The acceptance speech delivered at the COPAO Executive Council Meeting held on 1/6/03 by Aurora Soriano Cudal, President, 2003 and 2004, provided a clear foundation for the Programs and Projects of COPAO durring her term of office.
"At the outset, I would like to thank the member organizations that have consistently supported COPAO and all the members of the Executive Council, past and present, for their splendid show of cooperation and participation in the election process.
It is with humility and a deep sense of commitment that I accept the awesome responsibility of leading the Council of Philippine American Organizations of San Diego County, Inc. (COPAO) for the next two years. To be the President among Presidents of Filipino American community organizations is a difficult and challenging one. However, I am confident that my colleagues in the Executive Council would share their time, talents, and expertise as we bring COPAO to a higher level of performance and as we aspire for excellence in the administration of its programs and projects.
Most of you will recall that my brief campaign statement before the election was to add new meaning to the word “COPAO” – C for collaboration, O for organization, P for programs, A for advocacy, and O for outreach. COPAO in the context of these words will be the basic tasks of my administration. Let me define our tasks more clearly.
1. Collaboration. We will promote collaboration among member organizations in the planning and implementation of programs and projects. Some member organizations shied away from the Council because they felt alienated. They are not involved, or if they are, we only tapped them for fund raising events. Collaboration requires respect for member organizations’ leadership and expertise; teamwork in program development; and sharing of skills and resources. “Bayanihan” will be our rallying call.
2. Organization. We will organize the Council into a more cohesive and productive body. The Executive Vice President, the Vice President of Operations and the Vice President for Finance are expected to perform their duties and responsibilities as mandated by the COPAO By-laws. The Working and Adhoc Committees are expected to submit to the Council all their plans for approval. Council meetings will no longer serve as planning meetings but decision-making meetings. “Pagkakaisa at Action Agad” will underscore our efforts.
3. Programs. The life of COPAO and its visibility and credibility depends upon the programs it undertakes for the benefit of the community. We will go beyond our annual events, such as the Philippine Faire and Thanksgiving luncheon. While we will continue existing programs, we will eandevor to develop and implement programs that will respond to the needs of the community, such as Youth Development, Women’s Empowerment, Family Life Education, Voters Registration, Senior Resource Center. We will collaborate with health and social service agencies, such as the Kalusugan Community Services and the Operation Samahan Health Clinic, in promoting access to available health and social services. No Filipino or Filipino American should be denied access to health and social services, legal services, skills training and job placement. We will strengthen our Information, Referral and Counseling Service so that COPAO can effectively serve as a link to service organizations and vice versa. We will work with the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce and the Filipino American Development Intitiatives, Inc. in our quest for economic empowerment. “Balikatan at tulungan” will be our motivation in program implementation.
4. Advocacy. We will serve as a strong voice in support of legislations that are beneficial to our constituency and to the community as a whole. We will advocate for the early resolution of the Veteran’s issue. We will initiate efforts for or work with other organizations to make the Filipino language as a permanent curricular subject in the Linguistics Program of Colleges and Universities here in San Diego County. Let us not deny our children the opportunity to learn and understand our language. They will better appreciate our rich cultural heritage and who we are as a people if they can speak Filipino. We will advocate for political empowerment of the Filipino American community. If we can make candidates for public office win, why can’t we ourselves run for public office? We are not wanting of qualified men and women to run for public office or to serve in Boards and Commissions in the County or in the City where Filipino Americans reside. Now is the time to get involved in decision-making bodies and to be heard on issues that affects our people and our community. Panahon Na!.
5. Outreach. We will endeavor to reach out to member organizations in the spirit of unity, as we plan and implement the various programs and projects of COPAO. Let us make Filipino American associations proud of their membership with COPAO. Let us support their projects just as we expect them to support COPAO-led projects. Let us try to minimize duplication of events and holding these events on the same day. Hopefully, through our outreach efforts, COPAO will be able to build an information system about our community so that eventually, COPAO can serve effectively as the Clearinghouse of Information about the Philippines and Filipino Americans. “Abot kamay” Let us open our hands, reach out to other organizations. It is my experience that the more you give, the more you will receive. And this is true with organizations.
These endeavors require dedication and commitment of our time and resources. It is time for the Executive Council to commit some of its resources to the hiring of a qualified person to manage the day-to-day activities of COPAO. We cannot totally rely on volunteerism. It is our hope that during our incumbency, we will be able to raise funds to support the position of an Executive Director. We have the building, we have a strong financial management system, now, it is time for us to deliver viable programs to the community. Panahon Na!
I firmly believe that we will get the support of the community if we change our imagery of COPAO as an umbrella organization. Let us now see COPAO as a “Giving Tree” – a tree that has been planted thirty years ago by visionary men and women. It has now deep and strong roots. The branches are represented by member organizations. Our programs represent the leaves and fruits. For the past years, COPAO has been maligned and criticized by some uninformed quarters. It has withstood the storms of criticism and tornadoes of heated discussions and miscommunication. It has given rise to organizations that has branched out to serve as models of community health development.
It is time to spruce the tree with programs and services or to prune the branches so that new branches and new leaves will come out. Let us support and nourish COPAO with our talents, with our dedication and commitment.
It is time for a new beginning and a new meaning for COPAO. And the time is NOW. Panahon Na!"
FREE UC SAN DIEGO SUMMER RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS
Interested in: Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences, Psychology/Mental Health, Allied Health
The UC San Diego School of Medicine will pay a $2,340 stipend to each participant to cover room and board, training costs, activities, and more!!!
UCSD is especially looking for students who are first in their families to go to college, from a low-income background, or from an underrepresented minority group.
Please take note of the deadlines on the flyer.
