filipino leaders in the world: Atty Alexander Lacson

Friday, September 28, 2007

Atty Alexander Lacson

Alexander Ledesma Lacson, 40, is lawyer by profession. He is a graduate of the University of the Philippines, College of Law (Class 1996) and has taken post graduate studies at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Four years ago, he and his wife (Pia) had a serious discussion whether to migrate to the US or Canada because Philippines, as a country, appeared hopeless as it only got worse year after year. They wanted to know if they and their children would be better off staying in the country or abroad in the next 20 years.
They asked themselves this formula question - "Will the Philippines progress in the next 20 years?"
If the answer is YES, they will stay. If the answer is NO, they will leave and relocate their family abroad while they are still young and energetic.
But after a long discussion, they could not give a definite answer to the question. Until they realized that actually the answer to that question is in them. The country will improve if they do something about it. It will not if they do not do anything.
They realized that the answer is in us as a people, that hope is in us as a people.

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PROFILE OF CHAIRMAN ZONNY LERUM, JR., R.A.

PROFILE OF CHAIRMAN ZONNY LERUM, JR., R.A.

When Arch’t ZG “Zonny” Lerum, Jr. joins any organization, it is not purely for social pleasure, nor for sole recognition. He spends time, money and energies in bringing the goals of the Filipino organizations, of which he is a member or an officer to fruition.

There are three (3) things that have stood out, outside of his being president of the association, co-chair of political organization and commissioner of the Township of West Orange, New Jersey.

As Vice National Chairman of CFAC (Congress of Filipino American Citizens) and President of CFAC Credit Union, back in the 80’s, he played a part as one of the liaison officers in the Sister City relationship between Manila and Jersey City during the time of Mayor Ramon Bagatsing and Mayor Thomas Smith in the eighties. He and other Filipino leaders also succeeded in renaming Grove Street to Manila Avenue. They worked on establishing a CFAC Plaza on Pavonia Avenue in Jersey City, N.J.
With several million Filipinos here in the United States, he was one of the thirteen (13) leaders who sued Howard Stern in the state Supreme Court of New York on October 20,1992, staging a rally against him through the banner of the CFAC, in Journal Square, Jersey City, and at Madison Avenue, New York City. They rallied Filipinos all over the US (NY, NJ, Florida, Chicago and California). In the radio broadcast of Howard Stern, he had said that “Filipinos are cheaters… Fathers sell their daughters for sex and Filipinos eat their young.” That was an outright defamation of the Filipinos. Zonny personally went to the Philippines and requested his friend, Congressman Manuel Sanchez of the First District of Rizal to file a resolution in congress, declaring Howard Stern Persona Non Grata. On November 17, 1992, Resolution #351 was handed over to him by Speaker Joe De Venecia and Congressman Manuel Sanchez at the Batasan in Quezon City, declaring Howard Stern Persona Non Grata.

CFAC...

When President Ramos ran for the presidency, his campaign platform included the promotion and advocacy of Dual Citizenship for Filipinos abroad. So Filipinos were caught in the excitement. Zonny, who was a National Co-Chairman for Asian Pacific for President George Bush, Sr., and Natinal Vice-Chairman of CFAC and other Filipino leaders, organized a delegation to Washington, D.C., which composed of almost 40 leaders under the banner of CFAC. On September 11, 1992, they were given a tour of the White House, and then a briefing on Dual Citizenship at the Old State Dept. Building, in Washington D.C.

presenting the omnibus bill

After that, Zonny was invited to join the panel of 5 members (Reuben Seguritan, ESQ., Claire Melendez, Luisa Howard, Pauline Santos, and Inday Valdez Timtiman) in an open forum at the Kalayaan Hall, to discuss the issue of Dual Citizenship, setting them off on a crusade to draft and present an Omnibus Bill for dual citizenship and absentee voting for Filipino Americans. After the final adjustments on the Omnibus Bill were made, it was decided that the proposal was to be personally handed over to the Sandigan Bayan in the Philippines. Zonny called Congressman Manuel Sanchez in Quezon City on the phone to schedule a meeting at his office in the Sandigan Bayan in the Philippines. Luisa Howard, Claire Melendez, Pauline Santos, and Arch’t. Zonny Lerum as head of the delegation, went to the Philippines to see him. (Inday arrived after the meeting.) The sponsors in the filing of the Omnibus Bill for Dual Citizenship and Absentee Voting were speaker Jose De Venecia, Congressman Leonardo Perez and Congressman Manuel Sanchez and several other congressmen as co-sponsors. The Omnibus Bill for dual citizenship had been passed by both houses of Congress, and signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on August 2003 and became a law of the land.

other achievements

The communities in the New York-New Jersey area have all recognized his dynamism in community affairs. The Phil-Am Lions Club gave him a Special Service Award in 1983; the New York Phil. Consulate General a Certificate of Appreciation in 1994; the N.Y.C. Department of Consumer’s Affairs, a Certificate of Recognition in 1994; the University of the Philippines, an Outstanding Alumnus Award in the field of Architecture; and Outstanding Parents of the Year Award, State of New Jersey from the New Jersey Parents Foundation in 1998.

In year 2000, Bicolandia Association Eastern Seaboard gave him a Certificate of Appreciation for Outstandig Bicolano; while New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell gave him a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition in the same year; Congressman Joseph Crowley of New York awarded him a Certificate of Honor; the Federation of Philippine Societies, New Jersey, a Leadership Recognition Award; and the Inter-religious and International Federation, designated him as Ambassador for Peace in 2002. Headline Philippines conferred its “Man of the Year 2002” on him for his exemplary service as a Filipino American community leader, for his career achievements as an architect and for his special traits as a father and husband, including his deep religious faith, making him a role model for the next generations of Filipino Americans.

In 2005, Zonny became the Grand Marshal for PDOC of the city of Passaic, New Jersey. In 2006, Zonny became one of the Outstanding Fathers of the Year for NaFFAA, NY chapter. He also became the Hermano Mayor for the Philippine Fiesta in America at the Meadowlands Arena in Secaucus, New Jersey, also in 2006.

Dr. Cris Enriquez, Plantation, Florida, USA- His Beliefs

A Christian Medical Practice Integrating Preventive And Conventional Medicine With The Word Of God.

We believe that the Lord Jesus is the healer, and we are just His instruments entrusted with medical gifts to be used to meet the needs of sick, even healthy, people for His glory. Prayer is a big part of our service, for we pray for wisdom on how to manage afflictions, how to prevent disease and how to reverse it if it is already present.

Medical science now believes that we have the genetic potential to live to 120 years. God said it first in Genesis 6:3 that divine health, longevity and a sound mind are our goals for you. --> -->
The key is Exodus 15:26 - "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord you God and do what is right in His sight, you ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases on you which I brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you (Rapha)."

Ours is an interactive medical practice with teachings on biblical principles on longevity, nutritional laws, exercise, biblical wellness, biblical antidotes to stress and all sorts of medical problems

HER NAME WAS FILIPINAS AND REMAINED A TRUE FILIPINA

HER NAME WAS FILIPINAS AND
REMAINED A TRUE FILIPINA
By Bishop John E. Ayudtud

She was called P.I., for short of Filipinas, her real name. The name P.I. stands for Philippine Islands.

For 47 years in the United States she remained to be a true Filipina.

She did not elect to become an American Citizen. This means she was a holder only of a Filipino passport.

P.I. went to be with the Lord on October 4, which is St. Francis of Asisi day, and up to the last moment she lived up to the prayer of St. Francis:

"O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!Where there is hatred, let me sow love.Where there is injury, pardon.Where there is discord, harmony.Where there is doubt, faith.Where there is despair, hope.Where there is darkness, light.Where there is sorrow, joy.Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."

She was 69 years old.

Ms. Filipinas J. Lowery, P.I.’s full name, will be well remembered by the older nurses as well as the younger ones. Back when the Filipino nurses worked in the U.S. on contract Visas it was P.I.’s efforts that convinced the U.S. Congress to sign a bill and made into law that the Filipino nurses be given greencards. P.I. spoke before the U.S. Congress hearing on the plight of the Filipino nurses, as invited by the then Brooklyn Congressman Chuck Schumer, and she won the hearts of the congressmen. This brave act of P.I. held back the returning nurses to the Philippines on the account of their expired Visas and they gained greencards as a result.

The next batch of nurses to come from the Philippines will remember P.I. for bringing NCLEX to the Philippines. Upon knowing that NCSBN, the national commission for state board on nursing, will have testing centers outside the United States, P.I. created an NCLEX Task Force to make the Philippines as one of the testing centers. And despite of the infamous nursing board exam leak in 2006, which created a great setback for NCLEX Philippines, through P.I.’s insistence, thank God, the first NCLEX took place in the Philippines last August 23 of this year, 2007.

Dr. Gerry Baranda, P.I.’s husband and partner for 22 years is very proud to be “the man behind the woman.” Gerry declares: “With NCLEX done in the Philippines we can now have 20,000 nurses to come to the United States to work and take up residence instead of 10,000 only. This translates over $1 billion dollars in annual salary. Convert that to 10% to be remitted to the Philippines, that is $100 million dollars a year additional revenue to the Philippine economy.”

P.I. was the founder of the Philippine Nurses Association of America, which has chapters all over the United States including Hawaii. All throughout her career as an RN at Mt. Sinai, NYU, Columbia, Cornel and Albert Einstein, she fought for the rights of Filipino nurses. Of her last moments in Columbia, you could imagine the frantic reactions of Filipino nurses who visited her, especially those that have been helped by PNAA.

Despite her focus on the Filipino nurses, P.I. did not miss to join a movement that had to do with the cause of the Filipino people. Architect Zonny Lerum remembers her well, when along with her husband, Gerry, she joined the group of 40 Filipino leaders of CFAC, Congress of Filipino American Citizens, who went to the White House to bring the issue of the omnibus bill for dual citizenship for Filipino American citizens. This was in September 11, 1992. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed into law dual citizenship for Filipino Americans in 2003.

P.I. and Gerry were also among the thirteen leaders who sued Howard Stern, the radio talk show host who slandered the Filipinos in October of 1992 in saying while on the air that “the Filipinos eat their young and the fathers sell their daughters for sex.” The suit was filed in the state supreme court of New York. FCC fined the broadcasting networks that employed Howard Stern with $1.7 million. Architect Zonny Lerum went to the Philippines and asked the Philippine Congress to issue a resolution to declare Howard Stern as “persona non grata”. The resolution number 351 became the name of the youth movement that Zonny Lerum co-founded. The movement is called “351 Media Movement.”

P.I. never bore a son or a daughter. Her baby is no other than the PNAA and the nurses who belong to this body are her very own children. Talking with Gerry, this writer obtained the privilege of knowing the feeling of this great Filipino woman. Ms. Filipinas Lowery was absolutely dedicated to her job and to her mission. She left a legacy which will make the nursing profession in the United States become the strongest force that will make the Philippines a better country. Truly, P.I. lived her calling and that is to be a true Filipina at heart.

For additional info on this article, email drjohnayudtud@yahoo.com.

Manny Lumba, He named Jollibee, designed the mascot, and invented "Chickenjoy."

Jollibee (PSE: JFC) is a fast-food restaurant chain based in the Philippines and also has locations in the United States, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Dubai and Brunei. Jollibee is also the name of Jollibee's mascot, a large bee in a blazer, shirt and chef's hat. It is an American style fast-food restaurant with Filipino-influenced dishes specializing in chicken, burgers, and spaghetti.
As of March 2006, it has 1287 stores in the Philippines and 161 in other countries.
Tony Tan Caktiong and his family opened a Magnolia Ice Cream parlor at Cubao in 1975. The original name was Jolibe. Sometime in 1978, Tony Tan and his brothers and sisters, being partners, engaged the services of a management consultant in the person of Manuel C. Lumba. Consultant Lumba shifted the business focus from ice cream to hamburgers, after his studies showed that a much larger market was waiting to get tapped. Lumba became Tony Tan's first business and management mentor. Lumba next re-formed the name Jolibe to Jolly Bee and made the two words form a single name Jollibee, but changed the "y" to an "i". Next, Lumba conceptualized the Jollibee mascot, inspired by local and foreign children's books. Lumba next created the product name "Yumburger" as well as the name "Chickenjoy". He had the company incorporated in order to benefit from incorporation and leased a house on Main St. in Cubao, Quezon City as the first headquarters. Lumba also made the long-term marketing strategy, listing up a number of consumer promotions and traffic building schemes. Tony Tan stressed that developing internal strengths was critical. The stores were re-designed, the service transformed into a full self-service, fast food operation with drive thrus. Not long after, Tony Tan and Manny Lumba went on observation tour in the United States, attended food service and equipment conventions. Tony Tan put Manny Lumba on center stage by putting him in charge of franchise development.
Expansion and Acquisitions
The company acquired 80 percent of Greenwich Pizza Corp. in 1994 enabling it to penetrate the pizza-pasta segment. From a 50-branch operation, Greenwich has established a strong presence in the food service industry. In early 2006, Jollibee Foods Corp. bought out the remaining shares of its partners in Greenwich Pizza Corp., equivalent to a 20% stake, for P384 million in cash.[2]
In 2000, the company acquired Chowking, allowing Jollibee to be part of the oriental quick service restaurant segment.[3]
In 2005, Jollibee acquired Red Ribbon Bakeshop, another popular fast-food restaurant in the Philippines.

Bishop Gaudencio Soriano, Very Unique Religious Leader

Rev. Dr. Gaudencio J. Soriano is the Founder and Titular Bishop of the Faith Restoration Center and the Association of Christian Evangelists, duly registered religious organizations in the United States, Philippines, Japan, Canada, Australia and Nigeria. He is a Chartered Officer of the Association of Protestant Clergy in the tri-state of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut; Regional Director of the American Clergy Association of New Jersey; a memberof the Inter-Faith Clergy for Jersey City and Fort Lee; and Overseer of the Foreign Missionary Fellowship of Phoenix, Arizona and the Asian Gospel Mission based in Osaka, Japan.
Rev. Soriano was re-elected for the term 2006-2008 as a member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) and the Co-Chairman of the 2005-2006 Street Fair Committee. He is the Technical Adviser of the Federation of Philippine Societies in New Jersey. He is currently serving as Committee Chairman of the NAFFAA Assistance to the Philippines, Region I. In 1987, he founded the National Association of Filipino American (NAFA), New York and then NAFA New Jersey in 1988, of which he is the current President.
He received the following awards in these organizations: Outstanding Clergy Award from the American Clergy Association; Outstanding Leader – Religious Ministry from the Philippine Heritage Foundation; the Golden Heart Award, Outstanding Fil-Am Leader and the International Leader Award from the Foreign Missionary Fellowship in Phoenix, Arizona.
He also served as one the three Fil-Am Human Rights Commissioners of Jersey City and a Member of the Clergy Advisory Board in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He is the present State Coordinator of New Jersey Fil-Am Republican.
Rev. Soriano is a very active participant of Scholarship Fund Raising for deserving Filipinos in the Philippines. He is a regular contributor of the NAFA scholarship fund raising here in the United States, which aids in sending books, clothing and other dry goods to the Philippines.
As a servant of God, he organized the Nigerian Congregation, Filipino Congregation and The Association of Christian Evangelists in the Philippines, USA, Nigeria, Australia, Canada, Japan and India. He was God’s instrument in helping and assisting God’s servants in their immigration to the USA and Canada