Consular officials visit Rhode Island; meet with Newport mayor, FilAm community

Children from the Filipino American Community of Rhode Island, Providence County celebrate Independence Day. Facebook photo

Children from the Filipino American Community of Rhode Island, Providence County celebrate Independence Day. Facebook photo

Consul General Theresa Dizon-de Vega met with Mayor Henry Winthrop of Newport City in Rhode Island on August 24, and thanked him for the support of the local government for the growing Filipino-American community in the area.

Rhode Island is home to an estimated 4,000 FilAms.

Dizon-De Vega noted the success of Newport City as a booming tourism destination. Winthrop, for his part, expressed appreciation for the visit of the Consul General and cited the contributions of FilAms to the growth of Newport and other cities in Rhode Island, and for promoting cultural diversity in the city and the State.

The two officials explored the possibility of forging a twin city agreement between Newport and a city in the Philippines to promote tourism, cultural and economic exchanges. Dizon-De Vega also invited the mayor to visit the Philippines in his next trip to Asia or as part of the annual U.S. Ambassadors’ Tour.

After the meeting with Mayor Winthrop, the consular officers held a consultation meeting with Filipino-American community leaders in Rhode Island.
There are at least five FilAm organizations in Rhode Island, among them Lingkod Timog, led by prominent community leader Armando ‘Doy’ Heredia; and the Filipino Alliance of Brown University.

There are others, such as HOPE Foundation International, the Filipino-American Association of Newport County, Inc., Mrs. Philippines Centennial USA Foundation, Inc., and Philippine Scout Heritage Society.

Consul General Theresa Dizon-de Vega and Consul Arman Talbo (fourth and third from left, respectively) and community leaders call on Mayor Henry Winthrop of Newport City. Photo: Philippine Consulate

Consul General Theresa Dizon-de Vega and Consul Arman Talbo (fourth and third from left, respectively) and community leaders call on Mayor Henry Winthrop of Newport City. Photo: Philippine Consulate

Dizon-De Vega was joined in the meeting by Consul Arman Talbo, and community leaders Bob Wheeler, Chester Gotauco of the Filipino-American Association of Newport County, Inc., Delicia St. Denis of the Filipino-American Community of South Coast Massachusetts, and Doy Heredia.

In 2013 as the Philippines was being battered by Typhoon Haiyan, Rhode Island’s FilAm organizations came together to organized a concert; raise funds; and solicit clothing, medicine, and canned goods to ship to the Motherland. Their efforts to reach out to family and friends in the Philippines caught the attention of the Providence Journal.

“They spent days calling, texting and emailing contacts throughout the Philippines to find out how their families and close friends were doing…After connecting with family, Rhode Island Filipinos say the challenge became figuring out how to bring them to safety,” reports the Journal.

Rexy Josh Dorado, then a senior at Brown University, spoke to the paper about how the community should focus on “long-term rebuilding effort.”

“So while it’s important to bring immediate issues to light and celebrate the solidarity and perseverance on the ground, there’s a lot that needs to happen beyond this weekend and this month,” he told the paper.

Winthrop was elected mayor of the City of Newport in 2012 until 2014. In 2016, he was reelected to the City Council and continues to serve as mayor. He was elected to the council and served terms from 1990-1993, 1995, and then from 2011-2012.

Rhode Island is nicknamed The Ocean State because of its long coastline extending 400 miles where beaches and islands attract tourism. It is one of 10 states under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate in New York. The others are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

© 2017 The FilAm



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