An evening of fellowship and camaraderie marked the barbecue-get together event hosted by Ms. Carmen Colet at her residence on 9 September 2012. Ms. Colet was recently appointed by Mayor Edwin Lee as the Chairperson of the San Francisco Manila Sister City Committee (SFMSCC).
The event was organized to introduce the new set of officers and advisers of SFMSCC and to promote membership application and renewal.
During the event’s short program, Ms. Colet thanked the many guests for expressing their support for the SFMSCC. She discussed the Committee’s objectives and plans, including a possible trade mission to the Philippines in the second half of 2013.
Philippine Consul General Marciano A. Paynor, Jr. welcomed the new leadership and members of the reorganized SFMSCC and reiterated the Philippine Consulate General’s continued support to the organization and to its new set of officers and members. He said the Consulate General is looking forward not only to the continued growth of SFMSCC’s Bay-area wide membership but also to the expansion of its advocacies and endeavors on trade and technology exchange and investments.
Ms. Vicki Bamba, the Vice Chair of the Committee introduced the rest of the new officers and members of the Advisory Board, which included former members of the committee. Also present in the gathering were former Consul General to San Francisco, Ambassador Romeo Arguelles and Mr. Juan Collas, one of the founding officers of the committee.
Ms. Hydra Mendoza of San Francisco’s Unified School District, as SFMSCC Education Committee Head, called on everyone to support SFMSCC’s efforts to promote education as a legacy to our younger generations.
The SFMSCC was founded in April 1961. The Committee is part of the Office of the Mayor of San Francisco, and is mandated to serve as the preeminent cultural and economic link between San Francisco and Manila.