Resumes - Biographies

FE MARTINEZ
PIDCI PRESIDENT 2011-2012

FE MARTINEZ is the consummate community organizer: committed, dedicated, sincere. A Registered Nurse by profession, Fe has transformed her care giving training, expertise and experience into a highly successful business entrepreneurship.

Friendly and humble, Fe has developed and honed her community organization skills to a degree where she is widely known to the Filipino and Filipino-American community as well as the friends and associates of Filipinos in the Greater New York area and beyond.

Ever since she served as the Grand Marshal of the Philippine Independence Day Parade of the then newly-incorporated Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) in 2003, Fe has immersed herself in PIDCI's annual months-long, multi-event commemoration of the anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence for much of her volunteer community endeavors.

Fe prides herself in this avocation. She is of the firm belief that service to the community is a powerful unifying force that can be harnessed in many positive, friendly and productive ways.

This is the main reason that she sought and became this year's President of the Philippine Independence Day Council. Last year, Fe served as Chairman of the Independence Day Parade on Philippine Independence Day, where the participation and attendance set a new record of 100,000.

Antero Martinez – has an enviable PIDC track record with several Chairmanships and Cochairmanships in the various celebration committees such as the Independence Day Parade, General Services, Cultural Festival, Grand Marshal Gala, Independence Ball and Diwa Ng Kalayaan. He was the 2010 PIDCI Coordinator for the Independence Day Parade and Chairman of the Webteam.

Antero Martinez

Ner is currently serving the last year of his second two-year term on the PIDCI Board of Directors. He is currently the Chairman of the Cultural Festival and is a Co-chair of the Independence Day Parade Committee. Ner is actively involved with the Ateneo Alumni Northeast, Inc. He’s also a very active volunteer with the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz of the Filipino Apostolate.

Albert Diala – is one of two who was elected with the highest number of votes in the last PIDCI electetions as a member of the Board of Directors. He has since been elected by the Board as PIDCI Treasurer and appointed as Chairman of the following committees: Membership, Budget and Finance, Commemorative Program, Independence Ball and Independence Day Parade Reviewing Stand; as well as Co-Chairman of the Mrs. Kalayaan Committee.

Albert Diala

Albert mostly concentrates his other volunteer community exploits with the International Lions Clubs, as a repeat President of the New York Manila Lions Club. He began his PIDCI stint some years back as Chairman of the Commemorative Program Committee and has repeatedly Chaired the Parade Reviewing Stand Committee. He is well known far and wide in the community for his involvement in many Filipino and Filipino-American community endeavors.

Rey Flores – is Chairman of the PIDCI General Services Committee. He leads the New York chapter of Alpha Kappa Rho. A FEATI University engineering graduate, he specializes in Infrastructure Design. As an Alpha Kappa Rho leader, he is intensively involved in "give-back to the Philippines" projects. He jumps with enthusiasm when asked to describe Alpha Kappa Rho projects.

Rey Flores

Rey said one of their leading projects is Lapis at Papel (donating pencils, paper and other school supplies to schoolchildren in the Philippines). Another is a "Feed the Hungry" project, a Philippine version of "Meals on Wheels," plus a whole range of other endeavors, i.e. medical missions (a special one being a tuli program – where doctors perform circumcisions).

Angie Molina – is a Chairman of the Grand Marshal Gala Committee and a Co-Chair of the Independence Ball Committee. A Registered Nurse by profession, Angie is also very active as a volunteer community leader. She and her brother have alternated with leading Narvaquenos East Coast USA. They and their membership have kept their membership in PIDCI current for many years.

Angie Molina

Angie is the other one of two who got the highest number of votes in the last PIDCI elections for Board of Directors. In 2010, she continued her run for the PIDCI Board despite the group's presidential candidate's and the other Board candidates' withdrawal the day before elections. She ended up outside the seven (7) elected and was subsequently appointed to the Board.

Violeta McGough – is another recent appointment to the PIDCI Board of Directors. Upon her appointment to the Board, she was immediately appointed Assistant Treasurer by reason of her being the Treasurer of a number of community associations, such as the Kapampangan Foundation and the Thomasian USA Chapter.

Violeta McGough

Violeta did a yeoman’s job in helping out in this year’s Diwa ng Kalayaan (Spirit of Independence) Search, Selection and Coronation Pageant and Gala. She ably assisted the Chairman of the Diwa ng Kalayaan Committee. She is currently employed in a large managing agent for Lloyds of London as an Accounting Specialist.

Romy Somodio – is the PIDCI Chairman of Security Services Committee. As the founding President of the Connecticut Association of Filipino and American Families, Inc., he is a very influential and intensively active community leader. In 2010, he was appointed to the PIDCI Board to complete the term of a member who resigned.

Romy Somodio

Romy has a storied past in the boxing scene, he officiated boxing matches in Olympic Games, the World Cup, World Championships and World Invitational. He was the Secretary General of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP); Head Coach of the Philippine National Boxing Team, and Amateur Boxing Regional Champion.

Art Diongon – is the 2011-2012 Vice President of the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI). He was just reelected President of the Philippine American Association of the Bronx (PAAB, Inc.) and remains an officer of the Filipino American Association of Engineers (FAAE). Art is an Adviser to Kasamahan ng mga Pilipino sa Westchester, ATBP (KAPWA).

Art Diongon

Art went to college at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Bacolod City where he served as PCROTC Corps Commander. He garnered numerous awards for Duty and Leadership. He holds a degree in Public Safety from the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA). He was elected to the PIDCI Board of Directors to serve for the years 2010 through 2012.

Raul Estrellado – is a past President of the Philippine Independence Day Council Inc. (PIDCI). He serves on the current PIDCI Board until the end of 2012. Raul is this year's Independence Day Parade Chair. Raul is an active community leader who continues to come back as President of one of the earliest member organizations of PIDCI – the Laguna Association.

Raul Estrellado

Raul was Vice Commander of the Order of the Knights of Rizal – New York. Professionally, he is a Senior Technical Support at United Parcel Service (UPS). Raul is one of the most seasoned, all around volunteer serving since 1997 in the Independence commemorations. He had been Chief Operating Officer, Director of Operations, General Services Chair, Independence Day Parade Chair, Street Fair Chair, others.

Tess Lobo – is another fast-rising volunteer community leader who is on the PIDCI Board of Directors. Tess was the President of Maharajah USA Inc. (Macabebe USA of the Eastern Seaboard). She is also President of her own Tess Lobo Foundation which she founded in 1966, it helps fund the college education of underprivileged students.

Tess Lobo

Tess was on the Dean's List at the Assumption University in San Fernando, Pampanga where she obtained her Liberal Arts degree. Tess is also the President of the Lobo Enterprises, Inc., an Information Technology and Services company. Last year, she served as Chair of PIDCI's Independence Ball and this year she is a Chair of Diwa ng Kalayaan (Spirit of Independence).

Joyce Castillo – was appointed to the PIDCI Board of Directors in late May in place of one of two resignations from the Board. As a volunteer community leader she is quite active in PIDCI, PAFCOM and PDOC. She is a marketing director at the World Financial Group of the AEGON Group. Joyce is also an accountant and a realtor.

Joyce Castillo

Joyce is on the Board of the FILIPINAS, a member organization of PIDCI. She makes her home in Woodbridge, New Jersey with husband Arnold and their two sons, Mark Sylver and Michael. Joyce hails from Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, in Northern Philippines. Her loves are travel and ballroom dancing, along with family vacations.

Elvira Reyes – is another volunteer community leader with an all around PIDCI experience. Her PIDCI performance through the many years has included shining stints mostly in staging the Diwa ng Kalayaan (Spirit of Independence) Coronation Pageant and Gala and the cultural side of other annual commemorative events. She is a Fashion Designer and a Director of events and presentations.

Elvira Reyes

Elvira is the current President of two member organizations of PIDCI, the Cultural Arts and Dance Company of the Philippines and CHIC, an events organization. In other community pursuits, Elvira is much into gigs and events mostly in the cultural area and related to her being a much sought after fashion guru. Her recruitment into the leadership team for PIDCI has long been coming.

Benjamin Santos, Jr., MD – is the President of Premier Staffing Company (for Physical/Occupational Therapists and Speech Therapists) and concurrently the Executive Vice President of United Staffing Registry, Inc., (NY/NJ) d/b/a United Home Care. At the same time he manages United Travel World Agency, Inc.; companies the Santos family own.

Benjie Santos, MD

Benjie, as he is known to family, friends and associates, outdoes himself in civic-spiritedness and in community service. He is the new President of Aces of Queens Lions Club and is on the Board of Directors of the San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila; both are member organizations of PIDCI. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree from Angeles (Pampanga) University in the Philippines.