Last Saturday, more than 20 members of the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC) joined in a Silent Walk For Marawi City that covered three miles back and forth.
The participants gathered at the greenway across Asian Library at Baxter Street at downtown Charlotte for the walk.
Dalangin Wheeler, a retiree from the court office who has been in Charlotte for 30 years led the prayer before the walk. In her prayer she asked help from heaven for solutions to the peace and order problem in Mindanao.
This writer who is the incumbent FACC president gave updates to every FACC member on the situation in Marawi City based on accounts of journalist friends covering the area.
Among those who joined the walk were Cip Onia, incumbent 1st VP, Edelweiss de Guzman 2nd VP, FACC auditor Dorena Reynolds who is from Tagum Davao, Tonette Batoon Asay who came from Cagayan de Oro and Miah Respecio Price.
Also joining the walk was former Mrs. USA-Asia Janet Pichon-Hixson who is from Davao City prior to migrating in Charlotte. Hixon was 2nd VP for FACC in 2013.
Other participants were Amelia Lambert, past FACC officer who labored in contacting members to join the walk as well as taking pledges of support, Dhi Donato, Lannie of Lake Wylie who came with her children and Lydia Burdeous also of Tagum City in Davao province and other non-members who were invited.
The collected money will be sent Dr. Dures Tagayuna, incumbent governor of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) in Northern Mindanao.
The FACC learned that Tagayuna and other doctors are spearheading a medical mission on July 26 in Cagayan de Oro where the evacuees,wounded soldiers and the dead are brought in from Marawi City.
The FACC was informally launched in 1988 by a handful of Filipinos headed by Lita Joaquin and a handful of friends to provide information and promote understanding of Philippine culture and heritage to the Americans and other cultural communities in North and South Carolina.
FACC has now developed into a strong community of Filipino-Americans. It is helping in community building not only in Charlotte, NC but also had supported projects and donations to worthy cause in the Philippines.
The Filipino-Americans here in Charlotte are monitoring the events in Marawi City which is still under threat from the Maute terrorist group.
Lydia Burdeos said the search for peace in the country should be a concern among all Filipinos abroad.
De Guzman said she was sad with what is happening there and joined the walk despite a grueling work week. "We've got to be engaged of what is happening," she said.
The walk is considered as a preliminary activity aimed at creating awareness on what is happening in the country. The FACC board of directors is considering to sponsor a forum or a symposium on the Mindanao situation.
The FACC also made contact with Robert de la Serna of Ateneo de Cagayan/Xavier University,office of the Vice-President for Social Development,concerning the relief operations conducted by the school. Filipino-Americans in Charlotte may be far from the conflict zone but they still grieve for the families who lost their loved ones due to the conflict./Susan Palmes-Dennis
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