FACC 2019 yard sale a success

By Susan Palmes-Dennis

Last Saturday’s (Aug. 31) successful yard sale organized by the 2019 Board of directors of the Filipino American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC) inspired the group to hold another sale this time on September 28.

FACC president Muffy Therrien confirmed this right after the end of the yard sale which saw late comers still buying the unsold items just as the volunteers were about to pack them away.

The yard sale began at 7 a.m.  The Sept. 28 yard sale will help raise funds for the FACC’s 32nd Gala.

Among the items sold at Therrien’s home were assorted clothing, kitchen and cooking items, knick knacks,  books,  bicycles and child strollers and vanity items.

Dr. Nini Bautista de Garcia, Grace Basilan, Jyoti Friedland, Dhi Donato, Muffy Theirren, Liza Salyer, Marjorie Ray and Dorena Reynolds donated the items for the yard sale and they are accepting donations for the Sept. 28 yard sale.

“This is the first time in the history of FACC that this was made,” the soft spoken Lynn Lorenzo Polk, past FACC president, told everyone present.  The FACC 2019 Board of Directors will pass a resolution thanking the donors for the Aug. 31 yard sale.

FACC Yard Sale on Saturday, Aug. 31

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

For anyone in the market for cheap, quality goods, the yard sale sponsored by the Filipino American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC) on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 2151 Wynbourne Drive in Gastonia, North Carolina 28056 may be right up their alley.

This was confirmed by FACC president Muffy Therrien after the Aug. 24 regular meeting of the group’s board of directors held at the Asian Library. The big sale starts at 6 am. 

Therrien said proceeds of the yard sale will help fund the FACC Gala scheduled November 16 at Hilton Hotel.  This year’s Gala night will hand out additional awards, prizes and recognition to participants. 

Assorted home goods, kitchen, art works and many more are available for purchase at the yard sale. Therrien asked the FACC members and the community to donate used books and other items of general use to the FACC yard sale.  

For those interested to donate and give please contact any of your officers and area representatives near you.

A list of FACC officers one can contact include the following: Muffy Theirren, Gastonia County; Dorena Reynolds, Charlotte area; Emlyn Burgess Concord area; Ron Dennis, Huntersville and Cornelius; Gina Minnick, Gastonia area; and representatives all over Charlotte like Jlanani Wallace, Marissa Borja, Marjorie Ray, Liza Talyer, Rose Talley and Lulu Land. 

In a related development the search for Mr. and Mrs. Gala Night, Miss Teen Gala and Best in International Gown are among the highlights in the coming 32nd Gala at Hilton Charlotte University Place on November 16.  

Tickets are still sold at $65 and are non refundable.  Gala tickets are now available for sale and interested buyers can contact any member of the FACC board of directors near them.  The sitting arrangement is on a first paid basis for those wishing to be seated near the stage. 

Get ready for FACC 2019 Night Gala at the Hilton

To Filipino-Americans in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, please save this date November 16 on your calendar.  

That’s because Nov. 16 is the date set for the annual Gala of the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC) after last week’s meeting by the FACC 2019 board of directors headed by its new president Muffy P. Therrien.

“Due to some changes, there is also a change of date and venue,” Therrien said. 

The 32nd Gala will he held at Hilton Charlotte University Place located at 8629 J. M Keynes Drive, Charlotte.  The first Gala was held in 1988 at the Royce Hotel, said Dr. Nini RB Bautista de Garcia in the book “Footprints of the Past 30 years of FACC Galas.”

This year’s Gala would have special awards like Best National Costumes (male, female and couple).  

A sterling lineup of performers are on hand to entertain the crowd. Tickets are sold at $65 which is non refundable but transferable and assignable to allow everyone to attend. 

Everyone is encouraged to purchase tickets early to have tables near where the action is at the stage.  For those with kids and who want to enjoy the night there is nanny service available for taking care of your kid/s. 

Please contact officers and area representatives near you for tickets sales and reservations./Susan Palmes-Dennis

Pinoy Jam Barkada leads performers for FACC Summer Picnic

By Susan Palmes-Dennis

The Pinoy Jam Barkada band will lead the list of performers scheduled for the Summer Picnic sponsored by the Filipino American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC) this Saturday, June 8.

Incumbent FACC president Tonette Asay said the Pinoy Jam Barkada will perform six original Pilipino music (OPM) plus two songs from their guest singer Emelyn Burgess, current FACC auditor. The band will serenade the crowd during their meals.  The band is composed of Gerry Canta, Adam Yabes, Glenn Espiritu, Sain Diaz, Tarah Hang and Oliver Rodriguez.

The band used to be known as Tara and the Emojis.  Their latest performance was during the Charlotte Amore Dance Event in February organized by the Couples for Christ (CFC). 

The members used to be with other bands in the Charlotte area and they bonded together with  their common love of music.  

They formed the Pinoy Jam Barkada and they made a name for themselves not only in the Filipino-American community but in neighboring areas too. 

This year’s FACC Summer Picnic carries the theme “Pagbabalik-Tanaw sa Mga Larong Pinoy (Reminiscing our Childhood Games).”  Jake Miranda, manager for Ancop Foundation Inc’s Southeast Asian Region will lead the invocation while Emelyn Burgess will conduct the National Anthems of the US and Philippines. 

FACC President Tonette Asay will deliver the welcome address while a “Dance Dahil  sa Iyo” program follows with Doreen Reynolds and Emelyn Burgess leading the way.  A keyboard performance by Zild Dalton of songs like “Faded” and “Hello” by Adele is also included along with an interpretative dance number by Jamie Burgess and Cadence Neely of the song “Riptide.”

Pinoy games like jumping rope, sack race, sipa, tug of war, Chinese garter, tiyakad, limbo rock and sangkayaw are included and open to everyone in attendance, Doreen Reynolds said.  Tons of prizes await the winners.

In between the games are intermission numbers like a gymnastics routine by Karolyne Dalton set to the songs “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.  Abby Thomas is also on tap to perform the song “Can’t Help Falling In Love” on ukulele while Marissa Borja will perform songs like “Boom Boom” and “Girl in the Mirror.”

Cip Onia, 2018 FACC First VP and this year’s Volleyball Chairman, will announce the winners and close the program.  Joy Moore will host the picnic while Dr.Cris Villapando will lead the prayers before meals.  The summer picnic ill be held at Park Road Park from 10 am to 4 pm.  

Food, music, dance galore in FACC Summer Picnic

Music, games and food galore are all in abundance in the annual Summer Picnic sponsored by the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC) on Saturday this week, June 8, at the Park Road Park.

The PinoyJamBarkada band are among the headliners for the event, said incumbent FACC president Tonette Asay.  

The PinoyJamBarkada will perform six Filipino songs plus two more from their guest singer Emelyn Burgess, current FACC Auditor.  The band is composed of Gerry Canta,  Adam Yabes,  Glenn Espiritu,  Sain Diaz,  Tarah Hang  and Oliver Rodriguez.

The band used to be known as Tara and the Emojis and their latest gig was during the Charlotte Amore Dance Event in February organized by the Couples for  Christ.  

They used to come from other bands but have since grouped together and are becoming a favorite in the Charlotte area.  The FACC Summer Picnic  carries the theme “Pagbabalik-tanaw sa Mga Larong Pinoy  (Looking back on Filipino Childhood Games).

Jake Miranda, manager of Ancop Foundation Inc’s Southeast Asian Region will lead the invocation while Emelyn Burgess will conduct the National Anthems of the US and Philippines.

President Tonette Asay will welcome guests.  A dance segment to be led by Doreen Reynolds and Emelyn Burgess is also on tap aside from a keyboard performance by Zild Dalton. FACC first VP for 2017 Cip Onia is the chairman of the volleyball event./Susan Palmes-Dennis

Fun Class 73 reunion of Jose Abad Santos High School in Charlotte

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

It has been said that a person has to recall a happy memory as often as he or she can and this is especially true when one attends family or class reunions.

One such class reunion is is Class 73 of the Jose Abad Santos High School in San Fernando, Pampanga (JASHS) held in North Carolina recently.   Jose Abad Santos High School is now named Pampanga High School and it takes pride in one of its former graduates, the late Philippine president Diosdado Macapacal.

About 29 people--20 graduates and nine spouses--came from all over the US, Europe and Canada to attend the three-day reunion held last May 16.

On the opening day, the batch mates were treated to an arrival dinner at the Ferreras Home in Concord, North Carolina.  The host Angel Ferreras is a member of Class 73.

Class 73 consisted of 25 sections of 40 to 50 students each or 1,000 graduates that year. Angel and his lovely wife Herminia hosted, a boodle  fight (a communal meal in which diners partake of the food spread on the table).  Soul music wafted through the early summer night, sparking animated conversations among those present.

The dinner at North Carolina was the  first for JASHS 73.  Class 73 holds its reunion every one to two years either in the Philippines or in the US.  Most of the attendees have never been to NC.  Angel wanted to show to friends the best that North Carolina had to offer.    “We held a smoke pit barbecue in Concord to Biltmore house/estate in Asheville.  They also ate at Bojangles and shopped at Charlotte’s premium outlets,”  Mrs. Ferreras said.

Last year year it was held in San Diego, California.

Here's a photo of the attendees.  

Standing from left are Dr Jun Canaria from Maryland

Edan Garcia- Toronto Canada

Annie Martinez- Arizona

Lucy Galang- Chicago

Peter Puno- Switzerland

Lourdes Velasco- Maryland

Greg Velasco - Maryland

Ian Arranza- Virginia

Gloria Mangune- Portland

Armando Panlilio- California

Ed Miclat- San Diego

Rommel Meneses- Jacksonville

Angel Ferreras - Concord NC

Ritz Panlilio- California

Lerna Meneses- Jacksonville

Second row from left

Alma Canaria - Maryland

Lot Mather - Florida

June Concepcion- Vancouver

Mollet Aranza - standing from Virginia

Lilian Julian - Chicago

Alma Scali- New York

Elvira Atienza- New Jersey

Emmy Puno- Switzerland

Shirley Cristobal Hermie from Concord, NC

Front row

MC Canlas - San Francisco

Val Cristobal - Michigan

Dr Cezar Tapnio- New Jersey
Cristobal- Michigan 
and Armand Atienza.

Angel Ferreras provided live music courtesy of the IBand.  For those who attended the reunion it was yet another precious memory to be savored in their life’s journey with more to come in next year’s reunion.

Pinoy volunteerism in 20th Asian Festival

Jay An Anderson carried by Lydia Reynolds with Samantha clad in a green shirt

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Charlotte, North Carolina --The story of Liza McNamara and Joan Anderson is one characterized by volunteerism.

Who says you can’t help a community if you have a daughter and granddaughter of your own?  Liza McNamara is a living contradiction of that misperception.  Liza McNamara is a beautiful grandmother of four-year-old  Samantha while Joan is a beautiful mother of 20-month-old Jay An.

Both are Filipino-Americans who live close to each other so Samantha and JayAn can play.  They were asked by the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC) incumbent Secretary Dorena Reynolds to volunteer in selling Filipino food during the 20th Asian Festival held last May 18. 

Since it was the first time for the FACC to be in charge of selling food, they had to recruit volunteers to handle the long lines of patrons.  

Liza McNamara and Joan Anderson

Joan didn’t hesitate when asked by Reynolds to volunteer as she wanted to experience something familiar.  

Joan was a volunteer during her life in Valencia town, Bukidnon province, helping out in distributing barangay (village) assistance during assemblies.

Both Liza and Joan decided to take turns babysitting the kids. On the day of the festival, Joan helped prepare the tables and transfer the utensils for cooking at the designated stall reserved for the Filipino American Spirit (FAS) that is used by the FACC this year. 

Joan, the tall Pinoy with long hair blended well with FACC Officers Marjorie Ray, Marissa Borja, Gg Minnick, Muffy Therrien and Muffy’s daughter Miko.  They were all in the front line taking orders, giving orders and answering questions.

FACC past president Dell Fallar was not only the go-to-girl but managed the whole operation. “I made friends and the officers of the FACC who were with me where good,” Joan said.  She said she and Liza worked well together during the whole activity while watching over the kids.

The Carolinas Asian-American Chamber of Commerce and the Asian Boat Race Association organized the Asian Heritage Month which celebrated its 20th year last Saturday, May 18.   The Philippines is one of many Asian countries that participated in the event. 

This year the FACC sold standard Filipino classics like adobo, pancit, barbecue, rice, dinuguan and biko laced with ube and baked siopao to the attendees.  Even non-standard fare like balut and mangoes with bagoong that was personally cooked by Area Rep Liza Salyer were served.

Yes, the Reynolds girls Lydia and Lyndsey likewise helped in keeping Samantha and JayAn busy and happy.  At the end of the day everyone went home happy, satisfied and looking forward to next year’s edition of the Asian Festival.  

Me posing with the kids.