Seattle, WA - Over 500 Fil-American community leaders and advocates throughout the United States and other countries will discuss how to "Forge a New Filipino-American Agenda for the 21st Century" and promote the welfare and well-being of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans through unity and empowerment come September.
The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Filipino Chamber of Commerce, will hold its 8th National Empowerment Conference, on September 26-28, 2008 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle.
Presidential candidates Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain have been invited. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is expected to speak.
Other invited guests are Senator Maria Cantwell, Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire, King County Executive Ron Sims, and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels. Conference speakers are Scott Oki, founder and chairman of Oki Golf and Oki Developments, Paul Jensen of Microsoft, and Tiffany McVeety of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
"As a national Filipino American organization, it is important for our community to hear what our public officials have to say about the issues affecting us," says Alma Q. Kern, NaFFAA National Chair.
"While we cannot endorse political candidates
due to our tax-exempt status, we hope to encourage Filipino Americans to be actively involved in getting out the vote in November and become more engaged in the elections. This is what community empowerment is all about.
"The conference will focus on political empowerment, human and health services, economic development, youth education, cultural programs, the media, and arts. It will be an opportunity to meet community leaders and advocates from different states and countries who
have championed the causes of Filipinos and Filipino Americans and hear of their successes, to move forward and be empowered at all levels."
Adds Alex Borromeo, president of FCCPNW: "We are really energized by this first collaborative conference between the chamber here in the Pacific Northwest and NaFFAA. Our goal is to help forge partnerships and connect small to medium-sized businesses, especially minority-owned, with Fortune 500 companies and government. These agencies
will be available to discuss business opportunities and initiate preliminary decisions for new partnerships."
NaFFAA's purpose is to monitor legislation and public policy issues affecting Filipino Americans and work in coalition with other national groups around common issues and concerns. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it is recognized by policy-makers,
private industry and national advocacy groups as the voice of Filipinos and Filipino Americans throughout the nation.
Non-partisan and non-profit, it has more than five hundred Filipino-American institutions and umbrella organizations as affiliates. Its twelve regions cover the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Marianas.
Conference registration fee is $195 per NaFFAA delegate, covering all workshops, materials, meals and a gala dinner. Registration fee for Chamber attendees is $125, lunch included. Reservations for booth exhibitors are also available at $200 for non-profit organizations and $400 for commercial exhibitors. For business track attendees, the fee is $125 lunch included.
To attend the conference, be an exhibitor or for more information, contact Mariela Fletcher: marielfletch@msn.com or tel. no. 206-892-0075. You can also visit www.naffaa-pacnw.org
