SFFACC’s 50th Anniversary Event honors Mona Pasquil Rogers with the Servant Leader Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating Filipino American History Month

September 25, 2023, San Francisco, CA — On October 7, 2023, the San Francisco Filipino American Chamber of Commerce is holding a milestone gala event to commemorate its 50th anniversary and celebrate Filipino American History Month. Starting at 4:30 p.m., the San Francisco Design Center Galleria at 101 Henry Adams Street, San Francisco, California, will be the venue of its festivities. The theme, “Building Bridges: Honoring our Legacy, Embracing our Future”, reflects the chamber’s intention to “connect the dots” of the Filipino business community’s past, present, and future in its business growth and intercultural connectivity. The San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center: Sentro Filipino benefits from the FilAm50 event proceeds

This historic celebration will honor exceptional Filipino community advocates and include networking, a historical review of the chamber, and the installation of newly elected officers and directors.

Mona Pasquil Rogers, SFFACC’s Servant Leader Lifetime Achievement Award, is the Director, California Public Policy, of Meta. Pasquil Rogers served in various political roles in the past two decades. When she became the 47th and Acting Lieutenant Governor of California from November 4, 2009 to April 27, 2010, Mona Pasquil Rogers became the first woman, Filipina, and person of Pacific Islander heritage to hold this position. She was also appointed to the California State Personnel Board in 2019 and was elected to serve as vice president for 2021.

Born as the oldest of five children to a social worker-father and a community activist-mother in California’s Central Valley, Pasquil Rogers is quick to give credit to the Filipino community’s leaders who had paved the way for its empowerment activities, citing them for “leading people with heart”.

Mona Pasquil Rogers says: “It is important to know our story. I am a third generation Filipina. I know I am a product of your dreams. Today, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, those who sacrificed, those who might have left us — their families, their country — to come to this country for a dream, for hope. We stand on the shoulders of those who actually endured more than we talk about today.”

Pasquil Rogers recalls there was a time when she studied briefly in an elementary school where she was one of two children of color. One day, after being bullied by some classmates, a tearful Mona asked her father during their family dinner, “I’m Filipino, right? Why do they call me names other than Filipino?” Mona’s dad replied: “Share who you are. Tell them who you are. They just don’t know.”

When she entered Marymount College, Mona Pasquil Rogers had another life-defining experience. She met a curious young man during her first school mixer, who asked her, “Where are you from?” to which she responded, “Sacramento, California.” He persisted, “Where are you from and what are you?” She responded with “I’m Filipino.” He inquired, “What’s that?” My 18-year-old self retorted, “Are you kidding? The Philippines!”

During this “aha!” moment, Pasquil Rogers revealed, “There was a path. There were two directions in the path. I could be really ticked off and be the rebel I always wanted to be, or I could take the high road that my Lolo and Lola (grandparents) and my parents always taught me. I took that road that my parents taught me to be on.”

The rest of the honorees include: Loida Nicolas Lewis, Business & Philanthropy Lifetime Achievement Award; Sabrina Chaudry-Ellison, Community Impact Award; Philippine Airlines, Legacy Corporation Member Award; and Pearl Parmelee-Cabrera, Legacy Leadership Award.

SFFACC is the first acknowledged mainland-based Filipino American chamber of commerce in the US. 27 years ago, SFFACC became the founding chamber of the Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce (FPACC). As a member chamber of good standing, SFFACC joins FPACC’s 41 member chambers nationwide, including international affiliate organizations.

SFFACC’s 50th anniversary celebration is sponsored by (partial list): Platinum – Make it Mariko, STIIIZY, TFC, GMA Pinoy TV; Gold – NBC Bay Area, Philippine Airlines, Clark Construction, Bahay Sa Pinas, Bank of the Orient, UCSF, Golden State Warriors, Veewz; Silver – Inquirer.net, Island Pacific, Seafood City, Financial Rescue, Sun Tropics, Ramar Foods; Other Media Sponsors – The Filipino American Post, Philippine News Today, Inquirer.net, TFC, and GMA Pinoy TV.

FilAm50 tickets, sponsorship/advertising opportunities, and silent auction bids are available online at FilAm50.com or SFFilAmChamber.org. Attire is Business Formal or Filipiniana. For more information, email info@sffilamchamber.org. Tickets will not be available at the door.