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SAN FRANCISCO: Her admirers in the Bay Area describe
Weng Mendoza Sanchez as “the best Con-Gen San Francisco ever
had.” Of course the feeling might stir debate (and that’s the
last thing in gentle Consul-General Sanchez’s mind!) from close
friends and colleagues of Romy, Trining, Delia, Amado et al., who
made their own impact in the Fil-Am community they served at one
time or another.
But clearly, last Thursday’s
despedida party for the outgoing (next stop: Shanghai)
Consul-General was a “lovefest” hosted by Marivic Bamba, Vida
Benavides, Joe Guzman, Rex Tabora, Lourdes Tancinco and Mona Lisa
Yuchengco, all super-active and prominent Bay Area folks, and
organizations like the NaFFAA, the SF Veterans Equity Center, the SF
Filipino Cultural Center, and the Bay Area Centennial Committee.
Joe Guzman, partner at Nossaman,
Guthner, Knox & Elliot, graciously offered his firm’s 34th
floor offices overlooking the breathtaking San Francisco Bay and the
Bay Bridge as venue for the occasion. With Ben Menor as witty and
wisecracking emcee, the party got underway with tributes to Weng
from Vice Mayor Larry Formalejo of Colma, Rudy Asercion, veterans
commissioner, Meg Burke of the California Academy of Sciences,
journalists Charito Benipayo and Joey Camins, Superior Court Judge
Ron Quidachay, City College Board Trustee, Al Perez of the
Filipino-American Arts Exposition, and Dr. Carmelo Roco, who
frequently heads medical missions to the Philippines.
The fight for veterans’ rights
being closest to the Con-Gen’s heart, organizers took advantage of
the gathering to update the community on the equity campaign and to
raise funds for the purpose. So even as they partied, activists
Luisa Antonio, executive director of the Veterans Equity Center, and
Vida Benavides, campaign advisor, made their pitch to inspire
Fil-Ams to continue the fight. Donations in Weng’s honor were
solicited by Chato Angeles of the Philippine Institute of CPAs, Tito
Gonzalez and Chito Desuasido of the FilPABA, Mitos Santisteban of
ABS/CBN and Patty Garcia of LBC. Their net take-home for the
veterans campaign, a whopping $5,000!
Among the notables present were
Nancy and Dan Harrington of Books for the Barrios, businesswoman
Neria Canonizado, Celia Cuasay (president of a Makati Rotary Club),
Bernadette Borja, Bill and Chit Applegate, actor Karim Kiram and
visiting journalist/Aliw Foundation founder Alice Reyes, Helen
Bautista, Peachy Matias, who was instrumental in the victory of
State Sen. Leland Yee, Dave Rodriguez, and newly appointed Executive
Director for Administration of the SF Civil Service, our dear friend
Anita Sanchez.
Meg Burke extolled Sanchez’s
work and dedication in putting together the most beautiful and
largest Philippine coral exhibit at the Academy. Through Charito’s
efforts, Alameda’s mayor declared June 14 “Consul-General Rowena
Mendoza Sanchez Day” in her city. Marivic Bamba, who is also a
NaFFAA regional officer and active with the Filipino Cultural
Center, fittingly expressed the Filipino community’s affection and
admiration for the hard work, commitment and friendship of the
Consul General.
In her thank-you remarks, Weng
was again her usual self-dignified, friendly, committed to all
Filipino causes, and constantly hard at work and inspiring her
entire staff to follow her volunteerism spirit. We shall all miss
her. How quickly her three-year stint went!
Maria Rowena Mendoza Sanchez will
surely be a tough act to follow!
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