Congrats Arlene Biala, the 2016-2017 Santa Clara County Poet Laureate! The Poet Laureate's role is to elevate Santa Clara County residents’ awareness of poetry, and to help celebrate and promote the literary arts.
Arlene Biala is an award-winning Filipino-American poet and performance artist who has been participating in poetry performances and workshops in the Bay Area for over 20 years.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the Philippines declared the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) constitutional. Under the EDCA, US military troops will be able to build and construct facilities in new parts of the country. US military troops will be able to occupy Philippine soil rent-free and tax-free, while the US secures the Asia-Pacific for its own military and economic gains. From GABRIELA USA.
28 year old Jaymee del Rosario may be the first Filipina woman on Mars. As one of two Filipinas shortlisted of over 200,000 applicants who volunteered to join the ambitious "Mars One" project, Del Rosario, a CEO of a U.S.-based metal company, is making it her mission to encourage more interest in Science, Technology and Space Exploration in the Philippines and worldwide. News story from Manila Bulletin.
FWN Members go out with a bang in 2015! Congratulations to Susan Afan (Global FWN100™ '07, Global FWN100™ '15) on her new appointment as the Managing Director at ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. She brings to the position over 30 years of leadership and mentorship experience. Susan previously served as Senior Regional VP at Robert Half International and Chief Fundraising Officer at ABS-CBN Kapamilya Foundation Inc. supporting the foundation's programs focused on education, child protection and environmental causes.
Dely Alcantara (U.S. FWN100™ '09) Founder, President of the Board, New Mexico Asian Family Center, Selenna Franco-Cefre (U.S. FWN100™ '11) Certified Public Accountant, Paulita Lasola Malay (U.S. FWN100™ '12) Marriage & Family Therapist, Elena Mangahas (U.S. FWN100™ '07) Co-Chair, Little Manila Foundation, Board member, Filipina Women's Network, Janice Medina Entrepreneur, Soledad Muesco Manaay (U.S. FWN100™ '11) President, Xicepta Sciences Inc., Priscilla Quinn (U.S. FWN100™ '09) Educator, Wendy Rockett Senior Program Communications Officer, The Asia Foundation, Robyn Rodriguez (U.S. FWN100™ '09) Associate Professor, Asian American Studies, University of California, Davis, Therese R. Rodriguez CEO, Apicha Community Health Center, Celia Tomlinson (U.S. FWN100™ '07) Professional Motivational Speaker, Salve Vargas Edelman (Global FWN100™ '15) Executive Director, Rising Asian Pacific Americans Coalition for Diversity (RAPACD), Jacqueline Yu (U.S. FWN100™ '12) Attorney, Schwartz & Shapiro, LLP, Tessa Yutadco (Global FWN100™ '15) Founder & CEO, MyPrime.
Talk about excellence! Laura Izon Powell (U.S. FWN100™ '07) was named one of Northern California's Super Lawyers for the SEVENTH year in a row. The Super Lawyers list recognizes Laura Izon Powell for her depth and quality of expertise in labor and employment law. Super Lawyers is a rating service of professional lawyers based on peer recognition and professional achievement. Only 4% of lawyers in California receive this distinction.
A story of resilience and tenacity. Ex-trafficked Filipina domestic worker Judith Daluz is turning her fate around. Judith recently started her own cleaning business, Damayan Cleaning Cooperative, a worker-owned cooperative supported by New York’s city council's Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative, a $1.2 million dollar fund directed to 11 organizations with experience incubating cooperatives in low-income communities of color. News story from YesMagazine.org.
Stella Abrera made waves earlier this year when she became the first Filipina-American to earn the role of principal dancer at renowned ballet company American Ballet Theater in New York City. Filipino dancers all over the world rejoiced by using #PinayPower on social media to celebrate Stella's history-making feat. The new role came to Stella at age 37 after 14 years as a veteran soloist despite battling injury after injury. News story from Vox.
