Page 3 A quarterly publication of Pangasinan Brotherhood-USA, Inc. January-March 2017
members. It lacks that factor that keeps the organization moving towards realizing its vision and mission leading to the satisfaction of its recipients. The organization also fails because the missing factor encourages the existence of the crab mentality for Filipinos.
On the positive side, every time an organization succeeds, the real reason behind is the presence of a unifying factor that keeps on solidifying the organization’s progressive existence in realizing its goals. I call this, the “IT” factor.
The question now is: What is the IT factor that’s badly needed in unifying and mobilizing the organization’s valid and productive existence? To my mind and to my knowledge, that factor is present in PB-USA. It has been there all the time since its inception as a civic and non-profit organization. It’s just a matter of recognizing it and nurturing it to the max with renewed vigor every moment of its existence. We need to be aware of this. The factor is in the organization itself. That factor is with the leadership and that IT factor is also in the membership.
PB-USA, as an organization, has graduated from a mere social group in its early creation to a 501(c)3, a non-profit, and exempt organization serving the community. It evolved to what we have today, a potent organization serving not only our member-organizations but the whole province of Pangasinan. It has become a reliable partner of the provincial government in realizing its objectives and projects for a progressive province.
The officers have shown a pro-active leadership with a visionary idea of making the organization a worthy partner for community development. All the past presidents led by its outgoing president Eddie Ferrer, to its present president Lino F. Caringal, Jr., have shown exemplary leadership in transforming the organization to a mere social organization. They adopted bold steps in making their revolutionary leadership implement projects that converted the once "club-mentality" organization. The NextGen leadership shown by its prime mover Ferdinand “Bong” Soriano, in supporting PB-USA leadership is helping the organization on its way to becoming a project-oriented service organization.
The members have equally shown their readiness and worthiness to serve and work behind their leaders. They have exhibited their capability of performing whatever project the leadership has envisioned. They are there to make things possible. They are there to make a difference.
All said, the IT factor is in PB-USA as a thriving organization; the IT factor is ingrained in the PB-USA leadership; and the IT factor is present in the ever-growing membership of the organization. Let us continue to utilize it; let us nurture it to the fullest; and let us adopt a unified front in making PB-USA the best-ever organization of Pangasinenses all over the world!
As I See It
By Elpidio R. Estioko
PB-USA’s IT Factor: The unifying
Ingredient for success
My Abiding Faith in America By Dan E. Nino
Editor’s note: This is the winning speech of the author delivered extemporaneously in Eclectic Dialectics Toastmasters Club of Cerritos. Mr. Nino will compete on March 25, 2017 in the Division Speech Contest at the Smart & Final Auditorium, City of Commerce..
Whenever I watch the display of fireworks every 4th of July, I’m overwhelmed with emotions, great joy and pride. I get goose bumps. Tears of joy stream down my cheeks because of that pride and abiding faith in America. And because America had welcomed me, nurtured me, sheltered me, nourished me and cradled me that transformed me for whatever I am today.
Yes, tears cascade down my cheeks whenever I hear the patriotic songs God bless America or America, the Beautiful while the fireworks zoomed into the sky.
Yes, whoever I am today, whatever I possess, whatever I have achieved, I owe it to America. I feel that America made me who I am. I feel that I have achieved my American Dream. I feel that I’m nothing without America because I started with nothing. Only my determination to succeed had sustained me.
If only immigrants like you and me can assimilate into the mainstream American society, be creative, willing to learn, willing to work hard, play by the rules and not a burden to our society, pay our correct taxes , obey our country’s laws and not commit crimes – we can succeed in America because the United States was built by immigrants like you and me. Except for the Native Americans, we are all descendants of immigrants. Inventors who were immigrants and pioneers like Thomas Alva Edison (light bulbs and phonographs), Alexander Graham Bell (telephone), the Wright Brothers (airplane) and modern-day inventors and innovators like Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple Computers) and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) -- had built America.
Despite the toxic, corrosive and divisive politics in our country, despite our domestic problems, America is still exceptional; the perceived notion that the United States is imperialist and policeman of the world, America is still greatest superpower and richest nation on earth. America is the last bastion of liberty and the last frontier of economic opportunity where an American Dream can be possible. My friends, America doesn’t stop being great.
We have strong check and balance from the three co-equal branches of government. It’s difficult for one man to become dictator, authoritarian, or autocrat. We value our love for freedom, liberty, liberal democracy, pursuit of happiness and unbridled free expression and justice for all. And we have free press, the so-called Fourth Estate that inform the public not only the news but expose the venalities and wrong-doings of the powers that be. And a jury system that adjudicate court cases without fear or favor for the poor, unlettered and the mighty. Yes, no one is above the law because our country is a nation of laws.
No wonder, people from all over the world love to immigrate to America with some going through the dangers and risk their weary souls just to find opportunity, to better their lives, to escape persecution, war, famine and poverty from their native countries.. There’s that strong sense that the ordinary people and middle class like you and me are considered the richest people in other countries. - (Please continue on Page 4)
Every time an organization fails, the real reason is the absence or lack of a unifying factor that cements the organization's relationship among its officers and its