UNIPRO CONGRATULATES 2015-2016 EXECUTIVE BOARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:      

Iris Zalun

iris.zalun@unipronow.org

UNIPRO CONGRATULATES 2015-2016 EXECUTIVE BOARD

New York, NY - August 13, 2015 - On August 13, Pilipino American Unity for Progress, Inc. (UniPro) announced that its Board of Directors has appointed the organization’s new Executive Board for its 2015-2016 fiscal year. Kirklyn Escondo will assume the role of President, Stephanie Chrispin will serve as Vice President, and Alyssa Esteban will serve as Secretary General.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve the Pilipino American community in the capacity of UniPro President,” states Kirklyn. “It is an honor and privilege to work with such a passionate Executive Board and staff, and I look forward to building with other community members, leaders, and organizations towards a truly unified and engaged Pilipino America.”

The new Executive Board brings many years of Filipino American community experience to UniPro’s leadership. Kirklyn is a clinical researcher who has been involved in the community since her undergraduate career at New York University. She joined UniPro in 2009 as a member of the organization’s inaugural batch of interns, and since then, has served in the roles of Director of Community Building and Secretary General. Stephanie, who joined UniPro in 2012, works in the philanthropic sector; she is trained in nonprofit management and earned her MPA in Health Policy and Finance from NYU Wagner while serving as UniPro’s Director of Fundraising. Alyssa also joined UniPro in 2012. A graphic designer, she graduated from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, where she was President of Rutgers Association of Philippine Students (RAPS).

(From left to right) Kirklyn Escondo, Stephanie Chrispin, and Alyssa Esteban

UniPro also announced its newest members on the Board of Directors. Co-founder and former Executive Director Bryan Lozano, former President Iris Zalun, and former Vice President Noel Aglubat join incoming Chairperson Steven Raga, Marisa McCloskey, and Maria Cruz Lee on the Board.

Under its new leadership, UniPro aims to continue promoting visibility and equity in the Filipino American community, especially by promoting civic engagement and raising awareness of social justice issues affecting Filipino Americans and other communities of color. The organization also aims to continue celebrating the local artists and storytellers who are sharing and archiving the community's experiences and contributions to the rich fabric of American society. UniPro kickstarted the fiscal year this month by collaborating with My Baryo, My Borough, a community-curated oral history initiative to archive the Filipino American experience in Queens, NY.  

For more information about UniPro, go to http://unipronow.org/. For more about My Baryo, My Borough, go to http://www.mybaryomyborough.com/.

Photo Credits:

Kirklyn's headshot: Chauncey Velasco (chaunceyvelasconyc@gmail.com)

Stephanie's headshot: Natalia Roxas (natalia@filipino.kitchen)

Alyssa's headshot: Rexon Arquiza (rexon.arquiza@gmail.com)

About Pilipino American Unity for Progress, Inc. (UniPro)

Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro) is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that envisions a unified and engaged Pilipino America. Founded in 2009, UniPro’s mission is to engage Pilipino Americans through collaboration, advocacy and education. It seeks to transform Pilipino students & young professionals into community leaders through its various programs, which incorporate professional development, history, and policy through the lens of the Pilipino experience. The organization allows Pilipino Americans the opportunity to explore their place in the community in the hope of owning their niche. Ultimately, UniPro asks Pilipino Americans to critically answer, “How do you define Progress?”

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Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro) Announces 2013-2014 Executive Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Therese Franceazca Balagtas, Director of Communications, guest contributor

On August 28th, Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro) announced their newly elected executive board officers for 2013-2014. The new board will consist of Rachelle Ocampo as President, Iris Zalun as Vice President, Jonelyn Planillo as Treasurer, Kirklyn Escondo as Secretary, Randy Gonzales as Legal Counsel, and Suzette Briones as Board Chairperson.

This year’s election was held in Manhattan and was presided by Founder, Former Executive Director, and current Board of Trustee member Steven Raga.

In addition to the newly elected executive board, a newly appointed set of staff members were also introduced: Program Director of Staff Development: Iris Zalun, Head of HR: Marisa McCloskey, Program Director of Community Building: Kirklyn Escondo, Community Building Proxy: Carlo Limbog, Program Director of USAPAN: Mark Libatique, Director of Information Technology: Keith Guirao, Interim Director of Communications: Therese Franceazca Balagtas, Blog Director: Ryann Tanap, Summit Co-Chairs: Noel Aglubat and Jennifer Delos Santos, Grant Writing Chair: Randy Gonzales, and Fundraising Chair: Stephanie Chrispin.

Elected for a second term as UniPro’s president, Rachelle Ocampo states, "I cannot begin to express my appreciation that I was elected to be a part of this truly inspiring group of community leaders for another year. Last year was a wake-up call for our Executive Board that there is so much outreach, issues, and education that needs to be addressed. There were many challenges that drove the E-board to grow both as individuals and as community leaders. I cannot thank the ladies I worked with the past year enough for their persistence and motivation to keep going. I always joked around whenever someone mentions how well I am leading UniPro, but in reality- it was the extreme dedication and sacrifices of the E- Board- Iris, Jonelyn, & Meriden; the Program Directors, Kirklyn Escondo, Kristina Joyas, Gecile Fojas, Ivan Gonzales, Keith Guirao, and our incredible Staff & Interns that made each event and initiative a success. This year we have a huge responsibility to continue our collaborative efforts and break barriers in the Asian community- the time is now to educate, collaborate, and act!"

Kirklyn Escondo discusses her new role as the organization’s Secretary and talks about the goals of the organization. Ms. Escondo states, “I look forward to being of service to UniPro and the Filipino community in my new capacity as Secretary. I hope to contribute to UniPro's mission and vision by actively finding new, innovative ways for UniPro to work collaboratively with organizations and individuals who have the like-minded goal of promoting unity and progress in the Filipino community.”

UniPro is currently preparing for UniVote 2013, an initiative promoting civic engagement in the Filipino American community.

If you would like to join or contact UniPro, please forward your inquiries to Kirklyn Escondo at kirklyn.escondo@unipronow.org or feel free to attend our monthly staff meetings on the first Thursday of every month.

Pilipino American Unity for Progress (UniPro) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization made up primarily of Pilipino American students and young professionals. Our mission as an organization is to facilitate and encourage cooperation through coalition development among various Pilipino organizations, institutions, and programs. UniPro also engages in various projects that promote the Pilipino community in American society. For more information, visit www.unipronow.org.

UniPro's The Vagina Monologues: Breaking the Maria Clara Image, Indeed

Moans, writhes, orgasms … it wasn't your typical UniPro event. On March 9, UniPro hosted The Vagina Monologues: Breaking the Maria Clara Image at Cap21 Studios. Based on interviews with real women, The Vagina Monologues is a play by Eve Ensler featuring hilarious, heartbreaking and uncomfortable confessions from different women about their, well, vaginas, relating to their personal stories of femininity and sexuality.

UniPro’s The Vagina Monologues production starred an all-Pilipina cast, with a special Pilipina twist added to parts of the script. In one monologue, for example, a “lola” ashamedly discussed her “down there.” Then at the end of the play, the cast stood side by side onstage, taking turns to share disturbing facts about victims of sexual violence:

"One in three women on the planet will be beaten or raped in her lifetime. That’s more than one billion women living on the planet today."

"The NDHS revealed that one in five women aged 15-49 has experienced physical violence since age 15."

"One in ten Filipino women aged 15-49 has experienced sexual violence."

Following the play was a panel of representatives from various women’s rights organizations. These distinguished women included Ivy O. Suriyopas, Director of the Anti-Trafficking Initiative at AALDEF; Kristina K. Joyas, a member of AF3IRM (and UniPro’s Director of Staff Development); and Zarah K. Viñola, Vice-Chairperson for FiRE. They discussed ways their organizations are tackling issues that affect Pilipinas, as well as their own definitions of the term “feminist.”

Confronting topics ranging from rape and sexual violence to self-image and self-discovery, the night was emotional and thought-provoking. It was a seamless event and production, organized by Kirklyn Escondo, our Community Building Director, and directed by Precious Sipin and Leslie Espinosa. Music also added to the drama of the play, with Andre Ignacio Dimapilis on the didgeridoo and Andy Jean-Gilles on the djembe drums. Lastly, Stella Ma also spoke on behalf of the NYC Chapter of the National Pacific American Women’s Forum, informing the audience of the recent publication of their Health Resource Guide.

It’s rare seeing Pilipinas onstage, portraying characters with real depth to whom we can actually relate. It’s a stark difference from the roles Asian Americans are usually degraded to: the token Asian friend, unnamed nerd or exotic lover. Let’s not forget the title of our production, which references Maria Clara, the iconic character from Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere. This tragic heroine is known for her sweetness and obedience; she is a symbol (or perhaps a caricature) of the ideal Pilipina. Well, with all the talk of vaginas that Saturday night, the strong and talented women of UniPro’s production of The Vagina Monologues couldn't be any farther from Maria Clara.

Postcard from the UniPro Eboard

As January comes to a close, the UniPro Eboard couldn’t be more thrilled with the recent successes of our organization. Since November, we finally obtained 501(c)3 status and we welcomed new Program Directors to our board. We launched our new blog, a fantastic source for personal and thought-provoking pieces about the issues that affect Pilipinos locally and globally. On January 9th, we started a petition as a display of our solidarity with the Fil-Am community in American Canyon, CA. On the 17th, we networked with more than a dozen community figures and organizations at our first Meet & Greet of the year at Max’s of Manila in Jersey City. That was only the beginning. On February 1st, we will be hosting Speak & Be Heard!, a spoken word competition and showcase of the many talented poets in our community. (Let us know if you're interested in competing!) February 25th, the 27th anniversary of the People Power Revolution, is fast approaching - and so is our panel featuring guest speakers who will share stories about their involvement in the Revolution. This anniversary event is the first in a series of three events, all under the umbrella program called State of Filipino American Advocacy (SoFAA), an initiative headed by Kirklyn Escondo, our Director of Community Building.

We have so much more in store, with Lester Bosea, our Director of USAPAN, scheduling USAPAN workshops at various colleges, and more events and publications in the works thanks to Ivan Gonzales, our Director of Public Policy and Foreign Relations. While our Eboard, Program Directors and staff are hard at work putting together all of our engaging and exciting events, much of what UniPro does would not be possible without our interns! UniPro internship positions are currently open for Spring 2013 and college credit is available.

Lastly, save the date for Summit 2013! Our third annual Summit will be on Saturday, June 1st, the day before the annual Philippine Independence Day Parade.

We're looking forward to getting to know you in the coming months, whether you're a prospective intern, an individual curious about the People Power Revolution, a spoken word poet or a member of a fellow community organization!