| Violet D. Baluyut Silver Spring, Maryland Founder, Filipino American Women's Network |
Ms. Vi Baluyut is presently a Civil Rights Officer with Farmers
Home Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture. She
oversees the enforcement of Federal civil rights laws and
regulations on federally-assisted programs such as housing,
community facilities, government contracts and farm loan
programs particularly as they impact on needy, low-income
individuals, women and minorities. She has also special liaison
responsibility with national racial and ethnic constituent groups
with particular emphasis on Asian and Pacific Americans. Ms.
Baluyut is the highest ranking Filipino American woman in
Farmers Home Administration. She is also the founder and
national coordinator (1980-87) of the Filipino American Women’s
Network (FAWN) based in Washington, DC.
Before joining the Farmers Home Administration, Ms. Baluyut was
with the staff of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights where in May
1979, she coordinated a national consultation on civil rights
concerns of Asian and Pacific Americans.
Prior to government service, Ms. Baluyut has at various times
taught in high school and college, conducted research studies
at The Brookings Institution and American University, and
Home Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture. She
oversees the enforcement of Federal civil rights laws and
regulations on federally-assisted programs such as housing,
community facilities, government contracts and farm loan
programs particularly as they impact on needy, low-income
individuals, women and minorities. She has also special liaison
responsibility with national racial and ethnic constituent groups
with particular emphasis on Asian and Pacific Americans. Ms.
Baluyut is the highest ranking Filipino American woman in
Farmers Home Administration. She is also the founder and
national coordinator (1980-87) of the Filipino American Women’s
Network (FAWN) based in Washington, DC.
Before joining the Farmers Home Administration, Ms. Baluyut was
with the staff of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights where in May
1979, she coordinated a national consultation on civil rights
concerns of Asian and Pacific Americans.
Prior to government service, Ms. Baluyut has at various times
taught in high school and college, conducted research studies
at The Brookings Institution and American University, and
directed a health information project for The General Electric Company, all located in Washington, DC.
Ms. Baluyut is educated in Philippine and American universities completing her graduate education at the
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University in New York.
It was in 1980 , as part of her job with the civil rights movement, when Vi was searching for a Filipino
organization with a national scope, she finally decided to spearhead one since she could not find any
organization . “Not even one,” explained Vi authoritatively, “None in the West Coast, the Midwest, the East
Coast or anywhere else in the country wherein a federal agency may consider a Filipino organization with a
national base.”
It was during the national conference of Asian and Pacific American Women in August 1980 held at the
National Education Association that Vi invited and hosted a get-together with sixty-two Filipina leaders from
different parts of the country attending the national conference.
“Including myself, there were 63 of us. I explained to them the importance of an organization with a national
scope. Right there and them, we banded ourselves and formed FAWN - Filipino American Women’s
Network,” proudly described Vi. “In September 1983, FAWN had its first Biennial Conference with 150
attendees and finally, the White House recognition of FAWN as a national organization of Filipinos. Since
then, FAWN had six White House briefings and in 1990, we celebrated our 10th anniversary here in
Washington, DC.”
Vi is currently Co-Chair of Asian-American Council and was last year's Chairperson of the Federal Asian
Pacific American Council (FAPAC), an advocacy group for Asian Pacific Americans representing
approximately seventy federal agencies. In 1989, she became the Founding President of Asian Pacific
American Network in Agriculture (APANA), an employee organization formed to address issues of concern to
APA employees in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"Vi is the highest ranking Filipina in the senior level executives with the Department of Agriculture," explained
one of her co-workers. She performed all facets of Equal Economics Opportunity (EEO) work in employment
and program compliance. She is a recipient of numerous local, professional and national civil rights awards."
Vi Baluyut is one of the five children of EUGENIO D. BALUYUT of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija and the former
Consolacion Daran of Dupax, Nueva Viscaya. She arrived in the United States in 1964 as a scholar to take up
her Masters in International Relations at the University of Syracuse in New York and later at the American
University for Urban Affairs studies.
Prior coming to U.S., Vi completed her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of the East in
Manila and her Masters in Educational Psychology from the University of the Philippines.
“I look forward for the Filipinos here in uniting their efforts and talents to form bigger and stronger national
organizations,” echoed Vi.
Ms. Baluyut is educated in Philippine and American universities completing her graduate education at the
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University in New York.
It was in 1980 , as part of her job with the civil rights movement, when Vi was searching for a Filipino
organization with a national scope, she finally decided to spearhead one since she could not find any
organization . “Not even one,” explained Vi authoritatively, “None in the West Coast, the Midwest, the East
Coast or anywhere else in the country wherein a federal agency may consider a Filipino organization with a
national base.”
It was during the national conference of Asian and Pacific American Women in August 1980 held at the
National Education Association that Vi invited and hosted a get-together with sixty-two Filipina leaders from
different parts of the country attending the national conference.
“Including myself, there were 63 of us. I explained to them the importance of an organization with a national
scope. Right there and them, we banded ourselves and formed FAWN - Filipino American Women’s
Network,” proudly described Vi. “In September 1983, FAWN had its first Biennial Conference with 150
attendees and finally, the White House recognition of FAWN as a national organization of Filipinos. Since
then, FAWN had six White House briefings and in 1990, we celebrated our 10th anniversary here in
Washington, DC.”
Vi is currently Co-Chair of Asian-American Council and was last year's Chairperson of the Federal Asian
Pacific American Council (FAPAC), an advocacy group for Asian Pacific Americans representing
approximately seventy federal agencies. In 1989, she became the Founding President of Asian Pacific
American Network in Agriculture (APANA), an employee organization formed to address issues of concern to
APA employees in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"Vi is the highest ranking Filipina in the senior level executives with the Department of Agriculture," explained
one of her co-workers. She performed all facets of Equal Economics Opportunity (EEO) work in employment
and program compliance. She is a recipient of numerous local, professional and national civil rights awards."
Vi Baluyut is one of the five children of EUGENIO D. BALUYUT of Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija and the former
Consolacion Daran of Dupax, Nueva Viscaya. She arrived in the United States in 1964 as a scholar to take up
her Masters in International Relations at the University of Syracuse in New York and later at the American
University for Urban Affairs studies.
Prior coming to U.S., Vi completed her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of the East in
Manila and her Masters in Educational Psychology from the University of the Philippines.
“I look forward for the Filipinos here in uniting their efforts and talents to form bigger and stronger national
organizations,” echoed Vi.
Washington D.C. Since 1987
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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