Press Release

Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA)

May 25, 2013

IT’S ALL SET AND GO  FOR THE  L @ G AFFAIR EVENT MAY 31, 2013.

Los Angeles- It’s a go for the L and G Achievers Awards Night on May 31.

The Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) is happy to announced that it’s fund raising project- the @ G Affair  of May 31, 2013 will  be held at the SPORTSMEN’S LODGE HOTEL at 12825 Ventura Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91604. Tickets are sold at $ 100 dollars per person.

L and G Awardees Announced

Ms. Linda Nery, FACLA treasurer and events coordinator announced that the  twenty one  people  are the following   L and G Achievers for 2013:

Lemuel Balagot – Restaurant/Entrepreneu; Philip James Gilberti – Pianist/Composer ; Antonio Maximo – Make-up artist: Anthony Bradshaw – Make-up and hair artist: Christopher Sibley – Sibley entertainment, Promotion Grp./Entrepreneur:David Tupaz – Fashion designer in Las Vegas, Nevada;  Joey Galon – Fashion Designer in Las Vegas, Nevada/Event planner; Bernardo Bernardo – Actor comedian/Singer entertainer; Jo Awayan – Singer/Performer  and Richie Selva – President of LGBT org./Travel industry.

Other awardees in their respective field of expertise are: Dion Santos – Regional Marketing Director of an Ambulance Co./Fashionista/Entertainer/Singer: Giorgio Cerenado – Announcer/ Interior Designer/Entrepreneur; Sonny Madera – Psychiatrist/Administrator of a hospital ; Chevy Evangelista of Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) – Activist for Human Rights from New York : Edward C. Rafael Jr. – Entertainer/Singer Comedian: Lao Gumban – Manager NoyPitz: and Alan Del Rosario – Fashion Designer.

Special  Awards  will  also be given to the following: Robbie Fabian, Lety Reyes and Donita Rose .
Historic Undertaking For Equal Rights

FACLA President Austin Baul declared that ; “ In this historic moment when the US President Barack Obama mentioned the need for equality during his inauguration speech and in his four point plan for immigration reform, FACLA is proud to initiate this event for our community.”

FACLA’s President Baul also praised the awardees as trailblazers in their own field. He also said: “This multi-racial event for the improvement of the 48- year old FACLA Building at 1740 W. Temple St. Los Angeles has the support of the lesbian and gay community of Los Angeles.

This is the first time that The Filipino American  community group will honor gay and lesbian achievers in their different fields of endeavors breaking the stigma of the  known deeply conservative Filipino –American community in the United States.”  Nery added.

Nery also enjoined and called on all gay and lesbian achievers in the multi-national cross section of Los Angeles to join and support this worthwhile endeavor.

For more information please contact FACLA or call  Linda Nery at (213)484-1527. You can also  email us at or visit our website at www.newfaccla.org

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Press Release

Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA)

May 24,2013

FACLA GENERAL ASSEMBLY OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED AMENDMENTS  TO 2011 BY-LAWS

Los Angeles – The Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA) General Assembly meeting  last Sunday April 28 overwhelmingly passed the proposed amendments to its by-laws with a vote of 40-5.

The proposed amendments to the 2013 FACLA By-Laws was presented to the general Assembly of active members by the Committee on the Revion of the By-Laws headed by Director Ben Basilio. Director Basilio . Committee head  was assisted by ranking FACLA Directors Arturo Garcia and Aleli Abrigo-Neal committee members.

Director Basilio noted that the FACLA By-Laws must be attuned to the challenges of the times. On his part, Director Garcia said that the US Constitution was amended 27 times in the span of more than 20o years , so the FACLA by-laws must also undergo changes such amendments. On her part, Director Neal said that any change will always yield good results.

Smooth Process

The proposed amendments was presented and was approved first by the 2/3 of the 15 member FACLA Board of Directors and was presented, discussed and was approved by the FACLA General Assembly last Sunday with FACLA President Austin Baul and Director Ben Basilio presiding.

Foremost among the amendments was the change in the term of office by the board of directors from three years to four year term starting when the General Assembly approved the amendments. Others are about the additional sections on different articles in the by laws like the COMELEC. Qualifications of directors and members and the functions of officers.

The General Assembly

This was the first General Assembly for this year, 2103. The General Assembly last was year 2012 was adjourned because of lack of quorom.  More than 57 FACLA members attended the General Assembly surpassing the needed number to have a quorom.

FACLA President Austin Baul Jr.  expressed satisfaction about the turn-out and the results of the assembly.He thanks the assembly for the trust and confidence it gave to the new FACLA leadership.

” This means a lot because from now on FACLA will have a smooth transition and function to make it more efficient in serving the community.” Baul ended.

 For more information please call (213) 484-1527 or email at [email protected]

 

 

NEWS

FACLA’s Programs and Projects

 

FACLA offers a variety and different types of community services to the Filipino American community. These are the following: Community Services, Senior Services, Cultural Empowerment and Youth Services.

Under these programs are different projects that FACLA offers to the community.

1. Community Services

Newly Arrived Immigrants Assistance Program (NAIA)

 The NAIA project helps newly arrived Filipino immigrants to accustom and acclimatized themselves to the new landscape. The project also help immigrant s offering them citizenship classes and other services like the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Regular Community Cleanup

 FACLA helps to keep the community clean and presentable and believes that “ a clean mind breeds clean surroundings.” Regular clean-up are held around FACLA and different neighborhoods in collaboration with the city  council District 13 and the neighborhood council and youth groups like the UCLA Samahang Pilipino.

Advocacy Issues

FACLA is also a venue for community advocacy for empowerment. discussions and forums for its thousands of its members where the  burning issues of the day for the city of Los Angeles and national issues such as immigration,  social security and senior services are discussed, debated and acted upon.

2. Senior  Services

 FACLA helps the seniors in the neighborhood by a system of referrals and seminars regularly being  held and  conducted  by different city and private agencies and service providers.

FACLA for a graduated payment  also provides a venue for senior organizations like S4PACE. Golden Agers, Knights of Rizals  (KOR), MOTHER  and different community organizations based in Historic Filipinotown.

There is social dancing every Wednesday and Fridaya and FACLA that adults and seniors can enjoy , FACLA also offers a venues for celebrations and commemorations lke baptisms, birthdays, memorials and other activities

3 . Cultural Empowerment

FACLA was envisioned as the Filipino Cultural Center that represents the varies cultures of the Philippines. The Philippines is composed of different ethnicities and regional groupings and has more than 125 dialects or languages.

FACLA has been the center of commemorations of Philippine events  most specifically every June 12 Philippine Independence Day  and December 30 Rizal Day .

This coming 115^th  independence day, FACLA is collaborating with the Philippine Consulate general for the Grand  Parade that will be held in Historic Filipinotown Los Angeles on June 8, 2013

 Youth Services

As the Philippine national hero  Dr, Rizal said that “the Filipino youth is the hope of the motherland”,  FACLA is collaborating with the youth in providing them with a venue for their activite4s and in their activities and program.

Particularly with the  youth driven Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV) and the youth based Filipino American Associations with the different colleges and universities in California, FACLA is a center of activities for them.

FACLA has always been a youth partner in community empowerment and advocacy for Filipino American youths.

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