Juliet Payabyab: No stranger to FilAms in distress

Visiting an elderly Filipina in a hospital. The patient had an accident in January during a snowstorm. The woman, below, has since returned to the Philippines and is nicely recovering, grateful for the timely assistance she received from the Philippine Consulate and from Juliet Payabyab.

Juliet Payabyab will never forget one elderly Filipina who was found slumped on a corner of Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. When reached by NYPD officers and EMS personnel, she refused medical assistance. Instead, the woman who passed out presumably from hunger went with her friend to a restaurant where she devoured a meal and found solace in the company of a ‘kababayan.’

Juliet came to visit this woman at her home several weeks later, but didn’t find her there. She returned a second time with an officer of the Philippine Consulate and had no luck. Because she is no stranger to Filipinos in distress, Juliet called Elmhurst Hospital and was told the woman was a patient. She had slipped during a dangerous snowstorm and was brought to the hospital in an ambulance.

In January, the woman was moved to a nursing home for rehab.

“I continued to be her Health Care Proxy until about April,” Juliet told The FilAm. “I visited her every day in the hospital all the way to the nursing home, making sure she was eating well, going to her therapy sessions, and adjusting well after cataract surgeries in both eyes.”

Once fully recovered, the woman decided she wanted to go home to the Philippines. Juliet and a consular officer sought a doctor’s clearance for travel, looked for a companion who could be with her on the flight to Manila, and made sure her travel papers and medicine were in her purse. Ever grateful, the woman continues to communicate with Juliet by sending her photos of her pleasant recovery and how she has gained 10 pounds since she left New York!

This has been Juliet’s lifework since she retired as a financial services professional many years ago. If she is not visiting an ailing senior in a hospital, she may be offering to shelter a young mother with child until they are moved to a shelter, or helping with funeral arrangements for an undocumented FilAm with no relatives in New York.

Juliet works closely with the consulate, specifically with Consul Felipe Carino of the Assistance to Nationals unit. Because she lives in Queens, a borough with a large FilAm population, she has become the consulate’s ‘point person’ in cases where urgent attention is critical and the consulate cannot quickly send a staff. She is not a career diplomat, just a retired Filipino American with a compassionate nature, a network of friends with means, and a lot of time at her disposal.

“The Consulate cannot do everything with all the many people who need help,” Juliet acknowledged. “We, in the community, need to help out also.”

At the October 28 The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York awards event at Carnegie Hall, Juliet received an award for ‘Senior Welfare and Advocacy.’ Presenting her trophy were Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr. and community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis, together with AARP executives, such as Community Ambassador Retired Major General Tony Taguba; Beth Finkel, New York State Director; Daphne Kwok, Vice President of Multicultural Markets and Engagement, Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience; and Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, Executive Vice President of Multicultural Markets and Engagement.

“To seniors out there who are living alone, with no relatives around, do not to be afraid to seek help,” said Juliet when interviewed by The FilAm. “There will always be Pinoys who can be counted on to help.”

Juliet is the first woman president of the Philam Lions Club and a two-term president of the Philippine American Communities Executive Council comprising Filipino American civic organizations. As a community leader, she is involved in many religious, social, and fund-raising activities as an officer of the Mindoro Association in New York.

“AARP congratulates Juliet Payabyab and all the TOFA winners on their exceptional accomplishments,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Markets and Engagement, Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience. “We’re proud to sponsor TOFA, a program that embodies the spirit of AARP in which age and experience can expand your possibilities.”

“Other winners include award-winning songwriter Bobby Lopez (“Frozen,” “The Book of Mormon”); fashion designer and philanthropist Josie Natori; Dean of Academic Affairs at Columbia University Sheila Coronel; the founders of Fiesta In America, an annual trade and cultural expo; and the volunteers of the Philippine Medical Association in America.

“We are extremely fortunate to partner with a trusted organization like AARP and applaud them for their support to our community, especially during Filipino American History Month,” said Elton Lugay, founding chair of TOFA.

Juliet said the award is meaningful as it recognizes the quiet work she has been doing for many years. But no publicity is necessary if it were only up to her. “I know myself and the extent of what I can do,” she said.

Receiving her TOFA award from Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr., community leader Loida Nicholas Lewis, and AARP executives Retired Major General Tony Taguba, Beth Finkel, Daphne Kwok, and Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. Photo by Velzon H. Velez