San Francisco — The San Francisco Filipino American Chamber of Commerce (SFFACC) celebrated its 50th anniversary during Filipino American History Month with a gala event last October 7.
The San Francisco Design Center Galleria at 101 Henry Adams Street, played host to an evening of networking activities, a memorable glimpse into the chamber’s 50-year history, and the installation of SFFACC’s newly elected officers and board of directors.
Several local restaurants and business were in attendance to cater the event, including The Purple Mix, which modernly reimagined ube in both sweet and savory.
FilAm50’s theme, “Building Bridges: Honoring our Legacy, Embracing our Future”, reflects the chamber’s intention to “connect the dots” of the Filipino business community’s past, present, and future in its business growth and intercultural connectivity.
Sentro Filipino: The San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center, located at SOMA Pilipinas (San Francisco’s Filipino Cultural District), is supported by the FilAm50 event’s net proceeds.
New officers and members being officially sworn in.
SFFACC also honored some outstanding Filipino community empowerment advocates.
Among the honorees was Loida Nicolas Lewis, who rescheduled a book tour of her memoir, “Why Should Guys Have All The Fun?”, with a brief visit to San Francisco to receive a Business & Philanthropy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Liza Gino, tasked with writing Loida Nicolas Lewis’s profile, commented: “Loida Nicolas Lewis strikes me as an intriguing woman. She lives her life by following simple rules. Her devotion to family is evident in her filial piety, especially to her husband, Reginald Lewis, who passed away three decades ago. Lewis wanted to finish Mr. Lewis’ work, and she did. In the process, Working Woman magazine’s annual list of the top 50 female-owned businesses placed Lewis second, with TLC Beatrice earning $2.1 billion.”
Lewis was the first Filipina to pass the New York Bar without attending law school in the US. While practicing as an immigration lawyer, she managed to sue the Immigration and Naturalization Service for employment discrimination. She won, including three years of back pay to boot.
Loida Nicolas Lewis is a co-founder of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, where she served as NaFFAA National Chair. She is also one of the founders of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) and the US Filipinos for Good Governance. The AALDEF is a national organization founded in 1974 that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans. A few of its projects are Stopping Asian Hate, Anti-trafficking, and Economic Justice for Workers. Lewis worked with others to enable former Filipinos to regain their Philippine citizenship and participate in its elections.
SFFACC’s new President Aaron Orcino gives a moving speech that included several humorous personal anecdotes.
The rest of FilAm50’s honorees included:
Mona Pasquil Rogers, FilAm50’s keynote speaker and recipient of the Servant Leader Lifetime Achievement Award, is the director of California Public Policy, of Meta (formerly known as Facebook). Pasquil Rogers served in various political roles in the past two decades. When she became the 47th and acting lieutenant governor of California from November 4, 2009 to April 27, 2010, Pasquil Rogers became the first woman, Filipina, and person of Pacific Islander heritage to hold the role.
Sabrina Chaudry-Ellison, honored with the Community Impact Award, has been working in the professional sports dance industry for over two decades and currently serves as the Entertainment teams director for the Golden State Warriors. Chaudhry-Ellison originally joined the Warriors organization in 2011 and has since helped expand the organization’s dance program to include teams such as the Hardwood Classics, Blue Crew, and GS Breakers.
Philippine Airlines, recipient of the Legacy Corporation Member Award, is the Philippines’ flag carrier and only full-service network airline. PAL was the first commercial airline in Asia and celebrated its 82nd anniversary in March 2023. PAL’s young fleet of various aircraft operates out of hubs in Manila, Cebu, and Davao to 30 destinations in the Philippines and 32 destinations in Asia, North America, Australia, and the Middle East.
Pearl Parmelee-Cabrera, who received the Legacy Leadership Award, has gained popularity as “Tita Pearl”. Parmelee’s endorsement of a Filipino Food Movement boosts her reputation as a culinary expert and community concierge. She mentors emerging entrepreneurs to ensure they follow food safety guidelines and get certification for their home-based food businesses.
SFFACC is the first acknowledged mainland-based Filipino American chamber of commerce in the US. Twenty-seven years ago, SFFACC became the founding chamber of the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce (FPACC). As a member chamber of good standing, SFFACC joins FPACC’s 41 member chambers nationwide, including international affiliate organizations.
SFFACC’s 50th anniversary celebration, a.k.a. FilAm50, was sponsored by (partial list): Platinum – Make it Mariko, STIIIZY, TFC, GMA Pinoy TV; Gold – NBC Bay Area, Philippine Airlines, Clark Construction, Bahay Sa Pinas, Bank of the Orient, UCSF, Golden State Warriors, Veewz; Silver – Inquirer.net, Island Pacific, Seafood City, Financial Rescue, Sun Tropics, Ramar Foods; Other Media Sponsors – The Filipino American Post, Philippine News Today, Inquirer.net.
