Successful TOFA Past Awardees Reunion in Chicago

CHICAGO, IL, Nov. 3- The first TOFA Past Awardees Reunion held at the Philippine Consulate
General in Chicago last night started at 6:30 p.m. Four main issues were presented to the elite
“Circle of Leaders” - the Twenty Outstanding Filipinos Abroad (TOFA) by two distinguish
Philippine ambassadors Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Ambassador Willy Gaa of the
Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. and Ambassador Lauro L. Baja, Philippine Special
Envoy, on special leave from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, who is traveling
around the United States to meet Fil-Am and global Filipino community leaders. Philippine
Consul General Blisela C. Cabrera of the Philippine Consulate General of Chicago and Nonoy
Mendoza of FILAM and PGON were also in the program to deliver brief remarks.

Chuck Castro (TOFA 1995) of Dayton, Ohio was the master of ceremonies, and assisting in
coordinating the “REUNION” functions were Chicago’s Veronica Leighton (TOFA 1992), Joseph
“Jojo” Quiroz (TOFA 2007), and PGON/FILIM representative Cynthia Jarencio Conroy of Chicago.

The speakers covered four main topics (1) The political situations and the economic
improvements of the Philippines. (2) The problems facing the global Filipinos and how can the
global Filipinos assist in rebuilding the Philippines. (3) How the U.S. immigration issues can
affect the Filipinos in the U.S. (4) Roles TOFA Past Awardees can play in assisting the Philippines;

The first of its kind event sponsored by FILIPINO IMAGE MAGAZINE (FIMA) and the PINOY
GLOBAL ONLINE NEWS (PGON) which has so far 280 TOFA Past Awardees - Circle of Leaders, as
they call themselves - spread around the United States, Canada, the Philippines and other
areas in the globe, more than 60 guests from the Midwestern attended the functioned. The
sumptous gourmet dinner was catered by Mrs, Rose Lichauco of the Sweet Rose Catering and
formerly Wok Express, Chicago’s up and coming caterer. #

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Successful TOFA Past Awardees Reunion in Chicago
By Tony Garcia
PGON Staffwriter

VIP Guests at the first TOFA PAST AWARDEES REUNION
held the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago last night,
Friday, Nov. 2, 2007. From left to right Ambassador Lauro L.
Baja, Ambassador Willy Gaa, Philippine Consul General
Blisela C. Cabrera, and Chicago’s business entrepreneur and
TOFA 2007 awardee, Josef “Jojo” Quiroz..

Guests at the first TOFA Reunion in Chicago last night,
Friday, Nov 2, 2007. From left: Michelle Jusay, Rose
Lichauco, Philippine Ambassador Lauro Baja, Maricel
Lichauco Quiroz, Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Willy
Gaa, Rody M. Bautista of Switchcraft, Inc.; Cynthia Jarencio
Conroy, Josef “Jojo” Quiroz and Charles Lichauco of Key
Financial Services.

SPECIAL AWARD FOR CONSUL GENERAL BLESILA C.
CABRERA Silliman Alumni Int’l Chicago Chapter President
Elsie Sy-Niebar presented a “Most Outstanding Public
Service award to Consul General Blesila C. Cabrera for her
outstanding dedication to public service and compassion
inherent with the values of “Diwang Pilipino”. Presented at
the TOFA reception, Friday, November 2, 2007 at the
Philippine Consulate General in Chicago. President Elsie Sy-
Niebar is a TOFA awardee in 1991. #

Consul General Blesila C. Cabrera delivering a brief remarks