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The Global
Filipino Networking Convention: A Personal Experience By Margie Ortigas Sept 4, 2002 ? San Francisco,
California What a BLAST we had at the 1st Global Filipino Community Networking Convention in Moscone Center. Two days of networking, Conference and Pistahan/Filglobal parade on Sunday. It was a weekend to remember. A big, big thanks to Joy Bruce and the Miami Advisory Board for coming to San Francisco and giving a very well-prepared, informative and interesting PowerPoint presentation. Divine Marcelo, NANAY-SF Bay Area Chair, Youth Council also did a great job in giving an overview of the NANAY SF/Bay Area Chair activities the past year. A big thank you goes to Eva and Evelyn Bruce too for doing the red and white T-shirts with the new NANAY logo on it in time for the conference, and for getting us the business cards -- perfect timing to give away to the people at the parade. The weekend started with dinner at the Moonstar Restaurant on Friday night, Aug. 30th. The NANAY San Francisco/Bay Area chapter Advisory Board Evelyn and Eva Bruce, Margie Ortigas, and Youth Council Chair Divine Marcelo met with the Advisory Board from the Corporate Headquarters in Miami, Florida, composed of: Dr. Joy Bruce, M.D., (NANAY Founding President and
Chief Executive Officer), Ben Trinidad (VP and Regional Executive Director), and his wife
Sony Trinidad (Director of Social Services), Mike Gozon (Treasurer and NANAY
Administrator) and his wife, Sally (Advisory Board member), From the start, one could sense the camaraderie and warmth of this highly motivated Miami group. Saturday, Aug. 31st - At about 10:00 AM to view the exhibits from various corporate sponsors -- ABS-CBN, Trendwest, Pfizer, Novartis, Philippine News, Filipinas Magazine, PG&E, ChevronTexaco, Mexim's' and many others. At 11:00 AM, the Opening Session began with the National Anthem and Invocation by Monsignor Fred Bitanga and the inspirational Global Convention Choir. San Francisco Consul General Delia M. Rosal and Mr. Jose Miguel Arroyo, Esq., Spouse of Her Excellency Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, gave the Welcoming Remarks. Global Convention Chair Rodel Rodis gave the Opening Remarks which was then followed by various speakers, namely, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi, Global Convention Co-chair Marivic Bamba, LBC Chairman Carlos Araneta; NaFFAA National Chair Emeritus Alex Esclamado, NaFFAA National Chair Loida Nicolas-Lewis, Philippine Senate President Franklin Drilon. Lunch was on our own. Shortly after 2 PM, the respective workshops started. The NANAY Workshop was held in Room 236 of the Mezzanine of Moscone Center. Close to 30 people attended, 60% of whom were not NANAY members. Rose Marie del Rosario facilitated the workshop. Vibrant and humorous, she kept the audience fully at ease and alive. Bennie Trinidad gave a very interesting PowerPoint presentation on what NANAY is all about, its mission and vision, and current activities. He said too oftentimes, we see our elderly as depressed and isolated. They are viewed are babysitters or they may see themselves as a burden. NANAY plays an important role in that we help provide the elderly with their needs so that they can become active, productive members of our society. Flipping through the pages of his PowerPoint presentation, we did see a robust, healthy and highly-motivated elderly today in Miami sans canes and walkers. This, Bennie said, is the result of NANAY's constant care and work with them. He also told about how an indefatigable, undaunted lady named Joy Bruce started NANAY in 1994, encountered numerous problems the first years, but never gave up on her vision for the elderly and the youth. If it were not for Joy's strong determination and passion, NANAY would not be what it is now. Divine Marcelo, San Francisco/Bay Area Youth Council chair also gave an awesome PowerPoint presentation on NANAY activities in the Bay Area the last year-- picnic activities that included games, caroling, elderly visitation, and launching of the Grandparent Matching Program. This was followed by Ed Navarra, NANAY-Michigan Assistant Regional Executive Director, who reported on their respective activities and plans for their region. Then came Dr. Joy Bruce, Founder of NANAY and a great inspiration to many people, who spoke in an unassuming, gentle yet firm voice, focusing on the work ahead of us. She went through a list of major steps on how to set up a nonprofit organization and obtain 501(c)(3) status, fund-raising and how to write and obtain grants. Rose Marie also talked about organizational linkages, administrative and fiscal accountability, program and service delivery.
Sunday, Sept. 1 -- The Global Filipino Community Pistahan Parade. The NANAY Miami and San Francisco/Bay Area showed up at the Civic Center Plaza at 11:30 a.m. It was a warm, beautiful day. All donned in our red or white T-shirts, the NANAY section was led by our Youth Council Chair Divine Marcelo, along with the Youth Advisory Anne Cruz, and Grace Abuzman who held the big NANAY banner, followed behind by Dr. Joy Bruce, Eva and Evelyn Bruce, Margie Ortigas, and Joy P. We couldn't find Ernie Espiritu ..... Ooops, he said later on he was walking amidst the Veterans under the International Hotel banner.... In the car behind us were the two sets of couples (the Trinidads and the Gozons). But we who walked didn't mind the heat -- we were busy chanting NANAY! NANAY! NANAY! TATAY! TATAY! TATAY! And our newly composed song, almost chanting, non-stop: "NA, na-na-na-na, Na-na-na-na- na-na-na- na-na-nay, NA-NA-NANAY....... One more time....Na, na-na-na-nah..........We were almost yelling to the top of our voices.....reminded us of the 60's and 70's. Plus we were busy giving away our newly-made NANAY business cards and the people who watched acknowledged the Nanay group.
Also at the parade were LBC, International Hotel, Skyflakes (Mexim's), Lion's, Health Sector, University of California-San Francisco (with Gloria Johnson and her co-workers and students) and many others. It was indeed a weekend to remember! We arrived at the Moscone Center after the parade tired, with our hoarse voices, but happy. Tired and hungry, we stopped at the Yerba Buena Gardens to get lunch. The Pistahan 2002 9th Annual Filipino American Arts Exposition Program was held there that day. We sure had a great time. Later on that day, I understand Ernie took some of the NANAY Miami people out shopping and ....dancing later on that night. Very nice, Ernie. This summarizes the last 2 days of the event. THANK YOU AGAIN, ATE JOY AND TO ALL OF YOU FROM MIAMI. All of you brought the warm spirit of Florida and camaraderie. Above all, we learned a lot from the workshop. It was one of the great workshops we have attended. Thank you again to the San Francisco/Bay Area chapter - for those who were at the event or whom we may have missed the last two days -- thank you to all of you for your presence and time: Eva Bruce and Evelyn Bruce, Virgie Buban, Marisa Robles, Gloria Navarrete, Ernie Espiritu, Divinie Marcelo, Grace and Anne Cruz, Linda Haraguchi, Marie Romero, Anita Sanchez, Grace Abuzman, Don Rodis, Ernie Buban,Margie Ortigas and our very, very supportive volunteers, Emmy De la Cruz and Gloria Johnson.
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