Gracia Divina Valera-Jaramillo

Gracia Divina Valera-Jaramillo,
An Inspiring Leader and Dynamic Community Mobilizer
Executive Director & Co-Founder, Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC)

“Bringing people together to foster a culture of unity and
service” is what best describes the passion of Grace Valera
who comes from a new breed of young leaders in the Fil-Am
community. As a leader, she engages in various humanitarian
and charitable activities, organizes events in honoring and
serving people in need, mobilizes Fil-Am community support and
participation for humanitarian undertakings and high profile
events; an active promoter of the performing & visual arts in the
U.S. capital and neighboring states; Initiates and implements
cultural and tourism promotion activities aimed at promoting
Asian, Filipino and immigrants’ goodwill in the U.S. and in
bringing the beauty and vibrancy of the Filipino and other Asian
cultures to the American mainstream and to other ethnic

groups. Her passions : helping people and promoting Filipino culture. She lives by her guiding
principle of “LIVE A LIFE THAT MATTERS’ making her a recipient of plaques and certificates of
recognition/ appreciation from various government and private organizations for public and
community/civic service.

In December 2005, she and five (5) other notable leaders of the Fil-am community, founded the
MIGRANT HERITAGE COMMISSION (MHC), a non-governmental, service-oriented , non-profit
organization which aims to address the growing concerns of migrants. MHC, under her
leadership together with 2 co-Executive Directors, Arnedo S. Valera Esq. and Jesse A. Gatchalian,
ushered in a renewed era of dynamism in the Fil-Am community by bringing the community
together (regardless of affiliations), under one common inspiring and unified mission, i.e. to
serve “kababayans” in need (in a timely manner ) in the U.S. (and in the Philippines), and
preserve the cultural identity and rights of the Filipinos in the United States 1. Effectively
reaching out to the community, MHC has been embarking on various projects beneficial to
migrants and organizing events/undertakings that have drawn record-breaking attendance and
overwhelming support from the Fil-Am community.

As a diplomat, GRACE VALERA had served the Philippine foreign service posts (Embassies) in
Tokyo, Madrid & Washington D.C. She had serviced & represented the Philippines in various
ASEAN, APEC, ASEM and other International & World Summit Conferences. She had always been
a part of the National Organizing Committee (NOC) for high level international/ world
conferences or state visits being hosted by the Philippine government. Throughout her DFA/
foreign service career, she had been assigned in various offices/posts exposing her to multi-
facets of discipline: economic, political, cultural, protocol, consular, bilateral, multi-lateral and
Assistance-to-Nationals matters.

She graduated Cum Laude (with honors) with an AB Degree in Asian Studies at the Pontifical
University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines Under the Australian Aid/Scholarship
Government Program, she finished her Master of Arts Degree in Foreign Affairs and Trade in
Australia with High Distinction (HD) in thesis. She was a consistent top ten student for academic
excellence in elementary and high school.

Grace has inherited her natural dancing, writing talents and PR skills from her parents who also
excelled in the same fields. She was the former Editor-in-Chief of the newsletter of the
Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Ladies Foundation (DFALF) which was under the dynamic
leadership of Madame Kay Siazon, wife of then Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Domingo L. Siazon Jr.
, now Philippine Ambassador to Japan. Grace is currently an Associate Editor of the Migrant
Heritage Chronicle , a monthly publication of the Migrant Heritage Commission.

Being a former ballet dancer, dance teacher, a performing artist for 20 years before joining the
diplomatic service, her passion for the Performing Arts sizzles especially when it comes to cultural
promotion and organizing /coordinating cultural events. She was the former Artistic Director/
Choreographer of Grupo Foclorico Alay Filipino Spain and Filipino Students’ Group in Australia.
She had produced/Choreographed dance theater productions in Manila, Philippines; Canberra,
Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Madrid, Spain and Washington D.C., U.S.A.. Her artistic inclinations and
cultural/performing /theatre arts background came in very handy when she was posted as
Cultural Officer to the Philippine Embassies in Madrid and Washington D.C.

Her other past positions included, among others, serving as Executive Board Member and PRO
in ASEAN Women’s (AWC) Diplomatic Circle, Washington D.C. 2003-2005; ) as Cultural Adviser to
the Philippine Folk Arts Society, Inc in Pennsylvania; as Cultural Adviser to Philippine Fair, 2003-
2005; as Vice-President, DFA Ladies Foundation Madrid Chapter and Executive Board Member
of Asian Diplomatic Ladies’ Circle in Madrid, 2000-2003 and as PRO, Philippine Ladies
Association in Japan (PLAJ), 1990-1995. In her University days, she was an active officer of the
UST Pax Romana (having been awarded as the Most Outstanding Member in 1980) , and the UST
Theatre group

Grace had also served as Guest/ Inspirational Speaker to official functions particularly Cultural
Events in Metropolitan DC, Virginia Beach, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and neighboring areas.

At present , she is the Co-Executive Director of the Migrant Heritage Commission; the co-
organizer of Asia Heritage Foundation’s Fiesta Asia, Washington D.C.’s biggest Asian street
festival; an Ambassador for Peace in the U.S.; the Artistic Director of the Fil-Am Heritage Dance
Ensemble, a Cultural Adviser to 1) Philippine-American Community Partnership Foundation 2.
and Ultimate Eskrima, International, Inc.. She is also one of the key cultural mobilizers for the
Annual Asian Festival in Reston, Virginia, the US. capital’s 4th of July American Independence Day
Parade, Dance DC Festival and other high profile events in the Metro DC area.

Her other affiliations/involvement were the Global Peace Festival (GPF), Diplomatic Society of
St. Gabriel (DSSG), Asian American Business Conference (AABC) and the Prince George’s County
Ambassador’s Day.

Grace was born in the Philippines to the late lawyer Elpido Barbosa Valera, former Commissioner
of the Court of Agrarian Relations, and Mrs. Concepcion Silvano Valera, former fashion model and
the 2009 Mother of the Year Awardee. She is the only girl in the family with 4 brothers :Dr.
Rodelo, Atty Arnedo (also a TOFA Awardee- 2006); Businessman Samuel and the late Nestor
Valera. She has a 16 year old son, Raymund V. Jaramillo, a junior high school student.

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Grace Jaramillo