Fil-Am teachers’ awards night for teachers, students, leaders

NEW YORK CITY– Various awards will be given to teachers, students and leaders in education and community during the Association of Fil-Am Teachers of America, Inc. (AFTA) “Gabi ng Parangal” 1:00-6.00 p.m., November 14, at Astoria World Manor in Queens.

The awards–AFTA-UG, PERLAS, AFTA-LEADS and DTA—“epitomize excellence, dedication, leadership and support of AFTA’s causes.”

AFTA-Ulirang Guro (AFTA-UG) award recognizes Filipino American teachers who give significant contributions to the profession by raising the standards of pedagogy through their meaningful, progressive and creative teaching techniques. Nine educators were chosen by the selection committee after the final interview of all the candidates.

Meanwhile, five young Filipino American students will be conferred AFTA’s first Philippine American Exemplary Responsive Leadership Award for Students (PERLAS). The awardees are students in middle and high school and college in the U.S. chosen for their excellent scholarship and exemplary and responsive leadership in and outside of their schools. The selection committee praised the students for being smart, confident, focused and, most significantly, respectful.

Ric Mendoza, a member of the panel, remarked about the winners: “I confidently say that the Filipino American community will be in good hands. Thank you to your parents and teachers for helping you become what you are today and will be in the future.”

Leadership in Educational Administration Distinguished Service (LEADS) award is given to educators who hold a leading position in an educational institution in the U.S. It highlights their outstanding accomplishment on creating exceptional educational environment for their faculty, staff and students. Recipients of this year’s LEADS award include directors, an assistant principal and a college dean in preschool to tertiary settings.

AFTA confers the Dona Teodora Alonzo award (DTA), its highest, to an individual or group who provides a tremendous influence and invaluable contribution to the association’s overall achievements and to the growth and uplift of education as a whole.

So named after the mother and first teacher of the Philippine’s national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the award will be given to Carol Tanjutco, an accountant and lawyer, for her over a decade of support for the association.

AFTA also takes great pride in its many projects like Balikturo (seminars and workshops for teachers in the Philippines); Paaralan Sa Konsulado, in partnership with the Philippine Consul General in New York; Adopt a Classroom and Scholar; Books for the Philippines and a few others. Most projects are offered free.

Below are the awardees during the Gabi Ng Parangal.

AFTA Ulirang Guro: Regan Duka, Highbridge Advisory Council Day Care Center, NY; Divina Forneas, P. S. 140 The Eagle School, NY; Josefina N. Goodwin, Ph.D. Raleigh Egypt High School, Tennessee; Rodolfo Macasinag, Queens Adult Language Center, NY; Helen Rostata-Pesola, Pace University, Department of Veteran Affairs NY Harbor Healthcare System; Juliet Sasuman, Washington Metropolitan High School, Washington, D.C.; Eleuterio Timbol, Ph. D., High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety, NY; Gina Vallejera, I. S. 10 Horace Greeley, NY; Regie Zamora, Anne Arundel County Public School, Maryland.

AFTA PERLAS: Andrea Rosanelle Cadornigara, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College; Samantha Abaya Campos, Bergen Community College; Elaine Ficarra, STEM Academy; Gary Pesola, Brooklyn Technical High School; Monica Grace San Agustin, St. Peter’s University.

AFTA-LEADS: Ira l. Ching, UPK Educational Director, Brooklyn Chinese-American Association, New York; Rick Domingo, Deputy Director for English Language Learners, Staten Island Borough Field Support Center, NYCDOE; Mercy C. Dungog, Education Director, Highbridge Advisory Council Head Start, Bronx, NY; Cindy H. Dy, Assistant Principal, C. S. 154M; Girlie E. Mercado, Education Director, La Peninsula Head Start Center 5, Bronx; Zenaida I. Ramirez, Director, Promesa Inc., New York; Perlita N. Recaido, Assistant Principal, Our Lady of Lourdes School, New York; Dolores C. Tolentino, Agency Educational Director, United Bronx Parents Day Care Center Inc., Bronx; Efigenia A. Ubaldo, Educational Director, MAMA Program LLC, Forest Hills, NY; and Prof. Lorli Dimaala, Head of Education and Psychology Department Touro College.

Sponsors and presenters include: Helen Ubal-Howard, Mercy Grace Veloso, Western Union, Erie Agustin Medical Group, Tito Rad’s Restaurant, Rena Pedaria, Raul Cajigas, Charito Horschig, Miliza Romero, Ramon and Pacita Ros, and Edith Plecis. Our official media sponsors are GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV.

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