Pangasinan Brotherhood… (From page 6)
What PB-USA has planned for the future: We planned to launch Palaris, the online newsletter of PB-USA in March 2017. This is its triumphant return from inactivity since 2008 with then editor-in-chief Dan E. Nino. Presently, Nino is now joined by Elpidio R. Estioko and Lino F. Caringal, Jr. as publishers and chief editors. The plan is to have a quarterly publication and it may go monthly, depends on the articles submitted. PB-USA in cooperation with the DreamAgeGroup, will present Rudolf Pelaez Golez, an internationally acclaimed Filipino virtuoso pianist in A MUSICAL ODYSSEY. It will be held on April 15, 2017 7:30 P.M. at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts’ Sierra Room on 12700 Center Court Drive South, Cerritos, CA 90703.
This musical concert promises to be an unforgettable evening of classical and popular film / Broadway music by an irrepressible and true virtuoso. The audience can witness first-hand the pianist’s dexterity on the keyboard. Local singing talents, rising stars and scions of Pangasinenses, will also showcase their musical gifts before the main performance of Rudolf P. Golez and they are: Sean Erwin Collado, Sheila Christine Tejada, Sabrina Oxciano and Samantha Rose Murray.
On April 26, 2017 a trade seminar will be co-sponsored by PB-USA, Philippine Department of Trade and Investment Center-Los Angeles, EC Ferrer CHB, Inc. and Health Evolution, LLC. The attendees will discover Philippine products through their e-commerce business. It will be a livelihood program and empowering the people according to Bong Soriano.
PB-USA will engage college Fil-Am associations in SoCal and beyond by supporting their own projects as another phase of PB-USA community outreach. This project is dubbed as Tito/Tita project. According to PM Bong Soriano, this is an opportunity to pilot PB-USA collaboration with the college students. This will empower youth here and abroad (since we have existing scholarship in Pangasinan). The first on the list is a student organization based in Santa Barbara - UC Santa Barbara Filipino American Student Association. The type of PB-USA support expected is monetary contribution for their projects.
Fernando Soriano, PB-USA Finance Director, and Eddie Ferrer, PB-USA Project Management Council and Past President thought of grants as the eventual source of bigger donations for PB-USA projects. It is timely to have the Board approve grant writing workshop for the youth, including seasoned members of PB-USA that will feature an expert in grant writing. PM Bong Soriano, will present the project that will be coming soon. PB-USA had decided to focus the granting of scholarships in Pangasinan from a 4-year college course to a more practical vocational , 2-year TESDA course. The TESDA course scholarships would allow successful graduates to find employment locally or abroad which are in demand. (Please continue on page 8)
Page 7 A quarterly publication of Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA, Inc. January-March 2017
TGU’s Alay Pangkalusugan in Tulong, Urdaneta City By Menchu Madriaga
The Global Urdanetanians (TGU) sponsored its first medical and dental mission in Urdaneta on Februay 4, 2017. Dubbed “Alay Pangkalusugan,” TGU’s first foray into the medical/dental mission was a success, serving around 350 people from Barangay Tulong. Services at this event included consultations, tooth extractions, blood typing, medicines and vitamins and toothbrushes for the kids. Lectures on health were also provided by the medical staff of the Municipal City of Urdaneta and the Pangasinan Dental Association officers. The Department of Health Dental Bus was also made available at the event, courtesy of the city government of Urdaneta. The bus is equipped with dental chairs complete with all the necessary dental equipment as well as air conditioning. There are only three of these dental buses throughout Philippines, one of which is in Urdaneta. The success of TGU’s programs is only possible through the partnership of the TGU Officers/Board of Directors and its corresponding group, TGU-Urdaneta.
Hand in hand, they continue to uphold its mission of lifting the lives of the less fortunate Urdanetanians. The medical mission was headed by TGU’s President, Yvonne San Juan-Sera, her husband and TGU Adviser Ron, Yvonne’s batchmates of Class ‘73 and of course, TGU-Urdaneta and in cooperation with the city government of Urdaneta and the Barangay Council of Tulong.. The medical and dental mission is one of the undertakings that TGU sponsors since its inception five years ago. Its first set of scholars are set to graduate from college next year and TGU also holds the yearly Christmas Pamaskong Handog in select barangays where needy children need affection and attention this time of the year.
The Journey Continues By Lino F. Caringal, Jr.
Richard Lopez, the multi-talented son of Pangasinan Brotherhood’s Felix B. Lopez, continues his academic journey in the Midwestern region of United States (states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan). After being considered in 5 top ranked colleges in the East Coast among them Georgetown University, Richard finally selected Gustavus Adolphus College, a private, co-educational, liberal arts college in the town of St. Peter, Minnesota, accepting a full scholarship, as President’s scholar, and a recipient of a total of $162,000 for a four-year degree, major in Public Accountancy. Richard plans to follow the footsteps of his mom after graduation to apply his learned expertise at Payroll Plus Corporation, his mom’s private accounting practice, based in Cerritos, California. As part of his scholarship package, he obtained a roster spot as defensive line in the college football team. In addition, he will play in the college orchestra as tenor saxophone. He will graduate at the Servite High School, an all-boys Catholic school, on May 2, 2017 where he plays as a defensive line in his football team.
At the recently concluded Orange County Academic Decathlon, Richard won 4 medals (Varsity Level) namely; 1st Place - Mathematics; 1st Place - Super Quiz; 3rd Place - Varsity Team (Servite High School); and 4th Place – Essay. Richard has gone a long way, but his journey continues!
