Luzviminda S. Micabalo

LUZVIMINDA SAPIN MICABALO
BSN, MPS, R.N., CHE

Luz Sapin Micabalo is a dedicated professional and has
distinguished herself as an effective organizer and community
leader with a vision. She is a well known personality in the Fil-
Am community of New York and Las Vegas. She holds a Bachelor’
s Degree in Nursing from the University of the Philippines and
Masters Degree in Professional Studies in Health care
Administration from C.W. Post College, Long Island University,
NY. She came to the United States in 1959 as an Ex-Change
Student at New York University.

She is a registered professional nurse (retired) , a diplomate of
the American College of Health care Executives (CHE) and a
licensed Nursing Home Administrator in New York State. Luz
worked at Sloan Kettering/Memorial Center for Cancer in New

York City and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York before joining Cabrini Medical Center in
1963. She started the first Home Health Agency at Cabrini and became its director and
administrator. She was promoted to positions of greater responsibilities and became a vice
president for patient services and AVP for hospital operations, prior to her retirement in 1997.

Luz has received a number of impressive awards for her leadership, notably in community and
humanitarian affairs from several civic, social and alumni organizations in New York, Las Vegas,
and the Philippines.

She received several awards from the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA
and UPAAA) both in the United States and the Philippines. In June 2008, Luz was chosen from
among UP Alumni abroad to receive the “2008 UPAA International Alumni Achiever Award “ at
the Grand UP Alumni-Faculty Homecoming and Reunion awarding ceremony held at the Araneta
Coliseum on the occasion of UP’s 100th year Centennial Celebration in Manila.

Luz also received a certificate of recognition from The University of the Philippines College of
Nursing Alumni Association as the “Diamond Jubilee Distinguished Alumni Award for the Decade

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ADs of
Luzviminda S.
Micabalo

1950-1959 in International
Alumni Achievement in
Community Service, during its
Diamond Jubilee Homecoming
2008 at the Quezon City Sports
Club , Quezon City on Sept. 7,
2008.

Luz has been involved with the
University of the Philippines
Alumni Association both local and
national chapters since 1982.
She was co-founder and
president of UPAA-New York
Chapter in 1984 and past
president of the National UPAAA
in 1988-1990. She had worked
hard to showcase talents of
many UP alumni in the NY

Metropolitan Area. She had participated in the first Basketball Dream Games in New York City
between various alumni associations to promote sportsmanship and camaraderie. She has
helped raise funds for the benefit of the University System in various capacity as president and
adviser.

Another award worth mentioning was the “1994 New York State Governor’s Award for
Outstanding Asian Americans “ presented to Luz by Governor Mario M. Cuomo in New York City.

The Philippine Nurses Association of New York presented Luz an “Award of Excellence in
Community Service” for her outstanding and distinguished service as a professional nurse,
indefatigable community leader, and committed social activist in promoting the Filipino culture,
values and heritage.

In May 2007, she received a plaque of appreciation from The Cavite Association USA in
recognition of her valuable services as president of the organization in 1994-1996. She
supported its scholarship and food program for the indigent people of Cavite.

In celebration of the Philippine Centennial , Luz was appointed overall chairman of the Philippine
Centennial Coordinating Council in the Northeast in 1996, by Dr. Salvador Laurel, former Vice
President of the Philippines and Chairman of the Philippine Centennial Commission.
For her successful leadership and service to government and country, the Philippine Centennial
Commission’s “Gawad Sentenaryo” medal was presented to Luz in 1999, by Dr. Salvador Laurel,
Chairman Philippine Centennial Commission.

Micabalo’s involvement with community affairs did not start nor did it end with Philippine
Independence Day Committee (PIDC ) in New York, where she served in various capacities since
1991, capped by being elected overall chairman of PIDC parade in 1966 and thereafter
appointed to lead the Centennial Celebration in the Northeast. The Philippine Consulate
General in New York acknowledged her substantive contributions to the community with its
yearly PIDC presentation of awards.

Luz Micabalo and Family

On September 11, 1999, Luz
coordinated the first World
Marian Peace Regatta together
with the Founder of Mary’s
Army from the Philippines. It
was held at Battery Park, New
York attended by thousands of
devotees to the Blessed Virgin
Mary. The successful event
included fluvial procession in
the East River with more than
15 decorated boats and yachts,
day of prayer and fireworks.
The event was telecast live via
satellite to the Philippines.

Since 1993, Luz and her
husband, Dr. Zosimo E Micabalo
, a retired surgeon , participate
in yearly
Medical and Surgical Missions in
the Philippines i.e. Oroquieta

City, Misamis Occidental, Dumaguete City Ozamis City to name a few, helping thousands of
medically indigent Filipinos.

In 2000, Luz and her husband moved to Las Vegas from New York . Both have retired from their
professional careers, but not with their community and humanitarian involvement to help
people in need. Her husband is the founder and first president of the UST Medical Alumni
Association -Nevada and Arizona Chapter.

Luz belongs to many civic and social organizations in Las Vegas. She is currently the president
of the Phil-Am Association of Summerlin, Founding board member of the Fil-Am Heritage
Foundation ,
Las Vegas Phil-Am Lions International Club, UPAA-Nevada Chapter, to name a few.

In 2007 Luz and her husband donated a portion of their land in Mindanao to Gawad Kalinga
(GK) to build 30 houses for the poorest of the poor in Bolibol, Oroquieta City, Misamis
Occidental. To date construction is ongoing for the first 10 houses.

In 2001 Luz founded the Phil-Am Charity Foundation a 501 C (3) non-profit public charity
organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service. Hence, the Nevada State Department
of Taxation has issued the sales /use tax certificate to the Phil-Am Charity Foundation. The
Foundation raises funds for the needy and less fortunate people in Las Vegas and the
Philippines. It has donated funds to build houses and a school house in GK’s Las Vegas Village
in Buli, Batangas. It has also donated funds to GILAS through the Ayala Foundation USA.

In 2006, Ambassador Willy C. Gaa, then Consul General of the Philippines in Los Angeles
presented Luz with a Certificate of Appreciation in grateful recognition of her sense of
volunteerism and civic responsibility, support and assistance extended to the Philippine
Consulate General in Los Angeles for the benefit of the Filipino Community in Las Vegas.

She also received a Certificate of Appreciation from the organizers of the Katrina Benefit
Concert 2005 for her immeasurable support and dedicated hard work to raise funds for the
victims of the Katrina Disaster.

Luz received an award from the Filipina Women’s Network as one of the
“100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the US” in Washington DC. October 2007.

Luz has three grown children and one granddaughter : Irene Gonzalez Spoegler, Senior
Cytologist at Sunrise Medical Lab.Long Island, NY; Edward Gonzalez, Marketing Producer ,
Major League Baseball Advanced Media, New York and married to Nicole Basalone Gonzalez ,
Biology Teacher, L.I., New York; Granddaughter Baby Maddy Gonzalez and Rene R.Gonzalez
JR., Deputy Sheriff in Los Angeles.
She loves bowling and joins the annual Las Vegas Marathon/walkathon to raise funds for
charity and GK.

Irene Gonzalez Spoegler, Zosimo E. Micabalo, M.D.,
Luzviminda Sapin Micabalo, Edward Gonzales & Rene R.
Gonzales Jr.