| Marieta "Mayette" S. Caragay, M.D. Hunt Valley, Maryland Community Leader Par Excellence |
If leadership is measured by dedication, hard work and
indefatigable perseverance to raise funds for charity, then Mayette
is a leader par excellence. Especially since she has done it year
after year. Mayette, for a at least 25 years has served as an
officer and leader of many Filipino organizations in Maryland,
sometimes simultaneously, and has initiated, chaired or actively
participated in most of the successful charitable fund-raising
endeavors of the Baltimore Filipino community.
A Novo Ecijano, Mayette came to the United States for additional
medical training in 1968, with her young family and settled in
the Baltimore area. Married to Freddie, a Bataan native and an
anesthesiologist, they have two boys, Jay and Alvin, ages 28 and
24 respectively. The Caragays now reside in Hunt Valley, a
suburbia of Baltimore County.
A successful pediatrician , she is in private solo practice in
indefatigable perseverance to raise funds for charity, then Mayette
is a leader par excellence. Especially since she has done it year
after year. Mayette, for a at least 25 years has served as an
officer and leader of many Filipino organizations in Maryland,
sometimes simultaneously, and has initiated, chaired or actively
participated in most of the successful charitable fund-raising
endeavors of the Baltimore Filipino community.
A Novo Ecijano, Mayette came to the United States for additional
medical training in 1968, with her young family and settled in
the Baltimore area. Married to Freddie, a Bataan native and an
anesthesiologist, they have two boys, Jay and Alvin, ages 28 and
24 respectively. The Caragays now reside in Hunt Valley, a
suburbia of Baltimore County.
A successful pediatrician , she is in private solo practice in
Baltimore City, maintains two separate offices and offers her services to many of the indigent patients in the
area. She says, “I just love children and the children love me.” In spite of managed care she hopes to
continue her practice as long as she is physically able.
Just as soon as she and her family settled in Baltimore, Mayette started to get involved in Filipino organization,
serving as an officer and, eventually, as president. A big part of her responsibilities early on involved fund
raising activities. On many nights and weekends, her home has been the scene of meetings, discussions
and planning sessions for not one, but several organizations. She has successfully tried out many of the
different methods of fund-raising, including raffles, dinner dances, bull roasts and auctions.
She is currently president of the Katipunan, the largest Filipino-American organization in Maryland. Prior to
that she has served as president of the APPM - Association of Philippine Physicians in Maryland. Always
concerned with the welfare and unity of the organizations, when a constructive idea comes along, no matter
how much time and effort it requires, she is always among the first to say “Let’s do it.” For the Katipunan, she
has initiated, or revived, worthwhile programs like Tagalog lessons, dance troupes, programs for the lolos
and lolas, scholarships, newsletters and other things. For the APPM, Mayette masterminded the first
Maryland Medical Mission to the Philippines. She single-handedly organized the logistics of the mission,
including collection, packing and transporting all of the necessary equipment and medications. The Mission
came to fruition in 1995, when Mayette led a team of twelve physicians and several nurses to Nueva Ecija and
ministered to thousands of indigent patients in the span of a week.
The medical mission illustrates Mayette’s ingenious way of looking for funds. On its’ subsequent year, when
mission funds were low, she organized the Sons and Daughters of Novo Ecijanos of Maryland, enlisted their
support, and was able to raise the needed funding to bring the mission back to the Philippines.
And the mission goes on...
She has, for years, volunteered her services for FAPI, where she has been the VP for Development for
seven years. FAPI is a volunteer organization whose vision is to “Help the Filipinos help themselves.” The
concept is to fund poverty stricken communities to develop micro-industries like sari-sari stores, hog raising,
farming and help them become financially independent. Her ideas and hard work over the past ten years have
yielded hundreds of thousands of dollars with thousands of impoverished Filipinos reaping the benefits.
That is the part of Mayette’s most outstanding asset - her ability and indefatigable willingness to raise funds
for charity among friends and the community - not once, but repeatedly. It is often said that Filipinos, and
others I presume, contribute not to the cause, but because of the person asking for the charity. Mayette is
everybody’s friend. Her always smiling face, her warmth, her pleasant voice, her lovely face has won her the
friendship of all and a popularity that is seldom equaled in a community.
And for all her lifelong dedication to the community, for all her hard work, she has received leadership and
community service awards. Including awards for the APPM and Baltimore County.
Having worked with Mayette for all these year, I am amazed at her dedication and perseverance, and can only
wonder how she keeps her energy and focus, inspite of her many other responsibilities and inspite of “snags”
and, at times, disappointments.
area. She says, “I just love children and the children love me.” In spite of managed care she hopes to
continue her practice as long as she is physically able.
Just as soon as she and her family settled in Baltimore, Mayette started to get involved in Filipino organization,
serving as an officer and, eventually, as president. A big part of her responsibilities early on involved fund
raising activities. On many nights and weekends, her home has been the scene of meetings, discussions
and planning sessions for not one, but several organizations. She has successfully tried out many of the
different methods of fund-raising, including raffles, dinner dances, bull roasts and auctions.
She is currently president of the Katipunan, the largest Filipino-American organization in Maryland. Prior to
that she has served as president of the APPM - Association of Philippine Physicians in Maryland. Always
concerned with the welfare and unity of the organizations, when a constructive idea comes along, no matter
how much time and effort it requires, she is always among the first to say “Let’s do it.” For the Katipunan, she
has initiated, or revived, worthwhile programs like Tagalog lessons, dance troupes, programs for the lolos
and lolas, scholarships, newsletters and other things. For the APPM, Mayette masterminded the first
Maryland Medical Mission to the Philippines. She single-handedly organized the logistics of the mission,
including collection, packing and transporting all of the necessary equipment and medications. The Mission
came to fruition in 1995, when Mayette led a team of twelve physicians and several nurses to Nueva Ecija and
ministered to thousands of indigent patients in the span of a week.
The medical mission illustrates Mayette’s ingenious way of looking for funds. On its’ subsequent year, when
mission funds were low, she organized the Sons and Daughters of Novo Ecijanos of Maryland, enlisted their
support, and was able to raise the needed funding to bring the mission back to the Philippines.
And the mission goes on...
She has, for years, volunteered her services for FAPI, where she has been the VP for Development for
seven years. FAPI is a volunteer organization whose vision is to “Help the Filipinos help themselves.” The
concept is to fund poverty stricken communities to develop micro-industries like sari-sari stores, hog raising,
farming and help them become financially independent. Her ideas and hard work over the past ten years have
yielded hundreds of thousands of dollars with thousands of impoverished Filipinos reaping the benefits.
That is the part of Mayette’s most outstanding asset - her ability and indefatigable willingness to raise funds
for charity among friends and the community - not once, but repeatedly. It is often said that Filipinos, and
others I presume, contribute not to the cause, but because of the person asking for the charity. Mayette is
everybody’s friend. Her always smiling face, her warmth, her pleasant voice, her lovely face has won her the
friendship of all and a popularity that is seldom equaled in a community.
And for all her lifelong dedication to the community, for all her hard work, she has received leadership and
community service awards. Including awards for the APPM and Baltimore County.
Having worked with Mayette for all these year, I am amazed at her dedication and perseverance, and can only
wonder how she keeps her energy and focus, inspite of her many other responsibilities and inspite of “snags”
and, at times, disappointments.
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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