Tambuli 2008 Fourth Quarter

The Official Newsletter of the Philippine-New York Junior Chamber (Jaycees), Inc.

Volume XXXV, Year-End 2008

45 Years of Excellence! By Jocelyn Bernal

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he Philippine-New York Junior Chamber (Jaycees), Inc. and the Philippine-New York Jaycees Senate group held a memorable 45th Anniversary celebration last October 25 at Leonard’s of Great Neck, New York which highlighted the recognition of individual accomplishment, community partnerships, the recognition of corporate sponsors and the presentation of a special citation to a charter member from 1963. Philippine-NY and NY State Jaycees at the 45th anniversary gala The afternoon began with the introduction of the Junior Chamber Senators and Past Presidents of the organization followed by a moving invocation from Monsignor Oscar Aquino. Deputy Consul General (and Honorary member) Melita Sta. Maria Thomeczek and 2008 Chapter President Victor de Leon formally welcomed the over 100 guests who came to the celebration while Past President and JCI Sen. Fred Cabahug gave a simple message of “Congratulations to the Jaycees” as we raised our champagne glasses to toast our celebration. Among the guests at the event were representatives from the National and State organization. They include National Vice President & JCI Sen. David Pond (South Dakota), Missouri JCI Senate President – Dennie Kramer, 2008 State President & JCI Sen. Shonda Ranson (Rochester, NY), 2009 incoming President Stephanie Kingsley (Saratoga Springs), 2009 State Treasurer Kim Lambert and 2007 National Vice President & JCI Senator Scott Kingsley. From the Region Leadership, 2009 Region Director Paul Song (of the NY Korean American Jaycees), 2007 Regional Director Gary Abasolo and State Vice President David Stern. Consul General Cecille Rebong (also a chapter Honorary member) gave a rousing impromptu speech about the impact that partnerships can have in building stronger communities. This provided the perfect introduction to the four community partner awards the Philippine New York Junior Chamber presented that afternoon. Continued on Page 8

JCI members’ startups benefit from new cooperation between JCI and Microsoft Typically startups (startup companies) have been concerned about costs of new tools and products. Thanks to a new cooperation between JCI and Microsoft, we are announcing the availability of a new program for early stage startups called Microsoft BizSpark. BizSpark offers early stage companies Microsoft products at no up-front cost.

Continued on Page 6

Your Money Vs. The Market

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By Joe Valdez Editor-in-Chief

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ver the last year, world financial markets have been experiencing extraordinary times and on August 12, 2008, the Philippine-New York Jaycees conducted a free investment planning seminar for young professionals. There was tremendous interest in the event as many Filipinos who are in the seminal to intermediate stages of growing careers felt the need to invest and start developing their wealth, particularly through their employers’ retirement plans. As the featured speaker that evening, I focused the scope of the presentation to understanding the different types of investment asset classes, maximizing investment returns while minimizing risks, determining one’s optimal investment strategy and starting to invest with minimal funds. Many of the guests found the seminar highly informative and a number of them eagerly asked rounds of questions. Excited to get started, they were introduced to basic investment concepts and strategies. However, a successful participant in the market must always be aware of current market environment conditions to take advantage of opportunities, but more importantly to avoid painful missteps. The conditions in the financial markets have proved extremely challenging for a prolonged period of time and many investors are wondering what actions to employ. Before moving forward, one must first understand how we arrived to where we are. Among other factors, the credit crisis is the major element in the collapse of markets around the world and there are multiple parties responsible including banks, the mortgage industry, the government, Wall Street, credit rating agencies, and greedy individuals. To benefit more Americans, particularly those living in lower income communities, the government enacted a policy of encouraging banks to loosen their lending practices. Under this initiative, banks were pressured to provide credit to some of those who would not have qualified for a loan. Thus borrowers with lower credit ratings were able to be approved for subprime mortgage loans, which generally offered low introductory teaser interest rates followed by much higher rates in the future. With the prices of homes skyrocketing, many Americans saw the sub-prime loan as a tool to make a quick profit by buying a house and quickly reselling it at a higher value in the near future. Many banks and mortgage houses also operated with unsound business practices such as offering loans without requiring proof of income. To facilitate the flow of mortgage loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, purchased mortgages including the sub-primes and packaged them up into investment securities known as mortgage backed securities (MBS). The holder of these packaged investments would receive the flow of principal and interest payments from the underlying mortgages. Since the mortgages would no longer be owned by the banks, they are relieved of the risk of defaults by the borrowers and the holders of the MBS assume the risk. In theory, MBS were considered very safe as Fannie and Freddie were backed by the government. Bond credit rating agencies also rated the securities as high quality investments.

With their attractive interest payments and high quality ratings, these investments were very appealing to Wall St. firms and financial institutions around the world. Many of these institutions developed non-prudent investment portfolios with a common practice know as leverage. They levered their portfolios by using the MBS that they purchased as collateral to borrow more funds to acquire more MBS. It is possible that some firms were levered more than fifty times; meaning that for every $1 billion in capital invested, they would borrow $50 billion to make more investments. The spark that ignited the credit crisis occurred when interest rates for sub-prime mortgages were reset to higher rates and many borrowers found themselves unable to make their payments. Simultaneously, the rapid erosion of home prices made millions of home values worth less than what they were bought for. As homeowners defaulted on their mortgages, the value of MBS investments plummeted and since most of the financial institutions borrowed excessive amounts to buy those securities, their losses were magnified multiple times. The result was bankruptcy of investment firms and banks throughout the world. Many of the financial companies in the U.S. are alive today simply because of a government rescue package that will give taxpayers a bill in excess of $1 trillion. With the financial system so fragile, banks are now increasingly unwilling to provide loans to other banks, businesses, and individuals. This lack of liquidity has slowed down the economy to a grind and the government is aggressively searching for solutions. All signs point to a deeper recession through 2009 and because capitalism in this country has been altered tremendously by increased government intervention, the growth potential of businesses may be limited. The economy cannot recover until the financial institutions resume normal lending behaviors. Currently, these firms are stuck with toxic investments in MBS and will require some time and considerable funds to de-leverage. The extreme volatility in the market is an indication of the level of fear and uncertainty that most investors are dealing with. Some would consider this historic drop in prices as “the buying opportunity of a lifetime” and that may be the case. This recession had officially started one year ago and only two other recessions have lasted longer since the end of World War II, both were 16 months long. Previous significant declines appear to be minor events on a long term growth chart of the market. Also, the stock market is considered a leading indicator of the economy and should present a growth trend months before the economy recovers. The current market environment is certainly gloomy but the simplest strategy to making money in the market is to buy when it is low and sell when it is high. This may not be such a horrific idea now for those who have liquid funds available to invest for the long term and can withstand the turbulence.

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this storied organization’s existence, I stand before you, honored and proud, with deep and profound appreciation, for having had the unique opportunity to play a role in shaping a new generation of driven, young individuals who will lead our chapter into the coming year and beyond. Thanks to your help- your involvement, your commitment, your advice- The Philippine-New York Junior Chamber is a more noticeable and significant presence within the local community than ever before!

Greetings fellow members! December is upon us- that means 2009 is just around the corner. As there are just a few weeks remaining in my time as your president, I wish to take this opportunity to reflect on the year gone by. When I initially assumed the responsibility of leading The Philippine-New York Junior Chamber, I was anxious and also uncertain of how to inspire the members to become its leaders of the future. Now, almost a year later, in the forty-fifth year of

As we continue to strive to set the standard of excellence, we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent. We must eagerly take on the opportunities to learn, grow, develop, and lead- doing so will better prepare us to teach and motivate those who will follow in our footsteps and, subsequently, make them more readily equipped to tackle the numerous challenges that life will present them...so they can, simply, “BE BETTER”! May you and your loved ones have a blessed Christmas season and a very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year! Yours truly and in JAYCEE spirit,

Victor E. de Leon 2008 Chapter President The Philippine-New York Junior Chamber, Inc. “Leadership Through Integrity”

2008 Second Session Award Outstanding Local Project: Financial Investment Seminar (Conducted by Joe Valdez)

2009 New York State Officers Region South District Director - Joe Valdez Community Development Vice President - Christina Corcuera International Affairs Vice President - Gary Abasolo

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Making Strides Against Breast Cancer By Elaine Magalona-Dayoan breast cancer and provide hope to all people facing the disease. Making Strides is not a race; it is a celebration of survivorship, an occasion to express hope, and a shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love. The money that was raised by all walkers of Making Strides will enable the American Cancer Society to fund groundbreaking breast cancer research, provide up-to-date cancer prevention and early detection information, help ensure all women have access to mammograms and follow-up care, and provide free programs and services that improve the quality of life for people facing breast cancer.

Phil-NY Jaycees walkers

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1 volunteers from the PhilippineNew York Jaycees walked in the Annual Stride Against Breast Cancer organized by the American Cancer Society. With the support of Nippon Life Insurance Company of America, walkers decided to join forces and volunteer for the 5-mile event. With less than two weeks to prepare, volunteers were able to raise a total of $910.00 for the cause. The Sunday morning walk was very cold but the energy and enthusiasm of all walkers was enough to keep everyone feeling warm and excited. After less than a mile of walking, some of the Jaycee volunteers decided to run the 5-mile trail instead. Before completing the trail, volunteers were featured and interviewed by The Filipino Channel’s Balitang Amerika News Program which was aired all over United States. Becoming a part of events such as Making Stride is just one of the many ways the PhilippineNew York Jaycees help the community and support worthy projects for the common good. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is more than just the name of a walk it's a great way to fight back against

Top: Tambuli EIC Joe Valdez playfully flaunting his Nippon shirt Bottom: Thousands of walkers show support in the fight against breast cancer

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2009 Officers Elected By Elaine Magalona-Dayoan

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Philippine-New York Junior Chamber (Jaycees), elected its incoming Board of Officers during the chapter’s General Membership Meeting and Annual Election at the Philippine Center’s Kalayaan Hall Annex. . The Philippine – New York Jaycees will be led by 2009 Chapter President Elaine Magalona – Dayoan. She will be assisted by five Vice Presidents namely: Management Development VP Aprille Aquino, Individual Development VP Ted Joseph Martinez, Community Development VP Almor Dayoan, International Affairs VP Edwin Ochoa and Membership Services VP Carmencita “Mia” Fulgado. Also elected were Directors Bel Molina, Armi Piamonte, John Paul Ramos and Marjerie Rosales.

The newly elected 2009 team The chapter’s Treasurer will be Mary Reggie Rosales and Auditor will be Tracy Tabije. Appointed individuals were also named on the evening of the election namely Internal

Communications Director & Chaplain Addie Adams, Marketing Director Bernadette Olimpo, Newsletter “Tambuli” Editor Joe Valdez, Web Administrator Edwin Ochoa and Legal Counsel Gary Abasolo.

Training on How to Become Effective Leaders

By Elaine Magalona-Dayoan

speakers on topics of Time Management, Work/ Life Balance, Effective Communication, Leadership, Project Management and other topics significant to Developing Effective Leaders. All three trainings featured several guest speakers ranging from experts from Animal Planet, Fox TV, New York City Port Authority, and New York State Jaycees to a three-time Olympian whose true story became an inspiration to a Hollywood movie. Business and pleasure at the FOTS: Team 2009 all ears during the training (top) and enjoying a rockband session after (right)

Last November, the Philippine-New York Junior Chamber (Jaycees), conducted the Future Officers Training Seminar (FOTS) Series - a series of training with several guest

With the free trainings offered by the Philippine-New York Jaycees, the attendees were truly enriched with much knowledge and inspiration to become life managers, visionaries and leaders in their own respective ways.

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A Street Encounter- Getting Myself In Trouble By Karla Ng

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was standing in queue for a Chinatown bus bound for Boston. The lady in front of me was smoking, and as I didn't want to reek of smoke, I stepped about two feet away from her, leaving a big gap in the line. People just went on and lined up behind me and everything was fine. A man of color suddenly stood in front of me. Disclaimer: I am not racist; I have nothing against other races, color, nation or culture. I just stand up for what I think is right and fair. So I asked this man "are you lining up? I was in line." And then a woman of color shouted at me saying "don't you go telling him that, he knows where the line is. We know where the line is." And since she started the conversation with a "tone", I then replied, "I was asking, not telling." And she went on and on about how I have no right to tell that man about where the line was, about how I assumed that because he was black that he was going to try cut the line. I adamantly and firmly replied that I was asking and clarifying, which I believed was reasonable; regardless of the color of person's skin who appeared to be cutting the line. And she kept on being angry and said that she just lost her father and I should shut the f*ck up and if I don't

shut up she will kill me and she doesn't care if she goes to jail.

Being me, I still responded and said that I am sorry for her loss, but she shouldn't take it out on me. She got hysterical and charged towards me, thank God her companions stopped her, and even sided with me and told her that she should have not said all those things to me because indeed, I was only asking about the line. At this point, I turned my back away and never said anything else and boarded the bus.

In a little over a month this country is going to swear in its first African American president, and I thought that at the very least, it would start making them feel that America is slowly overcoming the racial discrimination problem; but maybe I expected too much. Maybe the problem would have eventually resolved itself, but the so called victims themselves perpetuate the inhumanity by assuming that everyone and everything is against them.

I try and overcome (discrimination) in constructive ways, by showing that I am no less capable than any graduate. Not better, but no less. This isn't my country, this isn't my homeland, and in little ways every day I feel that I am a second class citizen, beginning with the difference in job opportunities simply because I did not go to law school here. So I am somehow with little knowledge of how it feels to be considered of a lesser class or level in society. But I try and overcome it in constructive ways, by showing that I am no less capable than any graduate. Not better, but no less. So it pains me to be taken for a racist through a simple incident of literally standing up for my right to that place in the line. I wish that I could really alleviate your pain, and make up for all the long years you have suffered, but if the attitude will not be eliminated and the race card will be played, I am sad to say, that the triumph of Barack Obama will be for naught and of little value in terms of having America be a fair and just society. Karla Ng is a practicing lawyer in New York.

JCI members’ startups… (continued from Page 1) What is BizSpark? BizSpark is an innovative new Microsoft program that unites startups with entrepreneurial and technology resources in a global community with the common goal of supporting and accelerating the success of a new generation of high-potential startups. BizSpark is uniquely designed to help startups engaged in software development to jump-start their business, by: • Providing them with “express access” to Microsoft tools and technologies, for their immediate use in design, development, testing, demonstration, and hosted application production and deployment; and • Connecting them with Network Partners and a united, global community of resources designed to support them. The benefits: Software, Support and Visibility • Get Software: Receive fast and easy access to Microsoft's current full-featured development tools, platform technologies, and production/hosting licenses for immediate use in developing and bringing to market innovative and interoperable solutions. There is no upfront cost to enroll in Microsoft BizSpark. • Get Support: Get professional support from Microsoft and get connected to BizSpark Network Partners around the world who provide a wide range of support resources for software startups. Network Partners are incubators, investors, advisors, government agencies and hosters who are vested in software-fueled innovation and entrepreneurship. • Get Visibility: Startups have the opportunity to achieve global visibility to an audience of potential investors, clients, and partners by profiling their company in the online Startup directory, BizSparkDB, on the Microsoft Startup Zone Website. Startups also have the opportunity to be highlighted on the BizSparkDB as a featured company and be promoted as BizSpark Company of the Week on the Microsoft Startup Zone Website. For more info, go to JCI website: www.jci.cc

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You Reap What You Sow By Zultan Bermudez

You reap what you sow.

our communities. To achieve this, the chapter provides various opportunities for each member to gain experience and knowledge that improve their professional and personal lives. Through numerous projects and events, members have the opportunity to receive hands-on training on project development, budgeting, people management, and many more.

Our mission, the one we all chose to accept when we joined the chapter, is to develop our leadership and personal skills in order to create positive change in our lives and in

Involvement in the chapter is key to maximizing the benefits of Jaycee membership. Active membership is very important if you wish to fully explore the possibilities within the Jaycees. Each member has the right and the ability to propose projects that the chapter can organize. It can range from a simple social mixer to an elaborate gala celebration. Part of the training, however, is the requirement for each proposal to go

You’ve probably heard this cliché countless times that it loses some impact of its message each time you hear it. It sums up quite neatly, however, one distinct and forceful truth about life as a Jaycee – you get out of your membership what you put into it.

Manileña Dolls

through an established process. With the guidance of the Chairman’s Planning Guide (CPG) and the advice of the Board of Directors (BOD), the member has the opportunity to develop a better plan and to absorb and utilize experiences and knowledge of veteran members. Participation in committees for projects allows each member the ability to unlock the potential of Jaycee membership. If you wish to maximize the benefits of your membership, seek out the different vice presidents to discuss opportunities to participate in various projects. If you have a concept for a new project, contact me at [email protected] and we can start discussing your ideas and begin to develop your proposal that can be submitted to the BOD.

By Zultan Bermudez

Our sisters in JCI Manileña have presented our chapter with gift of a Limited Edition Precious Moments Manileña Doll. The Filipiniana Doll is garbed in handwoven Pina and Abaca cloth that is a product of centuries-old Aklanon traditions of weaving. The doll is made exclusively for JCI Manileña by Precious Moments as part of a collection for their fundraising project in the Philippines. Proceeds from the sales of their dolls benefit the SJB Foundation (an organization that helps young people help themselves through education) and also help raise funds for the various civic projects of JCI Manileña. Furthermore, the fabrics were hand-woven in Balete, Aklan hence giving livelihood to local residents. The Manileñas are asking our help to spread the word to our members and friends in New York. The prices are as follows: Filipiniana - P999.00 Swimwear - P749.00 Casual - P499.00 Please e-mail MSVP Zultan at [email protected] to place your order or if you have any questions.

JCI Manileña (bottom) and their Manileña dolls (top)

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What Does It Take? By Victor de Leon

Last year, I experienced the thrill and excitement of running the ING New York City Marathon; among the most unforgettable moments of that day for me was running by the MILE 17 Poland Spring Hydration Zone and being welcomed like a hero by many of you (and, to think, I still had another 9 miles to go at that point)! This year, while I did not compete in this year's race, it was, yet, another memorable day. This time around, I was charged only with the responsibility of being the Captain of the MILE 17 Station. It was a duty I was not expecting as the day of the race Phil-NY Jaycees volunteers at the marathon drew near, but I gladly welcomed the opportunity; I am truly grateful for the experience! The feelings of contentment, joy, and satisfaction one gets when helping provide hydration and relief to the thousands of weary and tired athletes; seeing the smiles, hearing the thank-you's, and getting the nods of acknowledgment from them are uniquely special memories.

Marathon runners vying to finish the race

Of course, this annual ritual of our Chapter is made even more exciting and fun with the help and involvement of you, friends and members alike. THANK YOU to those who came out to pitch in to make our participation in the race, yet another successful endeavor!

45 Years of Excellence… (continued from Page 1) The first organization recognized was the Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI) represented by its Executive Director, Ms. Johanna Martinez. FAHSI was founded over ten years ago to serve the needs of the most vulnerable Filipinos based in Queens. Its youth programs and Tagalog classes has provided Junior Chamber members with the opportunity to interact with the young FilipinoAmerican kids. Jaycee members has served as part of the Honorary Board and its staff. www.fahsi.org The second partner organization to be honored was Collaborative Opportunities for Raising Empowerment, Inc. (CORE) currently under the leadership of 2008 Chairman Mark Habana. The founding of CORE sprouted from a PIDC event K3 (Kasiyahan, para sa Kabataan sa araw ng Kalayaan) during the term of congen Linglingay Lacanlale. The event was overseen by PIDC Director Nelsie Parrado. A few years later, Consul General Rebong would host a reception bringing

back young Fil-Ams to the Consulate to foster better relations with the young professionals. Three Jaycee members were part of the organizing committee of this event which eventually brought together 20 dedicated young Filipinos who created an organization that serves as a voice for young Filipino American professionals. CORE’s signature projects such as READ-Philippines, Write to our Culture, and networking events continues to provide opportunities for young people to be empowered through collaborations with other. Along with FAHSI, CORE and the Junior Chamber (Jaycees) has come together for its Annual Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado in the spirit of the advent season and to promote unite and cooperation amongst Young Filipinos. www.core-nyc.org The third organization to be recognized was Kintetsu International Express, a Japanese corporate travel agency with offices located across the US. Company President Frank Lee was (continued on next page)

9 45 Years of Excellence… (continued from Page 8) instrumental in providing the Junior Chamber with support throughout the year. Through 2008, training events and board meetings took place at Kintetsu which provided the chapter with a venue to fulfill their training needs. The award was accepted by Edwin Ochoa, 2008 chapter director and IT manager for Kintetsu. www.kintetsu.com The final community partner honoree was The Filipino Reporter, Bert Pelayo (publisher). Founded in 1972, the newpaper has provided the Junior Chamber with a voice in the local Fil-Am community to share its accomplishments, and promote its noteworthy projects. The award was accepted by JCI Sen. Penn Baluyot, a personal friend to Mr. Pelayo. For over sixteen years, Mobile East interactive deejays Eric and Hector Concepcion have provided the musical background to many Jaycee formal events. Too often, our “vendors” are overlooked because they are hired to provide a service to us, but this year, it was decided to surprise the brothers with a small token of appreciation for the many years that they have supported the organization. Event sponsors were also thanked individually, they included United Staffing Registry (Ben Santos, President), Krystal’s and Xoom.com. The Jaycees also presented lifetime achievement awards to four chapter Past Presidents. Roselyn Barranda Yson (1998) and Nicanor Luna (1994) were each presented with a United States Jaycees Ambassadorship by the chapter Senate organization. Ms. Barranda-Yson as previously recognized in 1998 with numerous awards and citations from the New York State organization as well as a National Presidential Award of Honor. Mr. Luna served as chapter president, chairman of the Board and later was a Region Director for New York State. Presentors for the Ambassadorships were Psat President & NYSJC Gov. Krizteen Concepcion and JCI. Sen. Sergs Estrada. There has only been three chapter presidents who went on to become State Presidents. JCI Sen. Rollie Balanza, JCI Sen. Richard Rillera and JCI Sen. Jesse Arteche were the presentors for the most prestigious award from the international organization – the JCI Senatorship. Past President Richard Aguinaldo (1999) who has served the chapter as Board trainor in the past two years, was honored with a Junior Chamber International Senatorship. He under his term, the

Phil-NY and NY State past and current presidents and officers. chapter garnered the “Chapter of the Year” recognition which came with five foot tall award that the chapter kept for one year. The last awardee was Past President Joseph Tieng, Sr. was presented with a Charter Member plaque and the 45th Anniversary Senatorship. Not only was he an active member and leader, he also passed along his legacy by inviting his son to be a member of the organization. It was an emotional moment for this past president to have been given this prestigious international award. His acceptance speech touched upon the chapter’s history and the challenges it had to face to make it through the first year of existence. Each of the awards were reviewed by the Awards committee comprised of five members: JCI Sen. Sergs Estrada, JCI. Sen. Max Madridejos, JCI Sen. Mario Labot, USJC Ambassador George Daco and Membership Services Vice President Zultan Bermudez. As the afternoon came to a close, Overall chair JCI. Sen. Jocelyn Bernal and co-chair JCI Sen. Antero Martinez acknowledged the hard work of the 45th anniversary committee. It was an afternoon to reminisce, share new memories and reconnect with fellow alumni members. The stories of our individual experiences may be different but what binds all of us together is the desire to become a better leader and to contribute to society in our own small way. By passing on the lessons that we have learned, each of us can be proud of how the Jaycee experience has changed each of us for the better.

Richfield Design and Construction Penn d. Baluyut Architect-Builder 516-509-4092

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The Jaycee Creed By: C. William Brownfield We believe.... That faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise That government should be of laws rather than of men That earth's great treasure lies in human personality And that service to humanity is the best work of life.

The Philippine-New York Junior Chamber (Jaycees), Inc. Chapter mailing address: P.O. Box 634, Grand Central Station, New York, New York 10163 Website: www.philnyjaycees.org Contact email: [email protected]

TAMBULI Staff

Editor-in-Chief Joe Valdez Layout Artist Bel Molina

Contributing Writers Karla Ng Zultan Bermudez Jocelyn Bernal Elaine Magalona-Dayoan Victor de Leon

Please submit your articles or advertisements for the next issue to [email protected] We feature a myriad of topics ranging from Events, Art/Music/Fashion/Food, Technology, Politics, Travel, Immigration, Finance, Humor (with or without graphics), Love Life, Blind Items- basically anything that you think will create an impact and start a dialogue in the young Filipino professionals community.