Tessie did not consciously seek a particular career path but events in her life pointed her in the direction of community activism. She brings together her many skills and talents as a community educator and advocate. She rose from the ranks of administrative aide to senior staff in the district office of former Congressman Ronald Dellums (now Mayor of Oakland, California). She was also a union recruiter, a community outreach coordinator, and now a certified Tagalog interpreter and a bilingual project interviewer for the Life History Calendar Project of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum’s Institute on Domestic Violence (APIDV). “I have come full circle. In 1969 I left the Philippines to continue my “colonial education” in psychology at U.C. Berkeley. I may have left the Philippines 38 years ago but I’ve never been away from the Filipino community.”

Born Teresita Villanueva Zaragoza, she is a mother, community educator / advocate and a visionary. She is the sort of person who invariably exceeds first impressions. Her low-key demeanor and petite, business-attired frame barely hints at her

depth. She is a dynamo of ideas founded on a strong sense of social justice and equity.

Born and raised in the Philippines, the youngest of nine children of a university professor mother and a physician father, she joined her siblings, who are all college graduates, when she earned her bachelor’s degree at U.C. Berkeley before her 20th birthday.

“When I was in grade school, I placed second honor in my class. You know what my father said?” Tessie recalled, “He said, is that all?”Her father’s echoing words had the reverse effect. Instead of academic excellence, Tessie’s achievement went beyond the classroom. In high school, she graduated with medals for essay writing, dramatics, oratory, and citizenship. She was on the school newspaper staff and wrote an article challenging nepotism and preferential treatment. As a member of the National Union of High School Students, she went to her first demonstration protesting U.S. military presence in the Philippines and Vietnam. Family and friends aptly described her as “a rebel without a cause.”

An emerging activist when she arrived in the US, she joined the anti-war movement. In 1972, she returned to Manila. As Tessie recalls, “Knowledge of western culture / values alone cannot shield one from the greatest cultural shock – alienation. It was a difficult stage in my life for I felt alienated in my own culture that I thought I knew. I survived “alienation” in the US. But alienation in your home country was devastating for me. I returned to the U.S. in August, 1972 as a graduate student at San Francisco State University – just three weeks before martial law was declared and all travel banned for months. That was my life’s defining moment.”

Upon her return she got involved in the anti-fascist (anti-Marcos) struggle and the Filipino-American identity movement. She became an activist, joined The Katipunan ng mga Demokratikong Pilipino (Union of Democratic Filipinos, KDP); protested the martial rule of Ferdinand Marcos and took part in many campaigns on issues of discrimination, bilingual education, and the lack of Filipino teachers in predominantly Filipino communities.

In 1983 a friend who was working with the Asian Law Caucus called to say that there was a vacancy at Congressman Ronald V. Dellums’ district office. She applied, was interviewed and was hired in a blink of an eye. She stayed until Dellums retired in 1998. She continued with Congresswoman Barbara Lee until 2000 and then joined CTDN.

Tessie’s community activism as a change advocate were learned from each of her mentors.. Each represented by her mentors. The first, from Congressman Dellums, merged her “leftist perspective” with coalition, consensus politics. She makes every opportunity for sharing what she learned from Ron – “once an idea is articulated, it belongs to everyone.” “The merits of an idea bring people toward consensus,” says Tessie.

The second came from a former Dellums’ staff, Keith Carson, now Alameda County Supervisor. At one time, Keith was the president of the Niagara Democratic Club. Under his tenure, the club supported a ballot measure that vilified him by the so-called progressives. He said that as president, he implemented three series of discussions on the ballot measure instead of the usual one. In the end, he said, “I can only cast one vote.” Tessie believes that the integrity

WB Y T E R R Y B A U T I S T A

T E S S I E A R A G O Z A She Never Left the Philippines.

A Filipino Community Activist in the U.S.

of process building brings people together in their shared decision. “This experience makes people accountable for the consequences of their decision,” added Tessie.

The third is from Alice Bulos, the matriarch of the Filipino community, who taught Tessie the importance of visibility and establishing the credibility of the Filipino community. “Visibility informs elected officials and potential candidates to approach the Filipino community hand-in-hand with Filipino community leaders,” explained Alice. Alice’s presence is felt on all levels of government: local, state and federal and tirelessly accomplished these achievements for the community. “Alice does not drive a car but she puts her faith and reliance on the community to bring her to places where she needs to be,” Tessie adds with amazement.

Her own brand of being a change agent is guided by her belief in equity. “I don’t believe in equality but in the equitable distribution of resources to ensure the quality of life for everyone,” explained Tessie. She elaborated that equality assumes that everything is equal while equity assumes that everything is not equal. Any decision that affects the quality of life of communities should be based on equity.” She then tells a story when she was new on the Dellums congressional staff. “ Each staffer was asked to contribute $20 for a birthday gift pool. I was the lowest paid staffer and $20 was a lot of money for me then. So I suggested that the amount be based on a sliding scale. The more you earn, the more you give; the less you earn, the less you give.” That is equity.”

n all of her endeavors, Tessie always seeks the rationale behind everything. In order to develop an effective community strategy, Tessie was intrigued with why people declined to be organ donors. “It’s not in my culture to donate” and “Keeping the body whole” were the common responses. “Modern technology of organ transplantation started only 50 years ago”, says Tessie, “therefore the practice of organ donation is not in anyone’s culture. As for keeping the body whole, this is a sentimental reason. No one argues with sentiments.”

I

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2

During her time at CTDN she became the Chair of the Board of the Filipina Women’s Network. Tessie’s leadership was crucial in FWN’s direction. FWN was stuck in the business model that as a membership organization with yearly dues, the organization must provide member gifts and discounts. “Business models need to be transformed. Instead of what FWN can give to its members, we shifted the thinking of encouraging members to make an investment (dues and their time) in Shaping the Filipina Image. This is what propels FWN’s mission, goals and activities.” This has become the mantra for FWN.

Working closely together, she and FWN President Marily Mondejar feel they make a good team. They see the whole dynamic spectrum of women, from those who are without resources when it came to personal safety and security, to those who have reached the top of their field and profession with no support network from their own Filipina community. At the Filipina Summit held last October, 2006, FWN strongly emphasized that career and leadership are not exclusive of corporate America but indeed inclusive of community based-organizations, both for the profit and not-for profit sectors.

A petite, soft spoken leader, Tessie realizes that her life choices brought her to her current role in FWN. “Being with FWN restored my more genuine sense of self, capitalized on my true

strengths, not avoiding excellence.” Reflecting on FWN, the Chair of the Board sees the organization’s future growth as a virtual community. “We must embed technology in process building for participatory democracy,” says Tessie, who personally witnessed FWN’s evolution as an organizational leader in the global outreach of Filipino women. She believes that FWN “will propel Filipina women into the midst of society’s need for conscious engagement.” She warns, “World historical development has made it impossible to isolate ourselves.

iven recent political trends, Tessie believes the feminization of leadership will bring to the forefront the differences in decision-making styles between men and women. “Women should run for elected office, because our society needs women’s perspectives in the national debate of issues that matter to families especially women and children. Women need the national presence,” Tessie believes. She feels strongly that women in elected positions must use their positional power to move issues beyond one’s own interests. They should use their platform to advocate for bigger issues that improve the lives of women and children and the policies that affect the well-being of communities.

“As immigrants, we accept that there are some

conditions that are beyond our control,” Tessie insists. “We need to make realistic plans and debunk the myth of ‘try hard and you will succeed.’ We need to be smarter in our quest for success – partnering with organizations that share our concerns, getting involved at the national level, speaking our voice. FWN will bring forward the issues. Once we get these messages into a global discussion, I think more Filipina women will think about the issues. They will step forward when the conditions are ripe for their participation.”

Tessie is hopeful. “Filipina Power 2012 is a launch pad for any destination we set, in any direction we want to go. By 2012, we will be more than computer literate and truly become a virtual community with the internet as a critical part of our lives and a major forum for discussions.”

What excites Tessie is the coming together of Filipinos, clearly comfortable with their identity and heritage from the Philippines, proud of their nationhood, beyond regionalism. “Having the ability to express your views as a people and articulating your perspective with women globally, develops self- knowledge. The idea of touching someone, especially in cyberspace, exponentially presents the opportunity for change, transcending our differences.” She adds, “The world is about ideas. Change happens when we act on these germs of ideas.”

Tessie lives in Oakland. Her three daughters – Dr. Monique Zaragoza, 31, Danielle Zaragoza, Esq., 29 and Lilla M. Zaragoza Carter, 15 – and their biracial heritages (Filipino, Belgian, and African American) reflect a journey in diversity. With her second husband, they are raising a young teenager who is facing the challenges of living with older family members, having been born a generation later than her siblings. Tessie enjoys the close bond she has with her adult children and how they are able to share life experiences as equals. She is expecting her first grandchild in August, 2007. Asked what her grandkids will call her, “Gorgeous Grandma!”

Terry Bautista, founding member of FWN, is an educator and cultural advocate in the Bay Area. Now retired from public service, Terry consults on strategy and event planning, art and culture, and the history of Filipinos living in the U.S. She has made significant contributions on issues of language access and bilingualism, affirmative action, and community organizing.

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Clockwise from far left: Tessie with Ron Dellums, Mayor of Oakland; Tessie on a reflective pose; with daughters Lilla, Monique and Danielle and husband Rich; Tessie with Alice Bulos; Tessie at a Peace Rally instilling her progressive values with toddler Lilla on tow.

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F W N M E M B E R S

Abad, DebbieSenior AccountantSanta Clara County Fairgrounds

Abriam, RosieGura Kamatauuran School of KaliEngineering Applications ManagerNew Focus, Inc.

Afan, SusanRegional Vice PresidentRobert Half International

Africa, Jei, Psy.D.Clinical DirectorCommunity Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA)

Aglipay, Elaine Yan, MBAHarvard Business SchoolKennedy School of Government

Alagar, MylisaVice President, Regulatory Affairs and Business IZoom Online, LLC

Alegre, JossieAccounting ManagerSan Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Alcaro, NanettePresidentArchipelago 7107, Inc.

Alikpala, Agnes, M.D.Aliyas, KristalTeacherDepartment of EducationNew York City

Almendral, AnneAlmendral Management ServicesAlmquist, Joy FranciaRegistered NurseAncheta, SusanActorAngeles, Jessica IsabelStudentCAL State Fullerton

Angeles, Marisa GutierrezOffice ManagerBonita House, Inc.

Apilado, MariaRegistered NurseAquino, RemyPhotographer, Model, ActorRemy Aquino Photography

Aquino-Layus, ViciFinancial Aid ConsultantSan Jose State University

Aliyas, KristalTeacher New York City Department of Education

Araullo, Vivian Z.RealtorPrudential Realty

Aroy, MarissaMedia Producer Media Factory

Asmundson, Ruth Uy, Ph.DMayorCity of Davis, CA

Atanacio, SheleneActorBaal, Christina MSWSocial WorkerCabrini Immigrant Services

Barbonio, Juvy B.Barton, BabeRecreation TherapistCenter for Elders

Bautista, Helen MarteCommissionerSan Francisco Public Library

Bautista, TerryPrincipalTCB Consultants

Baysic, EmyActorBen, KathleenOffice ManagerAvalon Global Asset Management

Bernales, BarbaraExclusive DesignerThe Scrapping Garden

Boac, ThelmaPrincipalSilver Creek High SchoolSan Jose, CA

Borromeo, Linda P.DirectorInternational Museum of Women

Brana, MaeGemologistMBA Student, University of San Francisco

Brion, Lilian AlcantaraVice PresidentLabco Inc.Regulatory EconomistMinnesota Public Utilities Commission

Briones-Ubalde, AgnesExecutive DirectorSan Francisco Small Business Commission

Briosos, MayGeneral ManagerPrime Image Media Group

Buell, VangieAuthor, Speaker, PerformerBuendia, Michele U.Marketing Director / Financial CoachWorld Financial Group

Bueno-Johnson, BeverlySupervised Released File Analyst California Dept. of Justice

Bustos, Ana Marie Guinto, MPACaceres, EvelynSenior Eligibility AdvisorMedi-Cal Health ConnectionsCity & County of SF

Calub, Vicky ServillonChief Financial OfficerHyatt Regency Subway Sandwiches & Salads

Carrillo, Rochelle MaganteFinancial RepresentativeNorthwestern Mutual Financial Network

Carrion-Di Ricco, Rosario L. “Puchi,” M.A.President / OwnerOperation Wishing Star

Casteel, Edna MabanesPresident & FounderGlobal LENC, LLC

Castillo, ThessResearch AssociateRWD Executive Search

Catolico Ashley, RutheDiversity Officer, External AffairsCaLPERS

Choy, Carmen MonteclaroExecutive DirectorFilipino Bar Association of Northern California

Corrales, LudyPresident & CEOCLO Funding Corporation

Cortez, Polly SRegional Quality Assurance ManagerDepartmen of Treasury, West Region

Crescini, TessBroker / Owner Realty World-Heritage Homes & Investments

Cua-Christman, Florence, MS3, Ph.D.Christman, Cua Associates,Radiation and Environmental Protection

Datangel, Jane, RNClinical Safety AssociateGenentech, Inc.

De Castro, Socorro “Kit”Musical DirectorLandsberg Productions

De Jesus, JessicaDirector of DevelopmentLevel Playing Field Institute

De Jesus, Melinda, Ph.D.Assistant ProfessorAsian Pacific American StudiesArizona State University

De Jesus, PerlaBusiness OwnerPerla’s Studio

De Lena, AnnalisaProject ManagerStudent, San Francisco State University

De Vera, MyrnaVice-ChairHercules Planning Commission

Delen, Sonia T.Senior Vice President Banc of America Leasing

Delen-Briones, KaiAmateur Golf, StudentNotre Dame de Namur University

Dietz, Lorna LardizabalStrategy Business ConsultantRadiantView.com

Dooley, Sheila LunaRealtorPrudential CA Realty

Donnahoo, OwenPhotographerOwen PhotographieMarketing ConsultantSun Microsystems

Driessler, JessicaShowroom Manager Teknion LLC

Dunham, ChristinaAssociate PublisherFilipinas MagazineVice PresidentAtlantic Bancorp of America

Dwyer, GenevievePresidentGenevieve’s Corporation

Dykwel, SunnyReal Estate ProfessionalAlain Pinel Realtors

Echavez, RicaMortgage ConsultantCapital West

Edar, Norma P.OwnerCostless Maintenance Services, Inc.

Edralin, Stella M.Attorney at LawLaw Office of Stella M. Edralin

Escudero, MayaExecutive DirectorAyala Foundation USA

Estoesta, Anna-LizaSales RepresentativeFarmers Insurance GroupJeffrey Wong Insurance Agency

Fernandez, NerissaMarketing ServicesABS-CBN International

Garcia, CameronAccounting Associate Wal-Mart

Garcia, Charina P.AttorneyCornerstone Law Group

Gaspar, Arlene C.RealtorRE/MAX Accord, Danville

Gibson, Kathleen PradoOffice ManagerReal Estate ServicesUniversity of California

Golangco, Marsha CheungPresidentMG Consultants

Gonzalez, ByumiFashion Designer Entrepreneur, B’Yumi CoutureGruspe, CynthiaParaprofessional TeacherGalileo Academy of Science & Technology

Guillermo, TessiePresident and CEOCommunity Technology Foundation of California

Guingona, DinaAccountantGuingona, Teresa Ferrer, MA Filipino Task Force Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA)

Hagelgans, JajiRealtorWindemere Silicon Valley Properties

Herreria, GenevieveExecutive AssistantLevensohn Venture Partners

Hipolito-Estilo, EileenVice President, Manager Projects Banking Group Support, Northern California– Nevada, Bank of America

Hondrada, MariaPresidentIsland Huts, Inc

Ilumin, Sarah JaneVice President and ManagerYashi Okita Design

Jallorina, JessicaAccount ManagerTelogy, Inc.

Jeanjacquet, Christine-MarieIndustrial DesignerSculptorJimenez, Jennifer S.Registered Marriage & Family Therapist InternCommunity Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA)

Jopanda, GenevieveGeneral ManagerFlexCar

Juliana, Rachel PunoAttorney Trustee, Jefferson Union High School District

Kerwick, Christina OcampoPresidentAsean International

Kocian, Jennifer FranciaFinancial ConsultantWorld Financial GroupCosmetologistLaxamana, LeahPeace CorpsHonduras, Central America

Lazo, Myra CelesteSurgical Physician Assistant Pacific Laparoscopy

Legaspi, LizaAccount ExecutiveIntertrend Communication

Lim, MyrnaPresidentThe Realty Group

Lopez, Linda, RNHighland Hospital

Lloren-Jungman, ConniePhotographer, CLJ-Photo.comSenior Accountant, Xythos Software

Luluquisen, EvelynHuman Resources Manager, Communications & Network Services, UC Berkeley

Luz, Nana President & CEOSoftype, Inc.

Mabanag, Marivic B.Executive DirectorCalifornia Partnership to End Domestic Violence

Macababayao, ImeldaGeneral Manager5th Avenue Financial

Malay, Paulita L., MFTPsychotherapist

IX

tcbConsutantEvent and Strategic Planning

Terry BautistaCEO

1122 East 21st Street

Oakland, CA 94606

510. 499. 3477

Art and Culture Advocate

Community Organizer

tcb_consultant@hotmail.com

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San Juan-Geronimo, Laarni, RNPublic Health NurseSan Mateo County Public Health Department

Sanchez, Maria Rowena MendozaConsul General San FranciscoSandarusi, VanessaAdministrative DirectorMiami Valley Hospital

Santos Yap, Bettina Marketing ConsultantSchmid, MaryannOwnerThe Lodge at Blue Lakes

Sumabat-Graff, JoyAttorneyTyler & Wilson, LLP

Susbilla, Lina MesinaOwner Lena’s Flowers & GiftsCommissioner Commission on the Status of Women, San Mateo County

Sy, Cheely AnnDirector, Research & Knowledge ManagementRWD Executive Search

Tancinco, Lourdes Attorney, PartnerTancinco Law Offices

Tantay-Wilson, TheresaDirector of Health PromotionRutgers University – Newark

Tintiangco, VirnaDirector, Business DevelopmentJeeba Solutions

Tomlinson, CeliaPresident & CEORhombus P.A. Inc. Engineers & Consultants

Tursi, Carmelita M.Associate State DirectorAARP California

Uichanco, ChristinaFernandez & Associates, LLP

Valencia, PerlaMovie ProducerValera, Hazel B.PresidentClear Credit Exchange

Velasco, Stephanie M.Director, Center for Asian Pacific American StudentsPitzer College

Villahermosa DeGuzman, Anne Marie

Villanueva, NicoleEvents & Public Relations Associate Breathe California

Villena, Anna RN, FNP-C, Ph.D. ANA/MFP-SAMHSA FellowUCSF School of Nursing

Villena, MariaPersonal BankerWells Fargo Bank

Vistan, JocelyneHealthcare Ombudsman / Mediator Kaiser Permanente

Walker, GraceCEOWalker & Associates, LLC

Yuchengco, Mona LisaFounder, Chair and Executive DirectorPhilippine International Aid

Yulo, AsiaOutreach CoordinatorAsian American Donor Program

Zaragoza, TessiePresidentOrgan Donor Rights Network

Zenarosa, CarmelaArchitect, Interior DesignerTed Moudis Associates

Malonzo, Edna M.D.Veterinarian / RealtorAssure Financial Realty

Mamon, AnnaMBA StudentMasagung School of Business University of San Francisco

Mangahas, ElenaCo-ChairLittle Manila FoundationProgram Analyst San Joaquin County Worknet

Mangahas, Minette LeeProgram Associate Center for Art and Public Life California College of the Arts

Marania, Vilma T.Closing CoordinatorRREEF, Real Estate Infrastructure

Marilla, LovejoyInformation Services and Data Processing Services Maristela, TriciaCEOFuturity, Inc.

Mathias, PeachyPublic Information OfficerDepartment of Public Works

Mausisa, VictoriaProject ManagerKaiser Permanente

McBride, Melen, Ph.D., RN Associate DirectorStanford Geriatric Education Center

Medida, GenevieveMorgan Stanley

Mendieta, StellaManagerLaw Office of Joseph Sacramento

Mendoza, HydraMayor’s Education AdvisorCity & County of SFBoard MemberSF Unifitied School District

Mendoza, KathrynMarketing ManagerAvaya Inc.

Mendoza, TisaFounding Partner and Visioneer BUZZLEDOM

Mesina, CharmaineAttorney; Managing Director, Corporate Legal ServicesApplied Materials

Millan, Imogen, RN CCRNNurse Manager, Coronary Care UnitSeton Medical Center

Mondejar, MarilyExecutive DirectorInstitute for Image Management

Murray, Edna BiscochoClerk, Alameda CountyProfessional Massage TherapistMutuc, MargaritaVault SupervisorConsulate Film Ltd.

Nery, RowenaCoreMed StaffNazareno, MayActor, Playwright, Artistic Director The Panama Theatre Project

Nocedal, Maria LourdesEducator / GP Case Manager Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (BHNC)

Nguyen, Stella NgPrincipal QA EngineerOracle

Ocampo, BlesildaChild Support OfficerSan Francisco Department of Child Support Services

Olympia, FayCommunication SpecialistSecretary Little Manila Foundation

Olszewski, ClarissaOpaon, TheresaActivistOppenheim, ImeldaPersonal Trainer Excel Personal Training

Ordonio-Dixon, Linda S.Senior Trial Attorney Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Osmeña, Maria Luisa, M.D.PediatricianLiveWell Medical Clinic

Padilla, ChristineField Representative,Liaison to the Filipino CommunityCongressman Tom Lantos

Pallas, CheloSEC and GAAP Compliance ManagerURS Corporation

Pangan-Specht, DollyOwnerPerfect Plus Professional Support

Pariña, June FrancesSenior AssociateSparkPR

Parmelee-Cabrera, Pearl Loan ConsultantFinance Bureau, Inc.

Perez, Mary JaneDirectorMicrosoft

Pico, GiovannieActorFounder, “May K:” The Giovannie Pico Foundation

Piñon, Loraine Abegaile ActorQuerol Moreno, CherieCommunity Outreach CoordinatorCommunity Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA)

Recto, ArianneActorRemigio, LorraineAssistant Vice PresidentHeffernan Insurance Brokers

Rivera, JamieMarketing DirectorAlmaVia Assisted Living

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F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

Filipina Power 1898

o you know what your great great-grandmother was like? Or is she a mystery to you, her faded photos eliciting more questions than answers?

I never met any of my four great grandmothers. They were all born in the mid to late 1800s. The longest lived among them, my father’s Lola Cornelia, passed away in the early 50s, almost a decade before I was born. My mother’s Lola Emiliana died even earlier, in 1944. Yet, my parents and other family members kept their memories alive through stories that continue to fascinate and inspire me.

The best documented among these stories are those of Lola Emiliana Cruz. Her only daughter and my grandfather’s sister, the late Dr. Juliana C. Pineda, wrote about her in the latter’s published memoirs entitled My Life and Times (Bookman, Inc.: Quezon City, 1998). My great aunt Juliana herself was a pioneer Filipina educator, suffragette and author whose textbooks were used by generations of Filipino school children.

From those memoirs I picture Lola Emiliana as a strong woman who bravely carried on, single-handedly raising her three children after Lolo died in 1920. In time she became the matriarch of a clan that produced the Philippines’ first dietitian, the fifth Filipina woman to become a Supreme Court justice, the founder of development communications at the University of the Philippines, a career diplomat who was once Philippine consul general in New York, and a host of other accomplished professionals including my mother who blazed her own trails as nutritionist-dietitian and educator in the Philippines, the Northern Marianas and California.

Yet, it wasn’t until I discovered hidden parts of Philippine history that I under-stood my foremothers more fully. Books like Manila Envelopes: Oregon Volunteer Lt. George F. Telfer’s Spanish-American War Letters (Oregon Historical Society Press, 1987) and Barangay (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1997) made me

realize just how amazing my great grandmothers were. So were yours.

Think about it. They and their generation managed to survive the Philippine Revolution, the Philippine-American War and World War II, raise their families and make sure their children were educated despite the limited resources of a war-ravaged nation.

In Manila Envelopes, Lt. Telfer described the Filipina women he encountered in 1898. “The women are the heads of families,” he wrote. “They earn most of the money and boss the ranch.” He was amazed that Filipina women invariably held the purse strings and ran the businesses in an age when American men usually kept their wives in the dark about family finances.

According to ancient traditions, Filipina women didn’t need to be attached to any man, whether husband or father, to gain social stature, own property or exercise political influence. The reverse was true. The wife gave her husband standing and credibility in the community. In fact, historians say that pre-Hispanic 16th century bachelors were easy to spot. They were the scruffiest-looking in a community that valued sartorial elegance. Without the benefit of a wife’s care and “matronage,” to coin a word, the single man occupied a less-than-stellar social position. After marriage, however, he immediately gained considerable cachet. His wife, on the other hand, had to marshal all her talents and energy and get down to the serious business of becoming the center and guiding light of her home and family for the rest of her life.

This is why traditional Filipino cultures expected the groom’s family to pick up the entire wedding tab, provide a dowry and heed the wishes of both the bride and her mother on everything from the traje de boda (bridal trousseau) to the wedding feast menu, down to the smallest detail.

Today, Filipina women are still deeply

valued by their communities at a level only dreamt about in the West. Underneath the layers of western colonization, we instinctively follow patterns of behavior our foremothers have refined over the centuries, adroitly balancing wisdom, leadership and power with nurture, humor and sacrifice.

Filipina women come from an ancient tradition of such high social standing that we joke about achieving equal rights as equivalent to stepping down from our pedestals. It is sad to see this lofty position being undermined daily by today’s global media and pop culture with its baldly negative portrayals of female power and its incessant, desensitizing images of violence against women.

Here in the U.S., traditional Filipina values inevitably clash with a male-dominant local culture resistant to the prospect of a woman in the Oval Office. While this raises the potential for conflict in the workplace and in many Filipino-American homes, it also offers American women and girls a unique opportunity to see and learn from a secure kind of nothing-to-prove feminine power that has been exercised

and honed for thousands of years.All the members of FWN are heirs to this Filipina power. Seen from this context, FWN and its goals make perfect sense. So does the story of its chair, Tessie Zaragoza, whose struggle and success in carving out a place for herself in America came not with inherited money and influence, but with the lakas ng loob (courage) and kakayahan (abilities) handed down through generations of Filipina women. The skilled leadership of the Tessie Guillermos, Mona Pasquils, Kris Valderramas and Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauyes of our community are among the most recent expressions of this legacy.

We hope that as you read this issue of FWN Magazine you will be inspired by the outcomes of the 2006 FWN Summit, the Future Search that laid the groundwork toward advancing Filipina women in the U.S. workplace by 2012. As we act on these good intentions, we honor the memory of the heroic women who were our foremothers and set the stage for our daughters’ success and well-being.

I think your Lolas and mine would have approved.

B Y F AY O LY M P I A

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F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2

The Filipina Women’s Network (FWN) has launched a groundbreaking endeavor to bring together a group of Filipina women recognized for their influence in shaping the Filipino American community nationally, in their local communities, in their organizations and professional practices, and in public policy and industry.

The nationwide search for the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. will identify Filipinas who have shifted the course of events in their own areas of influence through ideas, activities, or interactions using persuasion or advice or street smarts. Recognizing these women is a critical step in changing public perceptions of Filipina women’s capacities to lead, innovate, and influence society.

An initiative of Filipina Power 2012, a result of the Filipina Summit’s Future Search last October, the search was born with a powerful purpose: To create strong leadership in the Filipina American community by 2012.

“As the Summit participants brainstormed how to adapt and succeed in the future, it was clear that FWN’s mission and goals will take on an increasingly significant role in changing biases against Filipina women’s leadership abilities,” said FWN Board Chair, Tessie Zaragoza. ”The selection of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. will allow FWN to support these role models so they can continue to create breakthroughs and ‘womantor’ the next generation of Filipina leaders, an effective form of succession planning.”

The 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S. is a celebration of 100 years of Filipino presence in America. They will be honored at a special awards event during the Fifth Annual Filipina Summit scheduled for October 25 – 27, 2007 in Washington DC.

“Filipinas have been praised as the ‘silent but talented minority group’ and at the same time perceived as ‘submissive and exotic’, overlooking their leadership and management skills. It is time that we actively promote Filipina women’s capacities to lead, innovate, and persuade. FWN has a highly educated and experienced talent pool: 63% of our members have graduate and college degrees and collectively represent hundreds of years of significant management and industry experience. It is a shame that many Filipina women are not recognized in their positions of power and influence. We need to change that,“said Marily Mondejar, President of the Filipina Women’s Network. “This nationwide search is a big part of the game plan for Filipina Power 2012.”

FWN INVITES NOMINATIONS IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

Founders & Pioneers honor Filipina women in their capacity as the chief executive, president, executive director, or founder of a company, community organization, or business venture that they helped start, build or significantly grow.

Innovators and Thought Leaders recognize Filipina women who have broken new ground through vibrant, energetic presentations of critical ideas, transforming the way people think, such as pop culture, arts and letters, or have improved the lives of others by helping develop a product or service in the fields of science, technology, biotechnology, or medicine.

Policymakers & Visionaries recognize Filipina women leaders who are making a difference in government policies or laws that impact business, industry, and society and who enrich the lives and careers of others by sharing the

Nationwide Search for the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S.A Filipina Power 2012 Initiative. A Search for the Filipinas Who Are Shaping the Image of Filipina Women in the U.S.

benefits of their wealth, experience, and knowledge.

Behind the Scenes Leaders, recognize Filipina women who, though they may not have the big title or corner office, are a driving force behind the success of their employer or organization and who go beyond the call to devote time, energy, and resources to support their community.

Emerging Leaders & Builders are Filipina women making their mark in a large corporate environment, or displaying high energy and skill in a leadership role at a nonprofit institution, government agency or organization in any field.

“Nicole” honors Filipina women whose words, actions, and attitude, inspire others to act and revolutionize our society’s way of understanding traditional beliefs and customs. This category is inspired by “Nicole” who sparked an international debate about women’s

rights, national sovereignty and international law as she steadfastly pursued justice against her rapists.

Ayala Foundation USA is the nominations sponsor of the nationwide search.“I am excited to be working with such a distinguished group of Filipinas. This program supports the mission of Ayala Foundation USA. The entire community can learn from their considerable knowledge, experience and talents,” said Maya Escudero, Executive Director of Ayala Foundation USA. “Together we can shape the discussion on trends and implications that will affect the future of the Filipino community in America and will greatly improve perceptions of Filipinos worldwide.”

Nominations are accepted until Wednesday, May 30, 2007. Online submissions only. To request access to the nomination site, and for corporate sponsorships, please contact FWN by sending an email to filipina@ffwn.org.

FILIPINA SUMMITF I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2 : F I L I P I N A S N O W !

T H U , O C T 2 5 ! S A T , O C T 2 7 , 2 0 0 7W A S H I N G T O N D . C .

F i l i p i n a W o m e n ’s N e t w o r k

A LEARNING JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF POWER

More than a field trip, symposium or forum, Learning Journeys immerse us in the reality – and long-range implications – of the politics of government. These experiences enable us to deepen, accelerate, and internalize our own learning about the business of government, advocacy and policy-making. Learning Journeys reflect our conviction that the most powerful learning occurs through experience and interaction, not from books or speeches.

SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS:

» Conversations with women elected officials

» Navigating the halls of the Capitol

» Merienda at The White House

» Filipina Power 2012: The Game Plan

» Recognition of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S.

FILIPINAS OF THE FUTURE:

Has the politics of government changed, or is it our understanding of the politics of government that has changed?

For more information: www.ffwn.org/FilipinaSummit5.htm

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Fundraising Events, Corporate Sponsorships and Naming OpportunitiesPartner with the Filipina Women’s Network and support Filipina women, America’s untapped source for leadership and talent.

Filipina Women’s Network P. O. Box 192143San Francisco, CA 94119Phone: 415. 278. 9410Fax: 415. 840. 0655E-mail: filipina@ffwn.orgWeb site: www.ffwn.org

Mission StatementEstablished in 2001, FWN’s mission is to enhance public perceptions of Filipina women’s capacities to lead, change biases against Filipina women’s leadership abilities and promote the entry of Filipina women into positions of leadership in corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors.

FWN achieves its mission through public education forums that heighten Filipina women’s visibility, research on Filipina women’s issues, leadership, skill building and career development programs for Filipina women, and influencing popular culture.

Goals 2007-08Increase financial assistance capabilities to ensure that FWN educational programs and events are accessible to Filipina women of all socio-economic backgrounds.

Increase FWN’s network of Filipina women business owners and those employed in corporations, government and nonprofit organizations and utilize the database as a leadership pipeline for corporate visibility.

Endow the Filipina Leadership Development and Womantoring Program

Generate operating funds for the establishment of a national headquarters and research library to house our historical collection documenting the achievements of Filipina women in the U.S.

How to reach the Filipina Women’s Network • P. O. Box 192143, San Francisco, CA 94119 • Phone: 415 / 278. 9410 • Fax: 415 / 840. 0655 • www.ffwn.org. The views and opinions of advertisers and contributors expressed in this publication do not necessarily state or reflect those of Filipina Women’s Network. © 2007 Filipina Women’s Network. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be published without the expressed written permission of the publisher.

FILIPINA WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCECampaign to end violence against Filipina women and girls in collaboration with Eve Ensler’s V-Day Organization. The V-Day 2007 Spotlight will be on Women in Conflict Zones because war exponentially increases the crimes of violence against women and girls.

All-Filipina women benefit production of “The Vagina Monologues” (TVM) performed in English and Tagalog (“Usaping Puki”). Presented in March annually in celebration of Women’s History Month.

Two coast-to-coast shows (San Francisco and New York).

S A N F R A N C I S C OMarch 24, 2007Herbst Theatre401 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco

N E W Y O R KMarch 30 & April 14, 2007The Philippine Center, NYC556 Fifth Avenue, New York

COUNCIL OF REMARKABLE FILIPINA WOMENWomantoring Circles – creating a community of Filipinas helping each

other succeed and cultivating future community leaders. Sponsor a womantoring circle. Call (415) 278-9410.

FIFTH ANNUAL FILIPINA SUMMIT: FILIPINAS NOW!October 25 – 27, 2006Washington D.C.

Nationwide Search for the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S.

Attention Corporations: Nominate outstanding Filipina women in your organization. Plan Your Participation Now! Send your Filipina employees to the Summit. Call (415) 278-9410.

The Filipina Summit is convened in October because the earliest documented proof of Filipino presence in the Continental United States was in October 1587 in Morro Bay, California.

“V-DIARIES”: ANTI-VIOLENCE RESOURCE GUIDEAnnual publication designed to provide a voice for domestic violence survivors and Filipina women and girls in abusive situations including a resource list of domestic violence agencies, shelters, legal and counseling services and law enforcement offices.

Publication date: March 2007. Call (415) 278-9410 to place an ad or go to http://v-diaries.EventBrite.com.

FILIPINA WOMEN WHO COULD BE PRESIDENTEmerging Leaders program for Filipina women. Building the Filipina community’s pipeline of qualified leaders, to increase the odds that some will rise to the president position in all sectors. Sponsor a “presidential candidate.”Call (415) 278-9410.

FILIPINA WOMEN’S NETWORK MAGAZINEAnnual publication about the nuances of Filipina culture, empowerment articles, career strategies, and highlighting the accomplishments of Filipina women in the U. S. Publication date: Fall 2007. To place an ad, call (415) 278-9410 or go to http://fwnMagazine.EventBrite.com “KAIBIGAN NG FWN” COMMUNITY PARTNER FUNDEndow research projects and educational programs about the Filipina American Experience.Call (415) 278-9410 for naming opportunities and for sponsorships.

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Filipina Women are Changing the Face of Politics

Gertrude Gregorio won her bid for one of two open posts for the New Haven Unified School District Governing Board in recent elections.

She is Dean of the Adaptive Learning Division (ALD) at Foothill College of the Foothill – De Anza Community College District, one of the largest community college districts in the United States serving about 44,000 students each quarter.

Gregorio attended Harvard University’s Management Development Program in 1999. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration, Organization and Leadership at the University of San Francisco. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service and International Relations from the University of the Philippines.

Hydra Mendoza is the first Filipina elected to public office in San Francisco. She placed second in her bid for one of the three spots in the San Francisco Board of Education, with 52,128 votes or 13.02% of the total votes cast.

Mendoza is former Executive Director and a founding member of Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco, a national organization that engages parents and community members toward supporting, promoting and improving public education.

In 2005, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Mendoza as his Education Advisor and Liaison to the San Francisco Unified School District. Hydra is married to family physician Ricardo Alvarez who has a non-profit HIV /AIDS clinic in San Francisco’s Mission District. They live in Bernal Heights with their two children, Ashoka and Santiago.

Joanne Del Rosario won a close race with long-term council member Philip Lum for a seat on the Colma Town Council. Colma is located between Daly City and South San Francisco.

Del Rosario is President of the Filipino American Association of Colma and serves as a director on the board of the Filipino American Coalition.

She is an Executive Assistant in a hedge fund based in New York City with offices in San Francisco. She has also worked in various capacities at some of the top law firms in the Bay Area, at Xerox Corporation and in the fields of banking and finance.

Born in New York City in 1953, Del Rosario lived in Yonkers, NY until the age of 12. She studied in both the United States and the Philippines and came to live in California in 1978, moving to Colma in 2001.

Kris Valderrama won her bid for a seat in Maryland’s House of Delegates and took office on January 10, 2007. Representing District 26 of Prince George’s County, where Maryland adjoins Washington, DC, Kris ran on the platform, “Advocating the Best for our Children.” She seeks to address the issue of growing numbers of children with no medical insurance.

Valderrama has had successful careers in respiratory therapy, communication and politics. She was active in the labor movement for over a decade campaigning and rallying in support of working family issues. She was Chair of the Asian Pacific American Democratic Caucus of Maryland from 1996 to 1997.

Kris was born in Washington, DC in 1970 and obtained her bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy in 1996 from the Salisbury State University. She and husband Abraham Lobo of Seattle, Washington have two daughters, Jordan age 4 and Evan age 2.

Voters gave Mae Cendaña the highest number of votes among ten candidates vying for three seats on the board of the Ambrose Recreation and Park District (ARPD) last December. She had previously served as appointed incumbent board member. The ARPD is in Contra Costa County, northeast of the San Francisco Bay.

Cendaña is executive secretary to the vice president of student affairs, University of California Office of the President.

A civic leader in her community and a fitness buff, Cendaña pledged to expand recreation services to teens and seniors in her area and to continue her efforts to improve park and trail safety.

She attended high school at Saint Paul College of Manila and has a bachelor’s degree in tourism management from the University of the Philippines. She made her mark as a singer-recording artist and fashion industry entrepreneur before moving to the US in 1988. She is proud of her two grown children, Tallulah and Yves who both support her civic efforts.

It should be noted that Vilma Guinto Peoro ran an aggressive grassroots campaign or San Francisco Supervisor in District 2 against incumbent, Michela Alioto-Pier granddaughter of former San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto. Guinto Peoro received 17.25% of the total votes cast.

A Bay Area restaurateur, Guinto Peoro has a political heritage of her own, being grand-daughter of the late Leon Guinto, former governor of Tayabas (now Quezon) Province in the Philippines, and mayor of war-time Manila.

These women join a growing group of

Elected Filipinas are trailblazers Ruth Asmundson, Mayor of Davis, California and Rachel Puno Juliana, Trustee of the Jefferson Union High School District. Both won the first time they ran for office.

Asmundson was the top vote getter in the Davis City Council race in June 2006. First elected to the city council in 2002, she is currently mayor pro tem and will serve as mayor in 2008 - 2010.

Gertrude Gregorio

Hydra Mendoza

Joanne Del Rosario

Kris Valderrama

Mae Cendaña

Vilma Guinto Peoro

Ruth Asmundson

Rachel Puno Juliana

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2

5 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y I S S U E

FILIPINAW O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K

F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

That’s how Filipina women have done things through the ages – with panache, beauty and grace, making guests, friends and family feel honored by going the extra mile and offering the best.

Their best is what Filipina women have been pouring into all sectors of U.S. society for generations. Yet, as with the rest of the Filipino-American community, the lack of national recognition and visibility is at odds with their considerable accomplishments.

Domestic violence and various forms of discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere, still plague Pinays in the US. And for all its benefits, the Information Age has spawned an insidious new stumbling block – a pervasive online image of Filipina women as being so poverty-stricken and desperate that they are forced into the mail-order bride industry or worse, into prostitution.

Mindful of these challenges, we began Future Search by examining our historical context from global, national and personal perspectives. In stakeholder or mixed groups we mapped the complex world of the Filipina woman in the U.S.

Dreaming big with “Ate Ops”

Then it was time to dream. We brainstormed with abandon, dramatizing and crafting visions of what could and should be, with sometimes hilarious and always inspiring results.

A circa 2012 “TV show” hosted by “Ate Ops” (Elena’s elegant Pinay send up of Oprah) featured a guest list of illustrious Filipina women who recounted their groundbreaking achievements. Our group built a model dream building that would house FWN and its services in 2012, having (Continued on page 10)

02 03

A time capsule is a way for us to deliver important messages that we create today to loved ones at some time in the future. You can put whatever is meaningful in the capsule and it will be returned and given to designated heirs in the future. We are giving someone in the future a sense of who we are today and what life was like for us.

Marily also asked me to give some insights on what I thought Filipino American women could achieve in the year 2012. Rather than give general comments, I’d like to give you my own personal wish list. This list contains what I hope Filipino American women, and other women at large, should achieve. We may not have it completed by 2012, but at least if we start working towards it now, we will be ready to make and accept the changes then.

Here’s my wish list to empower women, not necessarily in this order:

» I wish women equal pay with their male counterparts. Women are still earning only 76 cents on the dollar compared to men and get very little recognition for the work that they do. While we make 24% less than men, we control 75% of household finances and 85% of purchasing decisions. In other words, vote with your dollars! We should support women-owned businesses and corporations that promote women into management and executive positions. In the same token, women should support organizations that further women’s issues and equality. We need to give our time and money.

» I wish women would be free from poverty. Unfortunately, more and more women are the ones who suffer the most poverty. As the saying goes, “Women do two-thirds of the world’s work, receive 10% of the world’s income and own 1% of the means of production.”

» I wish more women in politics and government positions. In 2005, only 15% of the members of Congress were women, yet we make up half of the population. We need to elect women into office so that we can have more legislation passed to benefit us.

» I wish women to be free of discrimination. We need to abolish all discrimination, adopt laws to prohibit discrimination and establish institutions to protect women against discrimination.

» I wish more women in the clergy. Currently women only make up 15% of the nation’s clergy. I think it’s about time the Catholic Church accepts women priests and deacons.

Maybe it will make the Catholic Church more compassionate!

» I wish for more stories on women and their issues. White males are the storytellers and the resource persons. Women stories have declined by 41% despite making up more than half of the population. Women in news are likely features in stories about accidents, natural disasters and domestic violence than in stories about their professional abilities or expertise. Women also only account for 1/3 of the journalists across the nation.

» I wish that women be allowed to decide what to do with their own bodies and reproductive rights. If men had the ability to bear children, you can be sure this would be a non-issue. Archaic and horrible practices such as female genital mutilation should be outlawed immediately.

» I wish women to be free of rape, sexual assault, domestic violence and trafficking. In 2004, there were 210,000 victims over the age of 12 of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault while as many as 324,000 women experience domestic violence every year during their pregnancy. Let’s not forget that 50% to 70% of men who abuse women also abuse children. In the same vein, I wish that we would be free of any war because war is just another excuse for women to be raped.

» I wish women will treat their bodies with respect, giving it enough rest, fueling it with a variety of foods, exercising it moderately and listening to what it needs. There is no need to adhere to society’s pressures of “thinness.” We have to believe that self-esteem and identity come from within!

» I wish women be allowed to wear what they want without being labeled a slut or a loony and/or persecuted for cultural and religious beliefs. A mini skirt, a veil, a plunging neckline, a burqa, a hijab or a Cossack – it doesn’t matter what we wear – it does not give people an excuse to kill us like what happened recently to an Afghan woman in Fremont.

» I wish women as mothers, grandmothers, aunts, teachers and mentors would raise critical thinkers. Ask our children to think for themselves. Encourage them to ask “why” and question the status quo. After all, the children are our future. On a personal level, I wish my granddaughter Ashley will be speaking to you in the year 2020 instead of me.

I realize that this wish list looks like or sounds like the Constitution, but even during the early years, the signers of the Constitution had to dream of a world that they would be happy to live in, and this is the kind of world I would like to live in for the remaining years of my life.

The feminist author Barbara Ehrenreich wrote in “What Abu Graib Taught Me” the following quotes: “What we need is a tough new kind of feminism with no illusions. Women do not change institutions simply by assimilating into them, only by consciously deciding to fight for change. We need a feminism that teaches a woman to say no – not just to the date rapist or overly insistent boyfriend but, when necessary, to the military or corporate hierarchy within which she finds herself… It is not enough to be equal to men, when the men are acting like beasts. It is not enough to assimilate. We need to create a world worth assimilating into.”

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2

Time Capsule 2012: A Pioneer Pinay’s Wish List for all Filipina Women

‘Blown away’ puts it mildly.

I had no idea what I was in for when I decided to join FWN’s 2006 Summit as one of the Network’s newest members.

No idea that in one weekend I would meet an Olympic legend, be touched by an author reading from her new book, get tips for success from two of the most accomplished women in the U.S. and get to know a roomful of other prominent, competent, friendly, thoroughly interesting Filipina women (and a handful of very supportive Filipino men) of many ages, each ready to work together for everyone’s benefit.

Victoria Manalo Draves, the Filipina-American athlete who became the first woman in the world ever to win two gold medals in the Olympics, graced our opening on the same day a park would be named after her in the San Francisco neighborhood where she grew up. It seemed fitting that I should take a photo of a woman who lived up to her name despite the racial segregation of her time, standing next to Maria Lourdes, a young community organizer who was preparing for law school in post 9/11 America.

As I listened to Evangeline Canonizado Buell read moving passages from her autobiographical Twenty-five Chickens and a Pig for a Bride (T’Boli Publishing, 2006), I had the strong sense that I would treasure this jewel of a moment for the rest of my life.

The women who came to the conference had worked long and hard to achieve their goals. You couldn’t say they weren’t competitive. Yet everyone arrived at FWN’s 2006 Annual Summit seeming to know tha

it wasn’t about competing with each other. There wasn’t a “crab” in the crowd.

Perhaps it was FWN President Marily Mondejar’s warmly welcoming, inclusive mind-set. Maybe it’s because FWN members have seen the enemy and realized it is not one another.

Whatever made it different, this year’s Summit, a Future Search, was one big, sometimes mystifying, always thought-provoking and ultimately satisfying process that moved everyone from identifying problems to planning action steps, all in a distinctly Pinay fashion.

The facilitators, three women from backgrounds other than Filipina, said ours was the prettiest Future Search setting they’d ever seen. No one else had thought to cover the center of the conference floor with intricately hand-woven, Philippine-made pandanus mats in red, green, yellow and beige; place a Tree of Hope in the middle, festoon it with pink and purple cards tied with gossamer pink ribbons; artfully scrunch lengths of pink and green sinamay around it, and dot the area with floor pillows that invited people to throw formality aside and just sit and visit.

They were again impressed when San Francisco-based Filipina designer and caterer Paule Tenchavez, another Future Search participant, set a Philippine-themed table that delighted both eyes and taste buds. “Bongga” was the Filipino word I shared with the facilitators as we munched on artfully arranged fresh fruit, “Lumpianitas” (SF Consul General Rowena Sanchez’s apt term for tiny meat-filled Lumpiang Shanghai) and Beef Caldereta over hot rice – for breakfast.

Blown Away at the FWNFuture SearchB Y F A Y O LY M P I A

Game Plan for Filipina Power 2012. The Five Action Projects:

Action 1: Capacity Building

Action 2: Support Systems

Action 3: Infrastructure

Action 4: Forums and Panels

Action 5: Shape the Filipina Image

Coming together as a community on how to advance Filipina Women in the U.S. workplace with special guest, Victoria Manalo Draves

B Y M O N A L I S A Y U C H E N G C O

Future Search Facilitation Experts (l to r) Drusilla Copeland (Ander & LIndstrom), Jane Weiss (Great Place to Work), Marjorie Singer (U.S. Dept. of Education)

That’s how Filipina women have done things through the ages – with panache, beauty and grace, making guests, friends and family feel honored by going the extra mile and offering the best.

Their best is what Filipina women have been pouring into all sectors of U.S. society for generations. Yet, as with the rest of the Filipino-American community, the lack of national recognition and visibility is at odds with their considerable accomplishments.

Domestic violence and various forms of discrimination in the workplace and elsewhere, still plague Pinays in the US. And for all its benefits, the Information Age has spawned an insidious new stumbling block – a pervasive online image of Filipina women as being so poverty-stricken and desperate that they are forced into the mail-order bride industry or worse, into prostitution.

Mindful of these challenges, we began Future Search by examining our historical context from global, national and personal perspectives. In stakeholder or mixed groups we mapped the complex world of the Filipina woman in the U.S.

Dreaming big with “Ate Ops”

Then it was time to dream. We brainstormed with abandon, dramatizing and crafting visions of what could and should be, with sometimes hilarious and always inspiring results.

A circa 2012 “TV show” hosted by “Ate Ops” (Elena’s elegant Pinay send up of Oprah) featured a guest list of illustrious Filipina women who recounted their groundbreaking achievements. Our group built a model dream building that would house FWN and its services in 2012, having (Continued on page 10)

02 03

A time capsule is a way for us to deliver important messages that we create today to loved ones at some time in the future. You can put whatever is meaningful in the capsule and it will be returned and given to designated heirs in the future. We are giving someone in the future a sense of who we are today and what life was like for us.

Marily also asked me to give some insights on what I thought Filipino American women could achieve in the year 2012. Rather than give general comments, I’d like to give you my own personal wish list. This list contains what I hope Filipino American women, and other women at large, should achieve. We may not have it completed by 2012, but at least if we start working towards it now, we will be ready to make and accept the changes then.

Here’s my wish list to empower women, not necessarily in this order:

» I wish women equal pay with their male counterparts. Women are still earning only 76 cents on the dollar compared to men and get very little recognition for the work that they do. While we make 24% less than men, we control 75% of household finances and 85% of purchasing decisions. In other words, vote with your dollars! We should support women-owned businesses and corporations that promote women into management and executive positions. In the same token, women should support organizations that further women’s issues and equality. We need to give our time and money.

» I wish women would be free from poverty. Unfortunately, more and more women are the ones who suffer the most poverty. As the saying goes, “Women do two-thirds of the world’s work, receive 10% of the world’s income and own 1% of the means of production.”

» I wish more women in politics and government positions. In 2005, only 15% of the members of Congress were women, yet we make up half of the population. We need to elect women into office so that we can have more legislation passed to benefit us.

» I wish women to be free of discrimination. We need to abolish all discrimination, adopt laws to prohibit discrimination and establish institutions to protect women against discrimination.

» I wish more women in the clergy. Currently women only make up 15% of the nation’s clergy. I think it’s about time the Catholic Church accepts women priests and deacons.

Maybe it will make the Catholic Church more compassionate!

» I wish for more stories on women and their issues. White males are the storytellers and the resource persons. Women stories have declined by 41% despite making up more than half of the population. Women in news are likely features in stories about accidents, natural disasters and domestic violence than in stories about their professional abilities or expertise. Women also only account for 1/3 of the journalists across the nation.

» I wish that women be allowed to decide what to do with their own bodies and reproductive rights. If men had the ability to bear children, you can be sure this would be a non-issue. Archaic and horrible practices such as female genital mutilation should be outlawed immediately.

» I wish women to be free of rape, sexual assault, domestic violence and trafficking. In 2004, there were 210,000 victims over the age of 12 of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault while as many as 324,000 women experience domestic violence every year during their pregnancy. Let’s not forget that 50% to 70% of men who abuse women also abuse children. In the same vein, I wish that we would be free of any war because war is just another excuse for women to be raped.

» I wish women will treat their bodies with respect, giving it enough rest, fueling it with a variety of foods, exercising it moderately and listening to what it needs. There is no need to adhere to society’s pressures of “thinness.” We have to believe that self-esteem and identity come from within!

» I wish women be allowed to wear what they want without being labeled a slut or a loony and/or persecuted for cultural and religious beliefs. A mini skirt, a veil, a plunging neckline, a burqa, a hijab or a Cossack – it doesn’t matter what we wear – it does not give people an excuse to kill us like what happened recently to an Afghan woman in Fremont.

» I wish women as mothers, grandmothers, aunts, teachers and mentors would raise critical thinkers. Ask our children to think for themselves. Encourage them to ask “why” and question the status quo. After all, the children are our future. On a personal level, I wish my granddaughter Ashley will be speaking to you in the year 2020 instead of me.

I realize that this wish list looks like or sounds like the Constitution, but even during the early years, the signers of the Constitution had to dream of a world that they would be happy to live in, and this is the kind of world I would like to live in for the remaining years of my life.

The feminist author Barbara Ehrenreich wrote in “What Abu Graib Taught Me” the following quotes: “What we need is a tough new kind of feminism with no illusions. Women do not change institutions simply by assimilating into them, only by consciously deciding to fight for change. We need a feminism that teaches a woman to say no – not just to the date rapist or overly insistent boyfriend but, when necessary, to the military or corporate hierarchy within which she finds herself… It is not enough to be equal to men, when the men are acting like beasts. It is not enough to assimilate. We need to create a world worth assimilating into.”

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2

Time Capsule 2012: A Pioneer Pinay’s Wish List for all Filipina Women

‘Blown away’ puts it mildly.

I had no idea what I was in for when I decided to join FWN’s 2006 Summit as one of the Network’s newest members.

No idea that in one weekend I would meet an Olympic legend, be touched by an author reading from her new book, get tips for success from two of the most accomplished women in the U.S. and get to know a roomful of other prominent, competent, friendly, thoroughly interesting Filipina women (and a handful of very supportive Filipino men) of many ages, each ready to work together for everyone’s benefit.

Victoria Manalo Draves, the Filipina-American athlete who became the first woman in the world ever to win two gold medals in the Olympics, graced our opening on the same day a park would be named after her in the San Francisco neighborhood where she grew up. It seemed fitting that I should take a photo of a woman who lived up to her name despite the racial segregation of her time, standing next to Maria Lourdes, a young community organizer who was preparing for law school in post 9/11 America.

As I listened to Evangeline Canonizado Buell read moving passages from her autobiographical Twenty-five Chickens and a Pig for a Bride (T’Boli Publishing, 2006), I had the strong sense that I would treasure this jewel of a moment for the rest of my life.

The women who came to the conference had worked long and hard to achieve their goals. You couldn’t say they weren’t competitive. Yet everyone arrived at FWN’s 2006 Annual Summit seeming to know tha

it wasn’t about competing with each other. There wasn’t a “crab” in the crowd.

Perhaps it was FWN President Marily Mondejar’s warmly welcoming, inclusive mind-set. Maybe it’s because FWN members have seen the enemy and realized it is not one another.

Whatever made it different, this year’s Summit, a Future Search, was one big, sometimes mystifying, always thought-provoking and ultimately satisfying process that moved everyone from identifying problems to planning action steps, all in a distinctly Pinay fashion.

The facilitators, three women from backgrounds other than Filipina, said ours was the prettiest Future Search setting they’d ever seen. No one else had thought to cover the center of the conference floor with intricately hand-woven, Philippine-made pandanus mats in red, green, yellow and beige; place a Tree of Hope in the middle, festoon it with pink and purple cards tied with gossamer pink ribbons; artfully scrunch lengths of pink and green sinamay around it, and dot the area with floor pillows that invited people to throw formality aside and just sit and visit.

They were again impressed when San Francisco-based Filipina designer and caterer Paule Tenchavez, another Future Search participant, set a Philippine-themed table that delighted both eyes and taste buds. “Bongga” was the Filipino word I shared with the facilitators as we munched on artfully arranged fresh fruit, “Lumpianitas” (SF Consul General Rowena Sanchez’s apt term for tiny meat-filled Lumpiang Shanghai) and Beef Caldereta over hot rice – for breakfast.

Blown Away at the FWNFuture SearchB Y F A Y O LY M P I A

Game Plan for Filipina Power 2012. The Five Action Projects:

Action 1: Capacity Building

Action 2: Support Systems

Action 3: Infrastructure

Action 4: Forums and Panels

Action 5: Shape the Filipina Image

Coming together as a community on how to advance Filipina Women in the U.S. workplace with special guest, Victoria Manalo Draves

B Y M O N A L I S A Y U C H E N G C O

Future Search Facilitation Experts (l to r) Drusilla Copeland (Ander & LIndstrom), Jane Weiss (Great Place to Work), Marjorie Singer (U.S. Dept. of Education)

04

The Philippine Center in San Francisco is composed of two adjoining buildings located on Sutter Street, a block away from prestigious Union Square and within a mile of San Francisco’s financial district.

Because of their extensive history, the City of San Francisco has defined the Philippine Center Buildings as historical landmarks. The buildings were purchased by the Philippine government in 1974 and are managed by the Philippine Center Management Board.

It is the mission of the Center to:

• Nurture, promote and propagate Philippine culture

• Promote investments to the Philippines

• Expand the foreign market for Philippine products

• Encourage foreign tourists to visit the

Philippines

• Enhance the image of the Philippines

The Center is an intelligent building venue that showcases the best in the Filipino. Improvements include a fully renovated and modern Consulate lobby, a Business Center, Executive Suites for Lease, Art and Culture Exchange Galleries, A Movie and Screening Room and ultimately the conversion of the 447 Lobby into the Cultural Center of the Philippines in San Francisco. Wealth of information about the Center may be accessed at www.philippinecentersf.com.

For more information about the center please contact: The Business Office, The Philippine Center447 Sutter Street, Suite 518, SF, CA 94108 | Tel: (415) 982-6153 | Fax: (415) 982 1232

Email: info@philippinecentersf.com

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F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

05

HYDRA MENDOZA, Mayor Newsom’s Education Advisor and Board Member of the San Francisco Unified School District, is the first Filipina elected to public office in San Francisco. (For more on Hydra, see page 10).

MAYA ONG ESCUDERO is Executive Director of Ayala Foundation USA, and is active with fundraising events in the San Francisco Bay Area’s mid-peninsula community and its schools.

In the ‘90s, she served as Executive Director of two organizations: Physicians for Social Responsibility, Stanford-Silicon Valley Chapter, and Hesperian Foundation, Palo Alto, CA. In the ‘80s, Escudero did community philanthropy work with the Vanguard Public Foundation in San Francisco and the United Way of Santa Clara County, CA.

She moved to the U.S. in the late ‘70s at the height of efforts to depose Ferdinand Marcos. For her part, Escudero served as National Coordinator of Friends of the Filipino People in Boston, MA, and ran the San Francisco office of Alliance for Philippine Concerns.

She has a B.A. and an M.A. in English, is married with two grown children, and loves classical music, rock ‘n roll, crossword puzzles, hiking and M&M’s.

NANA LUZ, President & CEO of Softype, Inc. co-founded the company in 2000. She works with business owners and managers in US, Europe, Africa and Asia, managing Softype’s professional staff toward making technological solutions work for small and medium businesses around the globe.

Luz calls herself a serial entrepreneur with her sixteen years in the printing business and four years in international sourcing. She has a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Stanford University.

TANI GORRE CANTIL- SAKAUYE, Madam Justice of the Third District Court of Appeal was the first woman of Asian descent to serve as a judge in Sacramento County and, at 31, was one

Remarkable Filipina Women of 2007

of the youngest judges in the State of California. (Please see page 13 for the full article on Justice Cantil-Sakauye).

FILIPINA VOICES Panelist and Moderator ODETTE ALCAZAREN-KEELEY is Chief of Staff of New America Media. She also hosts and produces “Headlines from the Ethnic Media” for a San Francisco radio station and is a freelance producer / contributor for “Pacific Time,” a program airing on local PBS affiliate KQED-FM.

After nearly a decade as a Philippine media professional, Keeley moved to the U.S. in 2000 and was doing an internship at a local PBS station when the 9/11 tragedy struck. Her Philippine connections proved invaluable when the station needed Asian perspectives on the global war on terrorism.

From 2002 to 2005, she served as News Executive Producer and Head Writer of ABS-CBN International’s “Balitang America.”

Alcazaren-Keeley graduated cum laude with a degree in BA Communication, major in Broadcast Communication and minor in Broadcast Journalism from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. She and her husband Patrick have a young daughter, Zoe.

Clockwise from top left: Hydra Mendoza, Maya Ong Escudero, Nana Luz, Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye and Odette Alcazaren-Keeley.

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2

!

0706

F I R S T S T E P I N T H E F U T U R E S E A R C H P R O C E S S : Focus on the Past

For 2 ! days last October 2006, FWN members and representatives from our stakeholder groups gathered for a Future Search Conference with one task: Develop a Game Plan On How To Advance Filipina Women in the U.S. Workplace.

Working through a carefully-designed format facilitated by future search experts, we came together and found common ground, discovered strong reasons to build community, made commitments, and set a clear direction and action items on how to grasp opportunities available to us that will propel Filipina women to a place of Pinay Power by 2012.

We generated a comprehensive set of issues and opportunities, analyzed data, and forged a common vision of how we want Filipina women to be perceived in the next generation.

These action items set the groundwork for the Filipina Women’s Network that emerged out of our understanding of where we’ve been, what’s happening now, and the direction we wanted our organization to take. The conference came at a point in FWN’s history when we were ready to explore, as well as reconfirm our basic values, and generate a shared vision among our stakeholders.

Friday, October 27 –Sunday, October 29, 2006Philippine Center447 Sutter StreetSan Francisco

A G E N D A

Day OnePast: Where We’ve Been

Day TwoPresent: Where We Are

Future: Where We Want to Be

Day ThreeAction: How We Get There

The Filipina Summit’s Future Search Conference was guided by the Open Space Principles:

» Whoever comes are the right people.

» Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened.

» Whatever time it begins is the right time.

» When it’s over, it’s over.

FILIPINA SUMMITF I L I P I N A 2012: A F U T U R E S E A R C H CO N F E R E N C E

C E L E B R A T I N G 1 0 0 Y E A R S O F F I L I P I N O S I N A M E R I C A

F i l i p i n a Wo m e n ’s N e t w o r kFWN’s Future Search: Filipina Power 2012

On the second day, we discussed the present trends affecting Filipina women in the U.S. workplace so we can build a shared picture of the world we live in, discover how we can deal with it and plan for 2012. We created a Mind Map of all trends affecting us today.

Participants listed notable milestones (before 1976 thru 2006) from three perspectives: Personal – key life experiences from participants’ lives (what you did and what you experienced)

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

!

0706

F I R S T S T E P I N T H E F U T U R E S E A R C H P R O C E S S : Focus on the Past

For 2 ! days last October 2006, FWN members and representatives from our stakeholder groups gathered for a Future Search Conference with one task: Develop a Game Plan On How To Advance Filipina Women in the U.S. Workplace.

Working through a carefully-designed format facilitated by future search experts, we came together and found common ground, discovered strong reasons to build community, made commitments, and set a clear direction and action items on how to grasp opportunities available to us that will propel Filipina women to a place of Pinay Power by 2012.

We generated a comprehensive set of issues and opportunities, analyzed data, and forged a common vision of how we want Filipina women to be perceived in the next generation.

These action items set the groundwork for the Filipina Women’s Network that emerged out of our understanding of where we’ve been, what’s happening now, and the direction we wanted our organization to take. The conference came at a point in FWN’s history when we were ready to explore, as well as reconfirm our basic values, and generate a shared vision among our stakeholders.

Friday, October 27 –Sunday, October 29, 2006Philippine Center447 Sutter StreetSan Francisco

A G E N D A

Day OnePast: Where We’ve Been

Day TwoPresent: Where We Are

Future: Where We Want to Be

Day ThreeAction: How We Get There

The Filipina Summit’s Future Search Conference was guided by the Open Space Principles:

» Whoever comes are the right people.

» Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened.

» Whatever time it begins is the right time.

» When it’s over, it’s over.

FILIPINA SUMMITF I L I P I N A 2012: A F U T U R E S E A R C H CO N F E R E N C E

C E L E B R A T I N G 1 0 0 Y E A R S O F F I L I P I N O S I N A M E R I C A

F i l i p i n a Wo m e n ’s N e t w o r kFWN’s Future Search: Filipina Power 2012

On the second day, we discussed the present trends affecting Filipina women in the U.S. workplace so we can build a shared picture of the world we live in, discover how we can deal with it and plan for 2012. We created a Mind Map of all trends affecting us today.

Participants listed notable milestones (before 1976 thru 2006) from three perspectives: Personal – key life experiences from participants’ lives (what you did and what you experienced)

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

0908

The Filipino American Community

The World 2nd perspective: The World – We listed significant global events that have shaped our society (before 1976 thru 2006). We asked the questions “What happened?” and “Why are these events important?”

We looked back before 1976 thru 2006 and asked “what has been done in our community?” and “what has been accomplished?”

The most important accomplishment of the summit was our unanimous adoption of our values that will guide how we communicate with each other and which will form the basis of our operating principles:

- honesty - integrity - conviction - compassion - competence - excellence - beauty - honor - magnanimity - education - power - leadership - creativity - inspiration - humility

- accountability - inclusivity - “bridging the gap” - responsibility - trust - self-confidence - optimism - effective

communication - health - wellness - holistic (mind,

body, spirit, culture / history)

“Prouds” and “Sorries” – we owned up to what we did and are doing now; taking responsibility for our own actions. We listened to our stakeholders – “what’s working” and “what’s not” in relation to Filipina Women and the Filipino American community.

3rd perspective: Filipino American Community – “Studying the past tells us about the present and the future” - Marily Mondejar

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

0908

The Filipino American Community

The World 2nd perspective: The World – We listed significant global events that have shaped our society (before 1976 thru 2006). We asked the questions “What happened?” and “Why are these events important?”

We looked back before 1976 thru 2006 and asked “what has been done in our community?” and “what has been accomplished?”

The most important accomplishment of the summit was our unanimous adoption of our values that will guide how we communicate with each other and which will form the basis of our operating principles:

- honesty - integrity - conviction - compassion - competence - excellence - beauty - honor - magnanimity - education - power - leadership - creativity - inspiration - humility

- accountability - inclusivity - “bridging the gap” - responsibility - trust - self-confidence - optimism - effective

communication - health - wellness - holistic (mind,

body, spirit, culture / history)

“Prouds” and “Sorries” – we owned up to what we did and are doing now; taking responsibility for our own actions. We listened to our stakeholders – “what’s working” and “what’s not” in relation to Filipina Women and the Filipino American community.

3rd perspective: Filipino American Community – “Studying the past tells us about the present and the future” - Marily Mondejar

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

1110

the latest technologies and The Vagina Monologues’ own theater. Another group staged an awards program starring no less than the first Filipina vice-president of the U.S.

Finally, we chose the action areas we all wanted to be involved based on what sparked everyone’s imagination and passion. Good ideas not everyone was excited about were set aside for another forum. This was a significant departure from other planning conferences in which I had taken part. The idea was to set ourselves up for optimal follow-through increasing the potential for success.

We formed action teams; listed goals that we believe will make the greatest impact by 2012, and scheduled the first implementation meetings.

Having seen how FWN members operate that weekend, it was easy for me to picture this Future Search morphing into a Present that we will be proud to hand over to our daughters.

Fay Alvarez Olympia is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in print and broadcast media, public information, corporate and community training. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of the Philippines. After moving to the US with her husband and daughter in 1999, she became passionate about Filipino culture and Philippine-American history. Having worked for a time as director of a tutoring center in Stockton, CA, she has since returned to writing and editing. She currently serves on the board of the Little Manila Foundation and joined the FWN last fall.

Blown Away (from page 3)

On the third day, we imagined a future for Filipina Women in the U.S. We listened for images and hopes. We crafted significant ideas and ideal futures that give meaning, dignity and purpose for Filipina Women in 2012.

STEERING COMMITTEE

Agnes Briones UbaldeExecutive DirectorSmall Business CommissionCity and County of San Francisco

Al PerezPresidentFilipino American Arts Exposition

Anna MamonMBA StudentUniversity of San Francisco

Ben MenorFilipino Community Activist

Blesilda Ocampo J.D.Child Support OfficerSF Department of Child Support Services

Edna CasteelFiscal Officer & Pre-Award ManagerCalifornia Pacific Medical Center Research Institute

Elena MangahasCo-ChairLittle Manila Foundation

Franklin M. RicarteProducerV-Day New York

Fay OlympiaCommunication SpecialistBoard SecretaryLittle Manila Foundation

Genevieve DwyerPresidentGenevieve’s Corporation

Lorna Lardizabal DietzStrategy ConsultantRadiantView.com

Mae BranaGemologist MBA Student University of San Francisco

Maria Lourdes NocedalCommunity OrganizerKmB Pro People Youth USA

Marily MondejarPresidentFilipina Women’s NetworkExecutive DirectorInstitute for Image Management

Nini AlveroPhilippine Trade CommissionerU.S. Western Region

Rowena Mendoza SanchezPhilippine Consul General in San Francisco

Tessie ZaragozaChair, FWN BoardFilipino Research ProjectInstitute on Domestic Violence – APIAHF

FACILITATORS

Drusilla CopelandPartnerAnder & Lindstrom

Marjorie SingerOrganization Development and Training Specialist

Jane Weiss Senior ConsultantGreat Place to Work

F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2 1110

the latest technologies and The Vagina Monologues’ own theater. Another group staged an awards program starring no less than the first Filipina vice-president of the U.S.

Finally, we chose the action areas we all wanted to be involved based on what sparked everyone’s imagination and passion. Good ideas not everyone was excited about were set aside for another forum. This was a significant departure from other planning conferences in which I had taken part. The idea was to set ourselves up for optimal follow-through increasing the potential for success.

We formed action teams; listed goals that we believe will make the greatest impact by 2012, and scheduled the first implementation meetings.

Having seen how FWN members operate that weekend, it was easy for me to picture this Future Search morphing into a Present that we will be proud to hand over to our daughters.

Fay Alvarez Olympia is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in print and broadcast media, public information, corporate and community training. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of the Philippines. After moving to the US with her husband and daughter in 1999, she became passionate about Filipino culture and Philippine-American history. Having worked for a time as director of a tutoring center in Stockton, CA, she has since returned to writing and editing. She currently serves on the board of the Little Manila Foundation and joined the FWN last fall.

Blown Away (from page 3)

On the third day, we imagined a future for Filipina Women in the U.S. We listened for images and hopes. We crafted significant ideas and ideal futures that give meaning, dignity and purpose for Filipina Women in 2012.

STEERING COMMITTEE

Agnes Briones UbaldeExecutive DirectorSmall Business CommissionCity and County of San Francisco

Al PerezPresidentFilipino American Arts Exposition

Anna MamonMBA StudentUniversity of San Francisco

Ben MenorFilipino Community Activist

Blesilda Ocampo J.D.Child Support OfficerSF Department of Child Support Services

Edna CasteelFiscal Officer & Pre-Award ManagerCalifornia Pacific Medical Center Research Institute

Elena MangahasCo-ChairLittle Manila Foundation

Franklin M. RicarteProducerV-Day New York

Fay OlympiaCommunication SpecialistBoard SecretaryLittle Manila Foundation

Genevieve DwyerPresidentGenevieve’s Corporation

Lorna Lardizabal DietzStrategy ConsultantRadiantView.com

Mae BranaGemologist MBA Student University of San Francisco

Maria Lourdes NocedalCommunity OrganizerKmB Pro People Youth USA

Marily MondejarPresidentFilipina Women’s NetworkExecutive DirectorInstitute for Image Management

Nini AlveroPhilippine Trade CommissionerU.S. Western Region

Rowena Mendoza SanchezPhilippine Consul General in San Francisco

Tessie ZaragozaChair, FWN BoardFilipino Research ProjectInstitute on Domestic Violence – APIAHF

FACILITATORS

Drusilla CopelandPartnerAnder & Lindstrom

Marjorie SingerOrganization Development and Training Specialist

Jane Weiss Senior ConsultantGreat Place to Work

F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

2006

Tessie Guillermo, President and CEO of the Community Technology Foundation of California (CTFC), delivered the keynote address entitled “Filipina Power 2012” on the opening day of the 2006 FWN Summit on October 27.

Her talk set the tone for the future search process with her expert recommendations on how FWN can mobilize the community and use emerging technologies to identify plausible futures and develop strategies to address future uncertainties. Guillermo proposed ways to bring the Filipina voice to the table of national leadership to ensure that debates over policy-making are equitable and inclusive.

Guillermo is a co-founder and former Chair of the CTFC Board of Directors. Before co-founding CTFC, she served for 15 years as CEO of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum, a leading national health policy organization. Throughout her career as an advocate for underserved communities, she has promoted issues of health and technology access, services and equity.

Ms. Guillermo also co-founded many nonprofit organizations, including the California Pan Ethnic Health Network, the Community Technology Policy Council and the National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans.

She has received numerous community leadership awards and, in 2000, then President Bill Clinton appointed her to serve as an inaugural member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Ms. Guillermo currently serves on the boards of The California Endowment, a $3-billion philanthropy, and Catholic Healthcare West, the largest hospital system in the state.

Ms. Guillermo is a published author and a frequent keynote speaker on non-profit leadership and public policy issues. She is an alumna of California State University, Hayward, a graduate of the Gallup Leadership Institute and was a 1997 Fellow of the Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute. She is a native of San Francisco where she lives with her three children.

T E S S I E

"uill#$%&

'&()PASQUIL

The future is about the power of the Filipina legacy, the power of telling our community’s stories,” said Mona Pasquil at FWN’s 2006 Summit and Future Search last October in San Francisco.

“Our future is about the past. The past signals what is important, what we need to know and what we need to let go.”

Her listeners hung on to these words of wisdom from this granddaughter of Filipino immigrants and daughter of a community leader and gifted jazz pianist. Mona grew up listening and learning to love music and Filipino stories. A longtime leader in the Asian Pacific Islander American community, Pasquil knows of which she speaks.

She is currently Vice President and is responsible for the California operations of MHSC Partners, Inc., the leading Democratic persuasion mail, Internet advertising and targeting firm in America.

Prior to MSHC, Mona was an Executive Consultant for IBM’s State and Local Government and Education Division.

Mona served on the Kerry Edwards presidential campaign as Deputy Political Director for Constituency Outreach. She was Political Director for Governor Gray Davis; California Political Director for Gore Lieberman 2000; and Deputy CEO for the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. In 1997, Mona was appointed Western Political Director in the Clinton White House.

She also serves as Vice Chair of Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte Board of Directors, the Women’s Leadership Forum in Washington, DC, and as a Board Member for the California Youth in Government Model Legislature Program.

For all her groundbreaking achievements, Mona is proudest of her work with The Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project, and My Sister’s House, a safe haven for Asian Pacific Islander victims of domestic violence.

In a fitting gesture, immediately after her speech, FWN leaders presented her with a check for a donation to My Sister’s House.

Specializing In Financial Solutions:• Credit Enhancement• Debt Management• Credit Rebuilding• Debt Settlement• Business Credit Building• Credit Coaching for Investors• Credit Score Analysis

Community and Professional Training:• Real Estate & Sales Professionals• Students & Immigrants• Home Buyers Workshops• Professional Groups & Organizations

Proud to Serve and Empower the Filipino Community Nationwide

www.clearcreditexchange.com

“Clearing The Path To Your Future”

Hazel B. ValeraPresident1-888-222-1032

1312

Setting the tone... as Filipina women embarked on a search for their future.O U R S U M M I T K E Y N O T E S P E A K E R S :

June Frances PariñaJocelyn VistanLinda Ordonio-DixonNini AlveroMarissa AroyHenni Jay Espinosa

LINDA ORDONIO-DIXON is a Senior Trial Attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in San Francisco. Over the ten years she has been with the Commission, Ms. Ordonio-Dixon has worked on a wide range of employment discrimination cases, one of which was EEOC v. Stockton Steel – a religious discrimination case which alleged that Muslim employees were prevented from praying during their breaks and were subjected to offensive name calling such as “rag head” and “terrorist.” The case was settled for 1.1 million dollars.

She also worked to win EEOC v. Harris Farms – a sexual harassment lawsuit on behalf of a Fresno farm worker that resulted in a unanimous one million dollar verdict, and EEOC v. Saipan Grand Hotel – a sexual harassment lawsuit on behalf of Filipina contract workers in Saipan which settled for $400,000.

Linda worked for over a decade as a machinist prior to becoming an attorney. Her motivation to practice employment discrimination law was sparked by her negative experiences as a woman in a nontraditional trade.

MARISSA AROY’s most recent work was producing and doing camera work for “Uneasy Peace,” a film about Northern Ireland’s peace process for Frontline World. She was post-production supervisor for the 2006 Oscar-nominated documentary short, “Mushroom Club,” and worked as associate producer for three years on the HBO America Undercover Series documentary, “Rehab,” which won the Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Award for journalism.

Her film, “Step Show: Portrait of a Black Fraternity” screened at various film festivals including the New York International Film and Video Festival, The Black Hollywood Film Festival, Black Harvest Film Festival in Chicago, and the Film Arts Festival in San Francisco. Marissa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College and a Masters degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at University of California, Berkeley.

NINI ALVERO has served with the Philippine Government for twenty-five years, in various capacities at the Department of Trade and Industry in the fields of economic research, industry and trade policy, export marketing and investment promotion, and bilateral and multilateral government to government relations.

She is recognized for her ability to develop the potential of Philippine export products in foreign markets by conceptualizing, planning, organizing and successfully implementing Philippine participation in numerous trade promotion activities. Her outstanding diplomatic skills have earned her high marks as a top negotiator, achieving the smooth resolution of bilateral and multilateral trade issues affecting the market access of Philippine products in the countries to which she is assigned.

Before her posting as Special Trade Representative and Trade Commissioner for the US Western Region, her foreign assignments included stints in Washington D.C. and the cities of Los Angeles, Toronto and Paris.

he FWN Council of Remarkable Filipina Women introduced its newest members last summer with “Celebrating Filipina Women in America,” a lively and thought-provoking dialogue on being Filipina in the American workplace.

One of a series of events honoring 100 years of Filipino achievements and contributions to American business and society, the FWN sponsored event moderated by Manila Bulletin USA Editor Henni Espinosa featured discussions on biculturalism, career barriers and opportunities. Panelists shared personal insights into how they have succeeded in their chosen fields and why Filipina women are leading the way.

“Remarkable Filipina Women” are entrepreneurs, organizational advocates, and thought leaders – some are prominent, some still to be discovered – in fields where the future is being created.

They bring to us key developments to watch and issues they track in their respective fields. They come from many areas of specialization – science and technology, culture and civilization, geopolitics and the environment.

“Remarkable Filipina Women” stretch our thinking by pointing out issues that may be off everyone’s radar screen, by reframing facts in surprising ways, and by finding connections between divergent developments.

Let’s get to know these Remarkable Filipina Women:

HENNI JAY P. ESPINOSA has been in the media industry for over 6 years. She has worked as reporter and producer for GMA Channel 7, The Filipino Channel and CNN International. She is now editor-in-chief of the Kababayan Edition of Manila Bulletin USA, the only weekly Filipino community magazine published in the San Francisco Bay Area.

JUNE FRANCES PARIÑA has worked in public relations for the past eight years specializing in media relations for venture capital and financial services firms. Currently she heads the venture capital accounts at Spark Public Relations or Sparkpr, a San Francisco-based boutique technology public relations group.

Having built strong relationships with key editors and reporters at top business and VC (venture capitalist) media outlets, Ms. Pariña has placed her clients in feature stories in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes and BusinessWeek, among others. Before joining Sparkpr, she worked for six years at The Blueshirt Group, an investor relations (IR) and financial communications boutique where she ran financial media and investor relations for its venture capital, private equity, investment banking, and financial services clients.

Prior to Blueshirt Pariña spent two years at Financial Relations Board working with leading Internet, e-commerce, and telecom companies. She also taught Business English in Augsburg, Germany, having received a dual Bachelor of Arts in German and Sociology from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

JOCELYNE VISTAN began her career in the health care field as a Reproductive Health Specialist at Planned Parenthood, performing HIV and pregnancy options counseling for teens and women.

Her experience and passion for women’s health motivated Ms. Vistan to explore leadership roles as Center Manager for the Daly City clinic and eventually as the Planned Parenthood Regional Director for San Francisco and San Mateo Counties.

After seven years in the nonprofit sector, Jocelyne moved on to Kaiser Permanente and became Member Services Director. In this capacity, she performed a variety of roles from managing the dispute resolution process to building an Interpreter Services program that provided language services for patients with limited English proficiency.

Now as the Health Care Ombudsman / Mediator (HCOM) at the Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center, Vistan performs mediations and ensures that communications continue between both patients and providers even after a disappointing medical outcome.

A first generation Filipina, Jocelyne is married to Pru. They are the doting parents of Taiko, a 6-year old Shih-Tzu.

Remarkable Filipina Womenof 2006

June Frances Pariña Jocelyn Vistan Linda Ordonio-Dixon

Marissa Aroy Nini Alvero Henni Jay Espinosa

T

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

2006

Tessie Guillermo, President and CEO of the Community Technology Foundation of California (CTFC), delivered the keynote address entitled “Filipina Power 2012” on the opening day of the 2006 FWN Summit on October 27.

Her talk set the tone for the future search process with her expert recommendations on how FWN can mobilize the community and use emerging technologies to identify plausible futures and develop strategies to address future uncertainties. Guillermo proposed ways to bring the Filipina voice to the table of national leadership to ensure that debates over policy-making are equitable and inclusive.

Guillermo is a co-founder and former Chair of the CTFC Board of Directors. Before co-founding CTFC, she served for 15 years as CEO of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum, a leading national health policy organization. Throughout her career as an advocate for underserved communities, she has promoted issues of health and technology access, services and equity.

Ms. Guillermo also co-founded many nonprofit organizations, including the California Pan Ethnic Health Network, the Community Technology Policy Council and the National Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans.

She has received numerous community leadership awards and, in 2000, then President Bill Clinton appointed her to serve as an inaugural member of the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Ms. Guillermo currently serves on the boards of The California Endowment, a $3-billion philanthropy, and Catholic Healthcare West, the largest hospital system in the state.

Ms. Guillermo is a published author and a frequent keynote speaker on non-profit leadership and public policy issues. She is an alumna of California State University, Hayward, a graduate of the Gallup Leadership Institute and was a 1997 Fellow of the Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute. She is a native of San Francisco where she lives with her three children.

T E S S I E

"uill#$%&

'&()PASQUIL

The future is about the power of the Filipina legacy, the power of telling our community’s stories,” said Mona Pasquil at FWN’s 2006 Summit and Future Search last October in San Francisco.

“Our future is about the past. The past signals what is important, what we need to know and what we need to let go.”

Her listeners hung on to these words of wisdom from this granddaughter of Filipino immigrants and daughter of a community leader and gifted jazz pianist. Mona grew up listening and learning to love music and Filipino stories. A longtime leader in the Asian Pacific Islander American community, Pasquil knows of which she speaks.

She is currently Vice President and is responsible for the California operations of MHSC Partners, Inc., the leading Democratic persuasion mail, Internet advertising and targeting firm in America.

Prior to MSHC, Mona was an Executive Consultant for IBM’s State and Local Government and Education Division.

Mona served on the Kerry Edwards presidential campaign as Deputy Political Director for Constituency Outreach. She was Political Director for Governor Gray Davis; California Political Director for Gore Lieberman 2000; and Deputy CEO for the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. In 1997, Mona was appointed Western Political Director in the Clinton White House.

She also serves as Vice Chair of Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte Board of Directors, the Women’s Leadership Forum in Washington, DC, and as a Board Member for the California Youth in Government Model Legislature Program.

For all her groundbreaking achievements, Mona is proudest of her work with The Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project, and My Sister’s House, a safe haven for Asian Pacific Islander victims of domestic violence.

In a fitting gesture, immediately after her speech, FWN leaders presented her with a check for a donation to My Sister’s House.

Specializing In Financial Solutions:• Credit Enhancement• Debt Management• Credit Rebuilding• Debt Settlement• Business Credit Building• Credit Coaching for Investors• Credit Score Analysis

Community and Professional Training:• Real Estate & Sales Professionals• Students & Immigrants• Home Buyers Workshops• Professional Groups & Organizations

Proud to Serve and Empower the Filipino Community Nationwide

www.clearcreditexchange.com

“Clearing The Path To Your Future”

Hazel B. ValeraPresident1-888-222-1032

1312

Setting the tone... as Filipina women embarked on a search for their future.O U R S U M M I T K E Y N O T E S P E A K E R S :

June Frances PariñaJocelyn VistanLinda Ordonio-DixonNini AlveroMarissa AroyHenni Jay Espinosa

LINDA ORDONIO-DIXON is a Senior Trial Attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in San Francisco. Over the ten years she has been with the Commission, Ms. Ordonio-Dixon has worked on a wide range of employment discrimination cases, one of which was EEOC v. Stockton Steel – a religious discrimination case which alleged that Muslim employees were prevented from praying during their breaks and were subjected to offensive name calling such as “rag head” and “terrorist.” The case was settled for 1.1 million dollars.

She also worked to win EEOC v. Harris Farms – a sexual harassment lawsuit on behalf of a Fresno farm worker that resulted in a unanimous one million dollar verdict, and EEOC v. Saipan Grand Hotel – a sexual harassment lawsuit on behalf of Filipina contract workers in Saipan which settled for $400,000.

Linda worked for over a decade as a machinist prior to becoming an attorney. Her motivation to practice employment discrimination law was sparked by her negative experiences as a woman in a nontraditional trade.

MARISSA AROY’s most recent work was producing and doing camera work for “Uneasy Peace,” a film about Northern Ireland’s peace process for Frontline World. She was post-production supervisor for the 2006 Oscar-nominated documentary short, “Mushroom Club,” and worked as associate producer for three years on the HBO America Undercover Series documentary, “Rehab,” which won the Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Award for journalism.

Her film, “Step Show: Portrait of a Black Fraternity” screened at various film festivals including the New York International Film and Video Festival, The Black Hollywood Film Festival, Black Harvest Film Festival in Chicago, and the Film Arts Festival in San Francisco. Marissa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College and a Masters degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at University of California, Berkeley.

NINI ALVERO has served with the Philippine Government for twenty-five years, in various capacities at the Department of Trade and Industry in the fields of economic research, industry and trade policy, export marketing and investment promotion, and bilateral and multilateral government to government relations.

She is recognized for her ability to develop the potential of Philippine export products in foreign markets by conceptualizing, planning, organizing and successfully implementing Philippine participation in numerous trade promotion activities. Her outstanding diplomatic skills have earned her high marks as a top negotiator, achieving the smooth resolution of bilateral and multilateral trade issues affecting the market access of Philippine products in the countries to which she is assigned.

Before her posting as Special Trade Representative and Trade Commissioner for the US Western Region, her foreign assignments included stints in Washington D.C. and the cities of Los Angeles, Toronto and Paris.

he FWN Council of Remarkable Filipina Women introduced its newest members last summer with “Celebrating Filipina Women in America,” a lively and thought-provoking dialogue on being Filipina in the American workplace.

One of a series of events honoring 100 years of Filipino achievements and contributions to American business and society, the FWN sponsored event moderated by Manila Bulletin USA Editor Henni Espinosa featured discussions on biculturalism, career barriers and opportunities. Panelists shared personal insights into how they have succeeded in their chosen fields and why Filipina women are leading the way.

“Remarkable Filipina Women” are entrepreneurs, organizational advocates, and thought leaders – some are prominent, some still to be discovered – in fields where the future is being created.

They bring to us key developments to watch and issues they track in their respective fields. They come from many areas of specialization – science and technology, culture and civilization, geopolitics and the environment.

“Remarkable Filipina Women” stretch our thinking by pointing out issues that may be off everyone’s radar screen, by reframing facts in surprising ways, and by finding connections between divergent developments.

Let’s get to know these Remarkable Filipina Women:

HENNI JAY P. ESPINOSA has been in the media industry for over 6 years. She has worked as reporter and producer for GMA Channel 7, The Filipino Channel and CNN International. She is now editor-in-chief of the Kababayan Edition of Manila Bulletin USA, the only weekly Filipino community magazine published in the San Francisco Bay Area.

JUNE FRANCES PARIÑA has worked in public relations for the past eight years specializing in media relations for venture capital and financial services firms. Currently she heads the venture capital accounts at Spark Public Relations or Sparkpr, a San Francisco-based boutique technology public relations group.

Having built strong relationships with key editors and reporters at top business and VC (venture capitalist) media outlets, Ms. Pariña has placed her clients in feature stories in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes and BusinessWeek, among others. Before joining Sparkpr, she worked for six years at The Blueshirt Group, an investor relations (IR) and financial communications boutique where she ran financial media and investor relations for its venture capital, private equity, investment banking, and financial services clients.

Prior to Blueshirt Pariña spent two years at Financial Relations Board working with leading Internet, e-commerce, and telecom companies. She also taught Business English in Augsburg, Germany, having received a dual Bachelor of Arts in German and Sociology from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

JOCELYNE VISTAN began her career in the health care field as a Reproductive Health Specialist at Planned Parenthood, performing HIV and pregnancy options counseling for teens and women.

Her experience and passion for women’s health motivated Ms. Vistan to explore leadership roles as Center Manager for the Daly City clinic and eventually as the Planned Parenthood Regional Director for San Francisco and San Mateo Counties.

After seven years in the nonprofit sector, Jocelyne moved on to Kaiser Permanente and became Member Services Director. In this capacity, she performed a variety of roles from managing the dispute resolution process to building an Interpreter Services program that provided language services for patients with limited English proficiency.

Now as the Health Care Ombudsman / Mediator (HCOM) at the Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical Center, Vistan performs mediations and ensures that communications continue between both patients and providers even after a disappointing medical outcome.

A first generation Filipina, Jocelyne is married to Pru. They are the doting parents of Taiko, a 6-year old Shih-Tzu.

Remarkable Filipina Womenof 2006

June Frances Pariña Jocelyn Vistan Linda Ordonio-Dixon

Marissa Aroy Nini Alvero Henni Jay Espinosa

T

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

15

If you happened to meet Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye for the first time at a Girl Scout meeting or a church basketball game, you might be pardoned for filing her under your mind’s Attractive-Asian-American-

Soccer-Mom-with-Long-Name category.

Once you discover who she really is, however, you could very well decide to accept that pardon from the Honorable Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District.

Without a doubt, her involvement in the lives of daughters Hana, 11, and Clair, 8, is extremely important to Justice Cantil-Sakauye, 47. So is her 13-year marriage to Police Lieutenant Mark Sakauye. Yet, there is much more to this barrier-breaking, history-making Filipina woman than the tightly scheduled activities on her kids’ after-school calendar.

Currently one of only two women and one of only two persons of color in the Court of Appeal’s Third District, Cantil-Sakauye was the first woman of Asian (Filipina) ethnicity to serve as judge in Sacramento County and, at 31, was one of the youngest judges in the state.

In the last two decades, she has worked in Sacramento as a deputy district attorney, a member of Governor Deukmejian’s senior staff, a trial judge and has been appointed to successively higher levels in the judiciary by Governors

Deukmejian, Wilson and Schwarzenegger.

Ten years ago, in 1997, she established and presided over the first court in Sacramento dedicated solely to domestic violence issues.

In 2005, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported on her appointment to the Court of Appeal’s Third District Appellate bench, noting that she was “one of the first judges in the country to uphold the validity of an indictment

against a suspect who could only be identified by his DNA profile.”

Today, she chairs a statewide taskforce responsible for developing best practices for domestic violence cases in California courts. She is a sought-after speaker in

Northern California events and serves the community in various volunteer capacities, including membership on the boards of My Sister’s House and the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation.

This high-powered yet graciously accessible Filipina woman thanks her second-generation Filipina mother for her uncommon success and is grateful for the legacy of her strong Cebuana grandmother as well.

Like other children of itinerant farm workers in California’s Central Valley,

Cantil-Sakauye’s mother, one of eleven siblings, had a sporadic education because she and her family followed the harvest, often having to pull out of school in the middle of the term. Despite these difficulties, they were taught to value education, to get as much learning as they could, and to appreciate this and other aspects of Filipino culture. In turn, she and her husband passed these values on to Tani and her siblings.

here was a time, though, when the transplanted cultural values she grew up with seemed like weaknesses to the young Tani. Looking back, she now sees that what seemed to be

cultural weaknesses have turned out to be strengths.

“I was raised to be gracious and respectful,” she relates, aware that these traits seem anachronistic in a world where lawyers often win their cases by out-yelling the competition.

Shoulders to Stand On:

JUSTICE TANI GORRE CANTIL-SAKAUYE

As a trial judge, she insisted on running a genteel courtroom. Lawyers on both sides learned quickly that power trips and shouting especially at women lawyers were counterproductive in the Honorable Cantil-Sakauye’s presence.

She modeled respect and received it in return. She gave people a graceful way out of potentially humiliating trial situations, creating a safe courtroom environment in which justice could thrive. Eventually, more and more people asked to be on her docket even if it sometimes meant a delay in their cases with so many wanting to get in.

No less important to her advancement, she believes, is the legendary Filipino sense of humor. “That’s why we age well,” she says with one of her brilliant smiles, making it easy to imagine how she must have brought humor into many a situation that could have otherwise gone badly.

B Y F AY O LY M P I A

14 F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

SHOULDERS TO STAND ON esponding to the question of how to create a better future for Filipina women by 2012, Cantil-Sakauye says, “We need a plan for empowerment.”

She calls attention to two ways Filipina women can contribute to this empowerment–by thoughtfully and intentionally raising empowered daughters, and by modeling through their accomplishments the possibilities open to all girls and women of color.

“We were taught to see ourselves as leaders,” she recalls of her mother’s lessons. “I was raised by her to believe I could do anything. There were no limitations on what I could be,” says this daughter of poor farm workers who wielded the riches of their cultural legacy to make the American dream a reality for their children. While her father tended to be more cautious, advising her to play it safe and get a secretarial job, Mom kept urging her to “get your foot in the door. Apply. Work hard.”

In addition to the potent influence of good parents, Cantil-Sakauye emphasizes the need for mentors outside the home who are willing to spend time with young people and tell them what they could do well. Mentors, she says, can unleash the power of possibilities and help children aim higher simply by showing that people who look like them have done it.

“I got the impression from my mother,” says Tani, “that if someone could do it, I could, too.”

She is proud that Filipino-Americans have no shortage of good role models. “Filipinas are talented across the board.” She sees a bright future for Filipina

women because of the groundwork laid down by previous generations. “I stand on the shoulders of my grandmother and my mother,” declares Justice Tani.

Cantil-Sakauye expects no less of herself and her own generation.

“I don’t want my daughters to repeat our struggles,” she insists. “I want my children to have new and different challenges, not the same ones we had.”

For this Filipina trailblazer, there are no buts about it: “I am here for someone to stand on my shoulders. I would love to hand over my knowledge to someone else – fresh hands and legs, new shoulders to continue the struggle.”

SMELL THE FUTURE “Do you smell that?” She asks a group of young Filipino-Americans at UC Davis about to enter medical school and thrilled at the prospect.

They look around in confusion, not sure what their keynote speaker means.

“Do you smell that? She asks again, her mind dwelling on the untold sacrifices and hard work of generations of Filipino families like hers that all culminated in the triumph of that moment in the lives of those young doctors-to-be.

“It’s the torch being passed on!” she exclaims.

GET USED TO IT ustice Cantil-Sakauye is serious about passing on the torch and is generous with her tips for Filipina women of any age wanting to succeed in the US workplace:

» It’s important to have a goal. You need to see yourself in that position.

Project yourself into your desired future.

» Step out of your comfort zone, step up to responsibility. You don’t grow from successes but from losing, struggling, learning from experience and asserting your abilities. Your confidence will build as you go.

» Exposure is critical. Influential people need to know who you are, how well you get along with others, that you are a team player, a competent professional, one who is energetic and willing to put in the time and effort. You can do this by serving in the community, chairing a committee, planning an event. Cantil-Sakauye says she even made her long, hard-to-pronounce name work for her. Because of her willingness to take on responsibility and the quality of her work, in time, she stood out as “the lawyer with the long name.”

» Get your name “in play.” You may not get the first job you apply for, or the next, but if you keep putting yourself out there, eventually, someone will bring your name up when a new opportunity arises because you’ve proven yourself and gotten your name in play.

» Give up your time for something bigger than the typical goal of wanting to be rich and famous. When you give back to your community, you begin to feel rich. As you do volunteer work and hone your skills in the process, your fame will spread.

» Persevere even if you don’t look the part. They will get used to your face as the face of leadership and competence.

Cantil-Sakauye explains this last piece of advice.

“Leadership used to look different. The face of leadership was white, male and older. I was a Filipina, young-looking and young period, with a gracious manner. It didn’t look like a recipe for success in the legal world. But I kept at it. Now we [Filipina women] are redefining what leadership looks like.”

She points out how more and more Filipina women and other women of color are coming into their own, though she wishes there were more Filipina women lawyers and judges.

“We persevere by leading in our own style,” she asserts, confidently adding, “People will eventually get used to us.”

With a nod to the struggles of past generations, Cantil-Sakauye looks ahead with optimism and gives voice to a new refrain for all Filipina women in the U.S. workplace…

“Get used to me. I’m not going away!”

T

I R

F I L I P I N A P O W E R 2 0 1 2

15

If you happened to meet Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye for the first time at a Girl Scout meeting or a church basketball game, you might be pardoned for filing her under your mind’s Attractive-Asian-American-

Soccer-Mom-with-Long-Name category.

Once you discover who she really is, however, you could very well decide to accept that pardon from the Honorable Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District.

Without a doubt, her involvement in the lives of daughters Hana, 11, and Clair, 8, is extremely important to Justice Cantil-Sakauye, 47. So is her 13-year marriage to Police Lieutenant Mark Sakauye. Yet, there is much more to this barrier-breaking, history-making Filipina woman than the tightly scheduled activities on her kids’ after-school calendar.

Currently one of only two women and one of only two persons of color in the Court of Appeal’s Third District, Cantil-Sakauye was the first woman of Asian (Filipina) ethnicity to serve as judge in Sacramento County and, at 31, was one of the youngest judges in the state.

In the last two decades, she has worked in Sacramento as a deputy district attorney, a member of Governor Deukmejian’s senior staff, a trial judge and has been appointed to successively higher levels in the judiciary by Governors

Deukmejian, Wilson and Schwarzenegger.

Ten years ago, in 1997, she established and presided over the first court in Sacramento dedicated solely to domestic violence issues.

In 2005, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported on her appointment to the Court of Appeal’s Third District Appellate bench, noting that she was “one of the first judges in the country to uphold the validity of an indictment

against a suspect who could only be identified by his DNA profile.”

Today, she chairs a statewide taskforce responsible for developing best practices for domestic violence cases in California courts. She is a sought-after speaker in

Northern California events and serves the community in various volunteer capacities, including membership on the boards of My Sister’s House and the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation.

This high-powered yet graciously accessible Filipina woman thanks her second-generation Filipina mother for her uncommon success and is grateful for the legacy of her strong Cebuana grandmother as well.

Like other children of itinerant farm workers in California’s Central Valley,

Cantil-Sakauye’s mother, one of eleven siblings, had a sporadic education because she and her family followed the harvest, often having to pull out of school in the middle of the term. Despite these difficulties, they were taught to value education, to get as much learning as they could, and to appreciate this and other aspects of Filipino culture. In turn, she and her husband passed these values on to Tani and her siblings.

here was a time, though, when the transplanted cultural values she grew up with seemed like weaknesses to the young Tani. Looking back, she now sees that what seemed to be

cultural weaknesses have turned out to be strengths.

“I was raised to be gracious and respectful,” she relates, aware that these traits seem anachronistic in a world where lawyers often win their cases by out-yelling the competition.

Shoulders to Stand On:

JUSTICE TANI GORRE CANTIL-SAKAUYE

As a trial judge, she insisted on running a genteel courtroom. Lawyers on both sides learned quickly that power trips and shouting especially at women lawyers were counterproductive in the Honorable Cantil-Sakauye’s presence.

She modeled respect and received it in return. She gave people a graceful way out of potentially humiliating trial situations, creating a safe courtroom environment in which justice could thrive. Eventually, more and more people asked to be on her docket even if it sometimes meant a delay in their cases with so many wanting to get in.

No less important to her advancement, she believes, is the legendary Filipino sense of humor. “That’s why we age well,” she says with one of her brilliant smiles, making it easy to imagine how she must have brought humor into many a situation that could have otherwise gone badly.

B Y F AY O LY M P I A

14 F I L I P I N A W O M E N ’ S N E T W O R K | w w w . f f w n . o r g

SHOULDERS TO STAND ON esponding to the question of how to create a better future for Filipina women by 2012, Cantil-Sakauye says, “We need a plan for empowerment.”

She calls attention to two ways Filipina women can contribute to this empowerment–by thoughtfully and intentionally raising empowered daughters, and by modeling through their accomplishments the possibilities open to all girls and women of color.

“We were taught to see ourselves as leaders,” she recalls of her mother’s lessons. “I was raised by her to believe I could do anything. There were no limitations on what I could be,” says this daughter of poor farm workers who wielded the riches of their cultural legacy to make the American dream a reality for their children. While her father tended to be more cautious, advising her to play it safe and get a secretarial job, Mom kept urging her to “get your foot in the door. Apply. Work hard.”

In addition to the potent influence of good parents, Cantil-Sakauye emphasizes the need for mentors outside the home who are willing to spend time with young people and tell them what they could do well. Mentors, she says, can unleash the power of possibilities and help children aim higher simply by showing that people who look like them have done it.

“I got the impression from my mother,” says Tani, “that if someone could do it, I could, too.”

She is proud that Filipino-Americans have no shortage of good role models. “Filipinas are talented across the board.” She sees a bright future for Filipina

women because of the groundwork laid down by previous generations. “I stand on the shoulders of my grandmother and my mother,” declares Justice Tani.

Cantil-Sakauye expects no less of herself and her own generation.

“I don’t want my daughters to repeat our struggles,” she insists. “I want my children to have new and different challenges, not the same ones we had.”

For this Filipina trailblazer, there are no buts about it: “I am here for someone to stand on my shoulders. I would love to hand over my knowledge to someone else – fresh hands and legs, new shoulders to continue the struggle.”

SMELL THE FUTURE “Do you smell that?” She asks a group of young Filipino-Americans at UC Davis about to enter medical school and thrilled at the prospect.

They look around in confusion, not sure what their keynote speaker means.

“Do you smell that? She asks again, her mind dwelling on the untold sacrifices and hard work of generations of Filipino families like hers that all culminated in the triumph of that moment in the lives of those young doctors-to-be.

“It’s the torch being passed on!” she exclaims.

GET USED TO IT ustice Cantil-Sakauye is serious about passing on the torch and is generous with her tips for Filipina women of any age wanting to succeed in the US workplace:

» It’s important to have a goal. You need to see yourself in that position.

Project yourself into your desired future.

» Step out of your comfort zone, step up to responsibility. You don’t grow from successes but from losing, struggling, learning from experience and asserting your abilities. Your confidence will build as you go.

» Exposure is critical. Influential people need to know who you are, how well you get along with others, that you are a team player, a competent professional, one who is energetic and willing to put in the time and effort. You can do this by serving in the community, chairing a committee, planning an event. Cantil-Sakauye says she even made her long, hard-to-pronounce name work for her. Because of her willingness to take on responsibility and the quality of her work, in time, she stood out as “the lawyer with the long name.”

» Get your name “in play.” You may not get the first job you apply for, or the next, but if you keep putting yourself out there, eventually, someone will bring your name up when a new opportunity arises because you’ve proven yourself and gotten your name in play.

» Give up your time for something bigger than the typical goal of wanting to be rich and famous. When you give back to your community, you begin to feel rich. As you do volunteer work and hone your skills in the process, your fame will spread.

» Persevere even if you don’t look the part. They will get used to your face as the face of leadership and competence.

Cantil-Sakauye explains this last piece of advice.

“Leadership used to look different. The face of leadership was white, male and older. I was a Filipina, young-looking and young period, with a gracious manner. It didn’t look like a recipe for success in the legal world. But I kept at it. Now we [Filipina women] are redefining what leadership looks like.”

She points out how more and more Filipina women and other women of color are coming into their own, though she wishes there were more Filipina women lawyers and judges.

“We persevere by leading in our own style,” she asserts, confidently adding, “People will eventually get used to us.”

With a nod to the struggles of past generations, Cantil-Sakauye looks ahead with optimism and gives voice to a new refrain for all Filipina women in the U.S. workplace…

“Get used to me. I’m not going away!”

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