Dinner for Vicky Garchitorena not a fundraiser to overthrow Duterte: guests
About 30 people, including personal friends, attended a dinner reception for civil society leader Vicky Garchitorena at the Central Park residence of Loida Nicolas-Lewis.
Garchitorena, former president of the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev), and Nicolas-Lewis are long-time friends and known supporters of Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas in the 2016 election.
“It was a very warm night, full of concern and love of our country,” said former Jaycee International President Stevenson Van Derodar. “There was never a mention about ousting the Philippine President Duterte nor funding for the same.”
His comments were echoed by others who came to listen to Garchiterona give her assessment of the Philippine situation.
Darlene Dilangalen Borromeo of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, VP Region 1 Membership, said she was at the reception to welcome Garchitorena “and her presentation of the many humanitarian projects she continuously supports in the Philippines, hence funding to develop women entrepreneurs.”
New York Attorney Noel Valles, said he came to listen to Garchitorena, who is a “great source of information about the Philippines.”
“People need to be aware, and it’s time to speak out and express where we approve and where we disapprove on what’s going on. That’s what democracy is all about,” said Valles, who is former co-chair of the New York Steering Committee of the Ayala Foundation USA (AFUSA), which was the former name of PhilDev.
Garchitorena spoke about her charity and political work in the Philippines. While she talked about women and livelihood initiatives she also spoke at length about Philippine President Duterte, touching on the drug-related killings and impeachment case filed against him on March 16th.
“He’s wrong for the county. I am very upset,” she said, indicating that Duterte is not an ideal role model for Filipino children.
She urged the Filipino American community to get informed and find and create ways to improve situation in the home land.
“Be more informed and politically engaged,” she said.
In addition, Garchitorena spoke about her work with the Samahan ng mga Pilipina para sa Reporma at Kaunlaran (SPARK), a non-profit that trains the government sector on proper implementation of the Gender and Development Law in addition to training women how to become entrepreneurs.
SPARK recently opened LikhangPilipina, a women’s marketplace, at Ali Mall, a major shopping center in Quezon City, to give women enterprises a platform for selling their products.
A number of commemorative coins of the People’s Power in the Philippines were sold to fund training of women entrepreneurs and livelihood groups and support local drug rehab centers at this private event. The initiative is being reported by pro-Duterte bloggers as fundraising to destabilize his government.
“We (at Jaycees) would not participate (in such activities),” stressed Van Derodar.
He said, “We came to the event on the prospect of doing an international project particularly to support initiatives about livelihood and drug rehabilitation. We are aware of the disturbing numbers of the drug-related deaths in the Philippines.”
A spokesperson said about $500 was collected that evening to fund training of women entrepreneurs in the Philippines through SPARK and also for local drug rehab centers.
She said, “Vicky was very very clear that the monies she requested at her reception was to go to poor women in business to help them and to also assist drug rehab. The audience understood clearly where the funds would go. Many present represented nonprofits in the U.S. They would have declined donating should there have been any indication the funds collected would go toward political purposes.”
The evening was a private social gathering to welcome an old friend and colleague, said Marilyn Abalos, former co-chair of AFUSA’s NY Steering Committee.
“Members of the FilAm community as well as local media were present and can attest that this event was a rare opportunity for Vicky to share with us what she has been doing in the Philippines, including her works to help women and families as well as her political activities to ensure a safe and successful Philippines,” she said.
“Seeing Vicky again and her enthusiasm for women’s and livelihood initiatives in the Philippines has once again inspired me to participate in any way I can,” said Maryann Hillman, “and reminded that we are always needed. I cannot forget how her past leadership of Ayala Foundation and PhilDev has taught me that every little bit helps and there are many ways in which we could contribute to our biological motherland. From fundraising to collecting books to mentoring, they are all part of building and re-building communities.”
Some of the guests are careful not to be perceived as aligned with the opposition and declined to be interviewed for this report.
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