Message From the President - Cristina Sison
PACC-DC President Cristina Sison accepting a token of appreciation gift at the gala.
On behalf of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce DC, I just wanted to take a moment and say...
THANK YOU!
Without the support and help of the business owners and professionals in the area, this fabulous gala would not have been possible.
First, we would like to extend a big thank you to our major sponsors: George Mason Mortgage, Cathay Pacific, US Bank, Stewart Title, Maryland Premier Exteriors, Fairway Mortgage, Embrace Home Loans, Enterprise Solutions Inc, Wheelz up, Strategic National Title, Vizual Interactive Productions, Amboy Apparel, Sison Homes, and UNICEF. Your support has been instrumental in putting this all together.
We would also like to thank Manila Mail, Filipino National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), UP Alumni Association of Metro DC, Philcoman, Ateneo Alumni Assoction of Metro DC, and Filipino Young Professionals - DC among others.
A special thank you to our many generous silent auction donors! We were all impressed by the variety and quality of the products and services that were donated.
Our warm appreciation also goes out to our talented singers Katrina Manabat, Michael Goyone, and Bambi Manalang for sharing their beautiful voices with us. Thank you Deejay and Jun Bustamante for DJ and music duties, and a special mention to Francis Faina and Rommel Simon for the overarching production and stage set up. Also, thank you so much to our excellent emcees for the evening, Olma Inocentes and Michael San Juan. Amazing job everyone!
Singers Katrina Manabat, Bambi Manalang, and Michael Goyone.
To our fashion show designer, Djohn Clement, thank you for gracing us with your superb talent and beautiful dresses all the way from Iloilo City, Philippines. Thank you to Beatriz by Carissa Cruz Evangelista for showcasing their eye-catching bags. Thanks to Diwa de Leon for sharing his musical genius at the gala. Special thanks to Tee Artis of SMTV for your directing a successful fashion show, Marcus Cueno for the great make up work, and Paul Mitchell School Tysons Corner for the lovely hair styling. Thank you to all the models for allowing us to witness your beauty and grace on stage!
From left: Designer Djohn Clement, Director Tee Artis, PACC-DC President Cristina Sison, and musician Diwa de Leon receiving audience applause on stage with the models.
Thank you to Gary Clark and Clarence Vaughn for attending the gala and making some NFL and Redskins fans’ wishes come true.
To all the PACC-DC officers and members, thank you for volunteering your time, energy, and expertise with the gala. New friendships were formed and stronger connections were made. Truly it’s God’s grace with the bayanihan spirit (spirit of community & cooperation) that made this happen. Each and everyone of you played a critical part in making our 25th Anniversary Gala a smashing success!
The PACC-DC officers and board members receiving awards of appreciation for all their hard work.
From left: Philippine Embassy representative, Jef Salonga (Board Member), Cristina Sison (President), Robert Llames (Board Member), Judith Mitchell (Public Relations),
Sheila Bustamante (Treasurer), Juliette Barredo (Board Member), John Cabrera (Board Member), James Mata (Board Member), Joey Lim (Board Member),
Peter Thieman (Board Member), Michael San Juan (Vice President), Francis Faina, (Secretary)
The beneficiary of the gala is Bantay Bata 163, or also known as Child Watch 163. I am truly proud that we as PACC-DC are collectively contributing to something bigger than ourselves in improving the lives of children in our world today. With that in mind, I would like to thank Jing Castaneda-Velasco, Director of Bantay Bata 163, for coordinating with us in this partnership. It is our hope that the Children’s Village will reopen soon and stay open for as long as it is needed.
And last, but certainly, not least: a massive THANK YOU to all the guests who attended the gala, to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to come together to support a good cause and celebrate with us on a memorable night. This event would not have been successful without you all!
If you aren’t already a member, I hope you will seriously consider joining our growing organization.
I look forward to seeing you all at our future events!
Mabuhay!
Cristina Sison
PACC-DC President
#paccdc
