FACC holds election, Christmas party on Dec. 6

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

The election of the new set of officers for the Fil-American Community of the Carolinas (FACC) and their annual Christmas party will be held this Saturday,  December 6.

This was learned from Tracy Borja, FACC Auditor and Press Relations officer who posted the announcement on the FACC's Facebook page and informed me. The theme for this year's party is “Give Love on Christmas Day.”

The annual Christmas party starts at 4 p.m. at the Crown Point Elementary School located at 3335 Sam Newell Road Matthews.

The annual Christmas party is also the last official act of the incumbent officers of the FACC, the largest Fil-American organization in the Carolinas.

Hannah Laabid

The incumbent FACC officials are led by its president Malette Aquino-Oliveros Dr. Michael (Mike) Borja, its 1st vice president, Kaye Ronquillo Antone, 2nd vice president, Lota Mascarenas as secretary, Luisa Castaneda as treasurer. Tracy Borja as auditor and public relations officer. 

Area representatives are Blessel M. Butler, Mary Jane Maturan-Canippe,Terry Laabid and yours truly, Susan Palmes-Dennis.

The Christmas get-together will start with the invocation by Lota Mascarenas incumbent secretary while the Philippine National Anthem will be sung by all. 

Oliveros will give the opening remarks while the Pinoy Noir, a local band of doctors, will perform a special number. The candidates will be presented to the audience followed by a special routine to be formed by ATA World Champ Lance Lawsin.

Hannah Laabid will reportedly perform a gymnast routine. Details of the program have yet to be finalized, Borja said. Games and dances will also be featured. The FACC is encouraging members and guests to share their specialty dishes because the party is a potluck event.

A system was employed to ensure that every guest will bring a different dish to the table. This consists of the guests bringing food that corresponds to the first letter of his or her last name.

Letters A-D will bring adobo (chicken, beef, pork stew), E-H-pancit/palabok (Chinese egg noodles), I- L spaghetti, M-P fried chicken wings, Q-T desserts and U-Z vegetable dishes.

ATA World Champ Lance Lawsin

The nominees for the various positions are now with the FACC's Comelec. Section 3 of Article X of the FACC constitution and by-laws provide the committee on election shall be responsible for soliciting nominations for all offices insuring that the candidates nominated possess the qualifications to run for such offices and such nominations is accepted in writing by the candidate.

The committee shall oversee the manner of election, including the distribution and accounting og ballots.  The Comelec has the power to declare the elected officers. 

FACC area representative Terry Laabid extended the group's greetings to every member. 

”May this Chrsitmas end the present year on a happy note and make way for a fresh and bright new year. Wishing you all more blessings and may the coming year be filled with joy and prosperity,” she said.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)