Good evening everyone!
Please allow me to recognize the presence of our energetic and courageous
Consul General Elmer Cato, his lovely wife, Melanie and Vice Consul Paolo Marco
Mapula. Thank you Sir and honorable guests for gracing our event in spite of the
current surge of covid cases. You are so brave to come out and mingle with us.
Sabi nga sa Kapampangan ay “Keng Leon, Keng tigre, eku tatakot”. Your
presence means so much to us.
Also, I would like to thank all our friends from New York, Connecticut and New
Jersey who are here tonight. Seeing you gives us inspiration and aspiration to
work harder.
We are happy that we can now have a small fellowship gathering in spite of the
covid crisis since most of us are vaccinated and boosted.
Tonight is the beginning of the new PAFCOM year. Turnover and Induction of
Officers for 2022 is finally happening. I would like to thank the officers and
members who voted for me as President -elect of PAFCOM three years ago.
Because of the pandemic, my term of office has been moved to 2022.
As I stand before you tonight, I am indeed honored to be given the opportunity to
serve as your President. You have my sincere assurance that I will perform my
duties and responsibilities to the best of my ability no matter what lies ahead. I
am here not for my own glory, but to set an example so others will do the same.
I started my major involvement with PAFCOM in 2017 when my late husband,
Donald and I became Grand Marshals. We probably did well as Grand Marshals
so PAFCOM did not let us go. After our term as Grand Marshals, I was Secretary
in 2018 – 2019 and Don as chairman of Business Development. Then, I was voted
President elect for 2020.
2022 TEAM PAFCOM has started planning our agenda for this year. We lined up
more projects in addition to the current projects such as Parade & Festival in
June, weekly Zumba, Flag raising at Jersey City Hall, Food distribution for the
Seniors, Simbang Gabi and Pasko sa Hudson, and APIA Vote involvement.
Currently PAFCOM is initiating a Leadership and Scholarship Program for Senior
high school students to Filipino Americans in New Jersey. We will participate in
food bank programs to give more assistance to Senior citizens.
With all these projects in mind, I would like to send this message to 2022 TEAM
PAFCOM: Coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress and
working together is success. I encourage more volunteers to join us. You can
reach out to any of the committee chairs: Lito Pernia for Parade, Rose Javier for
Festival, Helen Castillo for Festival vendors, and Shiran Ybanez for GM and
Coronation Night. Every little thing helps.
We are so fortunate to have new members of TEAM PAFCOM who are committed
to showcase a grand parade this year. Our Grand Marshal Joyce Castillo has been
with me assisting in orchestrating the whole agenda for 2022. I am sure our
honorees and muses will join us in the fulfillment of our objectives.
So, TEAM PAFCOM: let’s break a leg and do it! Let us give a remarkable
comeback to the community, let us give them a grandeur of Phil-American
Friendship festivities like we had before pandemic days. Let’s do it and do it
together!
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