| Manuel A. Hipol, M.D. Virginia Beach, Virginia A Pioneering Leader With a Vision • A New Breed of "Can Do" Leader |
When the Filipino-Americans in Hampton Road, Virginia broke
ground on their long awaited Philippine Cultural Center sit- uated
on Baxter Road, Virginia Beach, many oldtimers can not hold their
tears of joy and were filled with excitement. It was the moment
that several Filipino-Americans considered as a reward for all
their intensive labor of countless fundraising projects to raise the
necessary funds for their very own cultural center. A venue where
the Fil-Am young professionals, retired oldtimers who are mostly
from the U.S. Navy, and offsprings of the Filipinos in the
community, can all congregate.
The Philippine Cultural Center was the main project, which turned
into an obssession, not only of the Council of United Filipino
Organizations of Tidewater, Inc., but of all the Filipinos in the
area. CUPOT was officially founded in 1976 with Dr. Manuel A.
Hipol as its first chairman.
"If we have to single out an individual that the Filipino community
should be thankful, foremost among the pioneers is Dr. Manny
Hipol," noted one of the officers of CUPOT. "With several
dedicated leaders of the area, Dr. Hipol zeroed-in on various
fundraising projects."
ground on their long awaited Philippine Cultural Center sit- uated
on Baxter Road, Virginia Beach, many oldtimers can not hold their
tears of joy and were filled with excitement. It was the moment
that several Filipino-Americans considered as a reward for all
their intensive labor of countless fundraising projects to raise the
necessary funds for their very own cultural center. A venue where
the Fil-Am young professionals, retired oldtimers who are mostly
from the U.S. Navy, and offsprings of the Filipinos in the
community, can all congregate.
The Philippine Cultural Center was the main project, which turned
into an obssession, not only of the Council of United Filipino
Organizations of Tidewater, Inc., but of all the Filipinos in the
area. CUPOT was officially founded in 1976 with Dr. Manuel A.
Hipol as its first chairman.
"If we have to single out an individual that the Filipino community
should be thankful, foremost among the pioneers is Dr. Manny
Hipol," noted one of the officers of CUPOT. "With several
dedicated leaders of the area, Dr. Hipol zeroed-in on various
fundraising projects."
Faithful to his "dream" of a Philippine Cultural Center, Dr. Hipol, together with a handful other leaders,
conceived one beauty pageant after another. There was a Miss Philippines America Pageant, followed by
Miss Sampaguita, Little Miss Philippines, Mrs. Philippines --- all for the purpose of a dream, a vision, that one
day the more than 40,000 Filipinos in the Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Tidewater and other areas on Hampton
Road, can proudly say that they, too, have their very own cultural center. "A vision that will soon come true ....
A lasting legacy for generations to come ...All because of you..." states CUPOT's Special Gifts and Memorial
Fund brochure distributed to the guests.
And so, on that bright sunny morning of August 21, 1993, amidst state, county and city officials, Filipino
leaders from as far as San Diego, California and Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- young and old, professionals
and business men, a cross section of all Filipinos -- gathered to witness the long awaited ground breaking
ceremonies.
Past chairpersons of the Council of United Filipino Organizations of Tidewater, Inc., Dr. Manuel Hipol, Cris
Romero, Virgilio Madera, Mario Gamboa, Coring Padilla and current Chairman Dick Dabu were all beaming
with pride. All of them were all over the place. Meeting the VIPs, taking photos, helping in the kitchen, assisting
in all the necessary functions needed to ensure the success of the occassion.
Dr. Hipol, the founding chairman who served in three additional separate terms as chairman, was seen
assisting in all committees with sincerity and ardent desire to serve - gratis et amore.
In spite of his prominence and sucessful medical practice in the area, and known to be the highest ranking
Filipino military man in this navy town, Dr. Hipol is low-keyed and approachable. Until someone else tells you
who is Dr. Hipol , " he exudes an impression of a regular nice guy, sort-of one of the barkada's type,"
described a Filipino oldtimer of Fil-Am Veterans of Tidewater. "Dr. 'M' and his lovely and charming wife, Dr. 'R'
are the greatest thing that ever happened to this area."
Dr. Hipol , fondly called by friends as Manny or Dr. M, is a super achiever and a perfect role model for the
Filpinos. He holds the rank of Captain in the United States Navy, a step up to Rear Admiral. With more than
25 years of active and reserved duties, Manny served for six months active duty in the Desert Shield - Desert
Storm in the Persian Gulf War in 1990. Very active with the business and professional sectors of the
Hampton Road area, he serves as a member of the Board of Directors of several groups, including Bank of
Tidewater, Kempsville Branch; the National Conference of Christian & Jews, Hampton Road Chapter; the
Virginia Marine Science Museum Foundation, Inc.; the American Red Cross; the YMCA; the Strategic Planning,
Virginia Beach Public School System; and Virginia Beach Census.
"Dr. Hipol's participation with the mainstream America, and the fact that almost 99% of the citizens in this
region stand at attention and salute him, is a great pride and joy of the Filipino-Americans of this region,"
chuckled his barber. "When he parks his car in one of the three-car space reserved only for Captains or
Admirals at the super-megasize Post Exchange (PX) shopping mall in Norfolk, we, Filipino U.S. Navy retirees,
are also saluted. The military police think we are also officers."
When Manny first moved to Virginia Beach in 1974, the Filipinos in the region were not formally organized.
"The first thing I did was organize my 'kababayan' from the Ilocano provinces and formed the United Ilocano
Association of Tidewater," narrated Manny who was elected the first president of the group. "Two years later,
we formed CUPOT after several other Filipino organizations were formed."
Currently, Manny serves as President of the Filipino-American Veterans of Tidewater; Co-Chairman of the San
Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila Annual Celebration; and Chairman of the Building Committee of the Philippine
Cultural Center. Nine years ago, he spearheaded the successful and much-publicized Miss Philippines
America Pageant project. As the national chairman of the pageant, he worked vigorously to attract candidates
nationwide. Contestants traveled from distant places like; California, Puerto Rico and Ontario, Canada."My
sole purpose is to highlight the Filipina beauty as well as the beautiful cultures and traditions of the
Philippines. But, of course, our primary target is to raise funds for our cultural project," explained Manny.
Manny served as President of Philippine Medical Association of Southeastern Virginia in 1989. This year,
Manny scored two major victories to ensure national leadership stature in the Filipino- American
communities across the nation. First he was elected as president-elect of the Manila Central University
Medical Alumni Association of America; and a few months later, he was overwhelmly elected as member of
the Board of Governors of the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA), the largest national
organization of Filipino professionals outside of the Philippines.
Manny owns the Hipol Medical Building in Virginia Beach where he conducts his private medical practice as
Outpatient Diagnostic Radiology. He is married to Dr. Rosario Devera Hipol, an internal medicine practitioner
who also holds her practice in the same building. The Hipols have two lovely daughters: Vivianne, a freshman
at American University in Washington, D.C.; and Charrise, a high school student at Virginia Beach.
conceived one beauty pageant after another. There was a Miss Philippines America Pageant, followed by
Miss Sampaguita, Little Miss Philippines, Mrs. Philippines --- all for the purpose of a dream, a vision, that one
day the more than 40,000 Filipinos in the Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Tidewater and other areas on Hampton
Road, can proudly say that they, too, have their very own cultural center. "A vision that will soon come true ....
A lasting legacy for generations to come ...All because of you..." states CUPOT's Special Gifts and Memorial
Fund brochure distributed to the guests.
And so, on that bright sunny morning of August 21, 1993, amidst state, county and city officials, Filipino
leaders from as far as San Diego, California and Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- young and old, professionals
and business men, a cross section of all Filipinos -- gathered to witness the long awaited ground breaking
ceremonies.
Past chairpersons of the Council of United Filipino Organizations of Tidewater, Inc., Dr. Manuel Hipol, Cris
Romero, Virgilio Madera, Mario Gamboa, Coring Padilla and current Chairman Dick Dabu were all beaming
with pride. All of them were all over the place. Meeting the VIPs, taking photos, helping in the kitchen, assisting
in all the necessary functions needed to ensure the success of the occassion.
Dr. Hipol, the founding chairman who served in three additional separate terms as chairman, was seen
assisting in all committees with sincerity and ardent desire to serve - gratis et amore.
In spite of his prominence and sucessful medical practice in the area, and known to be the highest ranking
Filipino military man in this navy town, Dr. Hipol is low-keyed and approachable. Until someone else tells you
who is Dr. Hipol , " he exudes an impression of a regular nice guy, sort-of one of the barkada's type,"
described a Filipino oldtimer of Fil-Am Veterans of Tidewater. "Dr. 'M' and his lovely and charming wife, Dr. 'R'
are the greatest thing that ever happened to this area."
Dr. Hipol , fondly called by friends as Manny or Dr. M, is a super achiever and a perfect role model for the
Filpinos. He holds the rank of Captain in the United States Navy, a step up to Rear Admiral. With more than
25 years of active and reserved duties, Manny served for six months active duty in the Desert Shield - Desert
Storm in the Persian Gulf War in 1990. Very active with the business and professional sectors of the
Hampton Road area, he serves as a member of the Board of Directors of several groups, including Bank of
Tidewater, Kempsville Branch; the National Conference of Christian & Jews, Hampton Road Chapter; the
Virginia Marine Science Museum Foundation, Inc.; the American Red Cross; the YMCA; the Strategic Planning,
Virginia Beach Public School System; and Virginia Beach Census.
"Dr. Hipol's participation with the mainstream America, and the fact that almost 99% of the citizens in this
region stand at attention and salute him, is a great pride and joy of the Filipino-Americans of this region,"
chuckled his barber. "When he parks his car in one of the three-car space reserved only for Captains or
Admirals at the super-megasize Post Exchange (PX) shopping mall in Norfolk, we, Filipino U.S. Navy retirees,
are also saluted. The military police think we are also officers."
When Manny first moved to Virginia Beach in 1974, the Filipinos in the region were not formally organized.
"The first thing I did was organize my 'kababayan' from the Ilocano provinces and formed the United Ilocano
Association of Tidewater," narrated Manny who was elected the first president of the group. "Two years later,
we formed CUPOT after several other Filipino organizations were formed."
Currently, Manny serves as President of the Filipino-American Veterans of Tidewater; Co-Chairman of the San
Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila Annual Celebration; and Chairman of the Building Committee of the Philippine
Cultural Center. Nine years ago, he spearheaded the successful and much-publicized Miss Philippines
America Pageant project. As the national chairman of the pageant, he worked vigorously to attract candidates
nationwide. Contestants traveled from distant places like; California, Puerto Rico and Ontario, Canada."My
sole purpose is to highlight the Filipina beauty as well as the beautiful cultures and traditions of the
Philippines. But, of course, our primary target is to raise funds for our cultural project," explained Manny.
Manny served as President of Philippine Medical Association of Southeastern Virginia in 1989. This year,
Manny scored two major victories to ensure national leadership stature in the Filipino- American
communities across the nation. First he was elected as president-elect of the Manila Central University
Medical Alumni Association of America; and a few months later, he was overwhelmly elected as member of
the Board of Governors of the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA), the largest national
organization of Filipino professionals outside of the Philippines.
Manny owns the Hipol Medical Building in Virginia Beach where he conducts his private medical practice as
Outpatient Diagnostic Radiology. He is married to Dr. Rosario Devera Hipol, an internal medicine practitioner
who also holds her practice in the same building. The Hipols have two lovely daughters: Vivianne, a freshman
at American University in Washington, D.C.; and Charrise, a high school student at Virginia Beach.
Washington D.C. Since 1987
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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