| Remedios “Remy” G. Cabacungan Arlington, Virginia Dynamic National Filipino Community Leader With Compassion |
Remedios G. Cabacungan is a true believer of the adage “When
Opportunity knocks at the door, open it!” She has spent most of
her life answering the call and opening herself to adventures she
never dreamed of.
Remy, as her friends call her, hails from Juban, Sorsogon in the
Bicol Region of the Philippines. She married Jose Grefalda, an
accountant by profession and a leading chess champion in the
Hong Kong chess circuit. They have three children: Fe, Hector,
and Reme.
In 1933, she and Joe were among a group of people brought to
Hong Kong by a prominent Manila business establishment with
the goal of opening a millinery business selling “Buntal” straw
hats and Panama hats in Hong Kong. Did she know anything
about hats? No. But by 1941, she knew enough to open her own
millinery shop and established herself as one of the most
fashionable milliner in Hong Kong, later opening her own dress
Opportunity knocks at the door, open it!” She has spent most of
her life answering the call and opening herself to adventures she
never dreamed of.
Remy, as her friends call her, hails from Juban, Sorsogon in the
Bicol Region of the Philippines. She married Jose Grefalda, an
accountant by profession and a leading chess champion in the
Hong Kong chess circuit. They have three children: Fe, Hector,
and Reme.
In 1933, she and Joe were among a group of people brought to
Hong Kong by a prominent Manila business establishment with
the goal of opening a millinery business selling “Buntal” straw
hats and Panama hats in Hong Kong. Did she know anything
about hats? No. But by 1941, she knew enough to open her own
millinery shop and established herself as one of the most
fashionable milliner in Hong Kong, later opening her own dress
boutique shop in the fashion district of Nathan Road in Kowloon. “Reme”— as her boutique was called— was
known for the styles in dresses and chic accessories imported from New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
A teacher by profession, she went into various trades and skills by observation and by being a “fast learner”.
Her endless creativity and her capacity to concentrate on the task at hand gave her an edge over her
competitors. Her hunger to succeed in whatever endeavor she put herself into became a guarantee of the
results of her hard work.
As a young widow in the late forties with two young children, Remy took advantage of the Laurel-Langley Act to
obtain a visa to travel to the United States. In discussions and meetings with American businessmen, she
learned about the demand for raw lumber from the Philippines and the lack of supply. She made up her mind
to study the lumber industry, pouring over industry publications at the New York Public Library. By the early
fifties, she made enough business contacts (suppliers from Manila and U.S. plywood magnates) to open a
small agency in New York City selling lumber. After two years of perfect shipments of plywood from the
Philippines, the logging suppliers floundered in meeting American standards of size and quality. Remy was
forced to return to the Philippines to survey the market and judge for herself why the manufacturing standards
did not come up to par.
It was during that return home that she made the acquaintance of Executive Secretary to President Garcia,
Juan Pajo. Secretary Pajo listened to her animated comments about the lack of manufacturing standards in
the lumber trade which dried up the demand, while he in turn convinced her to develop the cottage industry in
the province of Bohol along the lines using the same objectives of standardization she just recounted to him.
To her amazement, she was given carte blanche to travel and survey the schools and craft shops, from
observing methods of the development of raw material to the manufacturing of items in homes and schools.
Remembering her days of sharing an apartment with a buyer for Woodward & Lothrop— Dorothy Gearhart,
who almost every evening gave her an earful of what the market was looking for in design, color and textile—
Remy used the knowledge of a stateside buyer to focus her discussions with heads of manufacturing
facilities on the best ways to dye straw and design placemats, bags, etc.; and on top of her list of “musts” was
to instill in them the value of standardization.
Remy considers her tenure as Technical Assistant on Cottage Industry to the President of the Philippines as
one of her most fulfilling careers. In that position, she traveled to Japan to survey the cottage industry in that
country. Upon her return, she reported her findings and recommendations. Later she was chosen by
President Garcia to head the Philippine Team at the Chicago International Trade Fair.
In 1960, while traveling in the States, she met and married Patricio Cabacungan of New Jersey where she
settled with her family. It was here in New Jersey that she began her active participation in the community. In
the years 1962 to 1978, Remy founded the Filipino Ladies Circle of New Jersey; became vice president of
the Executive Council of New York and New Jersey; was founder and president of the Bicolandia
Association of New Jersey and New York; founder of the Philippine Societies of New Jersey; headed the
Samahang Pilipino of New Jersey and spearheaded annual summer parades, fashion shows and beauty
pageants.
Remy is best remembered for the beauty pageants she produced in New Jersey, in Los Angeles, California
and in Tampa, Florida. On a nationwide scale for five years, the “Miss Orient U.S.A. Pageant” was hosted
in Atlantic City, N.J., Long Beach, and Los Angeles, California, attracting Asian beauties from all over the
United States. She was also the producer in New Jersey of several regional “Little Miss” Beauty Pageants.
While in Florida, she made a name for herself in the town of Hudson when she single-handedly convened a
fund-raising effort during the Pinatubo disaster, rallying local radio announcers and the mayor’s office to
participate and donate relief goods and cash donations for the victims of the volcanic disaster in the
Philippines. She was invited to be a Board Member of the United Nations Association of Greater Florida for
which she headed numerous cultural affairs from parades to fashion shows.
Today, Remy Cabacungan at 90, heads the most dynamic theatre company in the Washington , D.C. area:
“QBd Ink: Friends of the Performing Artist” whose theatrical productions for four straight years has made a
name for itself within the Asian theatre circuit. As an actress, Remy comes to the profession “naturally”. She
remembers a time in her childhood when she fell down a flight of stairs while emoting her lines in imitation
of a zarzuela actress. Little did she realize then what that fall would lead to in her twilight years.
Among her most memorable roles is as Mrs. MacNamara, an administrative secretary in “Mama, Mama, Do
We Have Rehearsals Tonite?” where she played opposite ten-year-old EJ Ganuelas who was her “boss”. She
was also seen as a Blind Woman in “Oyang Dapitana”, a dramatic reading of Rizal’s days in Dapitan and as
the Mother of Rizal in “30 December 1896; she also played the mother of a battered wife in “Dear Inay/Dear
Anak”, a dramatic reading on domestic violence. #
known for the styles in dresses and chic accessories imported from New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
A teacher by profession, she went into various trades and skills by observation and by being a “fast learner”.
Her endless creativity and her capacity to concentrate on the task at hand gave her an edge over her
competitors. Her hunger to succeed in whatever endeavor she put herself into became a guarantee of the
results of her hard work.
As a young widow in the late forties with two young children, Remy took advantage of the Laurel-Langley Act to
obtain a visa to travel to the United States. In discussions and meetings with American businessmen, she
learned about the demand for raw lumber from the Philippines and the lack of supply. She made up her mind
to study the lumber industry, pouring over industry publications at the New York Public Library. By the early
fifties, she made enough business contacts (suppliers from Manila and U.S. plywood magnates) to open a
small agency in New York City selling lumber. After two years of perfect shipments of plywood from the
Philippines, the logging suppliers floundered in meeting American standards of size and quality. Remy was
forced to return to the Philippines to survey the market and judge for herself why the manufacturing standards
did not come up to par.
It was during that return home that she made the acquaintance of Executive Secretary to President Garcia,
Juan Pajo. Secretary Pajo listened to her animated comments about the lack of manufacturing standards in
the lumber trade which dried up the demand, while he in turn convinced her to develop the cottage industry in
the province of Bohol along the lines using the same objectives of standardization she just recounted to him.
To her amazement, she was given carte blanche to travel and survey the schools and craft shops, from
observing methods of the development of raw material to the manufacturing of items in homes and schools.
Remembering her days of sharing an apartment with a buyer for Woodward & Lothrop— Dorothy Gearhart,
who almost every evening gave her an earful of what the market was looking for in design, color and textile—
Remy used the knowledge of a stateside buyer to focus her discussions with heads of manufacturing
facilities on the best ways to dye straw and design placemats, bags, etc.; and on top of her list of “musts” was
to instill in them the value of standardization.
Remy considers her tenure as Technical Assistant on Cottage Industry to the President of the Philippines as
one of her most fulfilling careers. In that position, she traveled to Japan to survey the cottage industry in that
country. Upon her return, she reported her findings and recommendations. Later she was chosen by
President Garcia to head the Philippine Team at the Chicago International Trade Fair.
In 1960, while traveling in the States, she met and married Patricio Cabacungan of New Jersey where she
settled with her family. It was here in New Jersey that she began her active participation in the community. In
the years 1962 to 1978, Remy founded the Filipino Ladies Circle of New Jersey; became vice president of
the Executive Council of New York and New Jersey; was founder and president of the Bicolandia
Association of New Jersey and New York; founder of the Philippine Societies of New Jersey; headed the
Samahang Pilipino of New Jersey and spearheaded annual summer parades, fashion shows and beauty
pageants.
Remy is best remembered for the beauty pageants she produced in New Jersey, in Los Angeles, California
and in Tampa, Florida. On a nationwide scale for five years, the “Miss Orient U.S.A. Pageant” was hosted
in Atlantic City, N.J., Long Beach, and Los Angeles, California, attracting Asian beauties from all over the
United States. She was also the producer in New Jersey of several regional “Little Miss” Beauty Pageants.
While in Florida, she made a name for herself in the town of Hudson when she single-handedly convened a
fund-raising effort during the Pinatubo disaster, rallying local radio announcers and the mayor’s office to
participate and donate relief goods and cash donations for the victims of the volcanic disaster in the
Philippines. She was invited to be a Board Member of the United Nations Association of Greater Florida for
which she headed numerous cultural affairs from parades to fashion shows.
Today, Remy Cabacungan at 90, heads the most dynamic theatre company in the Washington , D.C. area:
“QBd Ink: Friends of the Performing Artist” whose theatrical productions for four straight years has made a
name for itself within the Asian theatre circuit. As an actress, Remy comes to the profession “naturally”. She
remembers a time in her childhood when she fell down a flight of stairs while emoting her lines in imitation
of a zarzuela actress. Little did she realize then what that fall would lead to in her twilight years.
Among her most memorable roles is as Mrs. MacNamara, an administrative secretary in “Mama, Mama, Do
We Have Rehearsals Tonite?” where she played opposite ten-year-old EJ Ganuelas who was her “boss”. She
was also seen as a Blind Woman in “Oyang Dapitana”, a dramatic reading of Rizal’s days in Dapitan and as
the Mother of Rizal in “30 December 1896; she also played the mother of a battered wife in “Dear Inay/Dear
Anak”, a dramatic reading on domestic violence. #
Washington D.C. Since 1987
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