FACT 2017 Booklet by Amanda

FACT Coordinators Dear Delegates, Welcome to the 25th Annual Filipino Americans Coming Together Conference! We would like to extend our deepest gratitude for traveling to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We designed this conference in hopes of creating opportunities for you to challenge and learn about yourself as well as others. Every aspect of this conference was created with you in mind - from our 40+ workshops to our 90+ facilitators and special guests. We hope this weekend will be an unforgettable experience that you will use to take initiative in your life and communities. In the several months of planning, we envisioned bringing together a diverse group of individuals that would become leaders of tomorrow. With delegates coming from all over the country, we pride ourselves in creating an all-inclusive positive environment in which delegates have the opportunity to spread awareness, share their own stories and network with others. This year’s theme is “Uphold & Unleash.” Centered around reflection and action, we hope that delegates start examining their thoughts, values, and lessons learned from the past. By aiming to uphold our history, leaders of Filipino/Fil-Am/Non-Filipino communities can then collectively discover the strengths and weaknesses that define us, causes that invigorate us, and ambitions that compel us. Together as one, we can unleash the inner power and potential that every individual has and push for change that cascades across all generations. All in all, we ask that you take advantage of the countless opportunities this conference has to offer. Be eager to learn about not only the Filipino/Filipino-American culture, but others as well. We have worked alongside our FACT Pack, Team FACT, advisors, and officer board to provide you with the best experience at this year’s 25th anniversary take advantage of it! We thank you for joining us and welcome to FACT 2017: XXV! Maria Climaco & Chelsea Tuvilla FACT 2017 Coordinators #TUVILACO

PSA President Hello Delegates of FACT 2017! To all who came to the middle of cornfields; welcome! PSA UIUC kindly thanks you for making the journey to Champaign-Urbana to take part in our conference. The FACT co-coordinators, FACT Pack, and Team FACT have been working very hard to give the delegates (that’s you!) an experience that inspires and empowers you to courageously venture into the world. It is YOUR continued support over the years that has made our conference possible. That being said, we are especially grateful you are with us today to celebrate our 25th Anniversary of the Filipinx Americans Coming Together Conference. Your increasing presence and participation continues to fill our purpose of bringing Filipinxs, Filipinx-Americans, and non-Filipinxs alike together to remember the stories of our past, celebrate our culture, and continue building upon our legacy. This year’s theme is Uphold & Unleash. Centered around reflection and action, the quest for change starts with the you. Fueling oneself with passion, motivation, and purpose is a powerful catalyst. We hope that this conference will provide a space for you to reflect upon your own values, craft your potential, and ready yourselves to unleash it into the world. By the end of this weekend, I hope that you will have had the opportunity to listen to another person’s story, widen your perspective, and realize that you can be a part of something bigger than yourself. With love, Melanie Chiu Philippine Student Association UIUC President 2017-2018

Letter from AACC November 3, 2017 Welcome to FACT 2017! The Asian American Cultural Center is proud to support our Philippine Student Association student leadersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts to inspire you to explore your cultural identity, express your passions, and better understand social justice. All year long, we have been exploring the commonalities of our current national climate with Asian American history. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s headlines describe Muslim bans, the rollback of DACA, and the closing of opportunities to immigrants and their families. This year is the 75th anniversary of one of the most egregious acts of racism against Asian Americans: Executive Order 9066 during World War II which led to the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans. We must learn from our history, and we must speak out and take action, so that our county does not repeat the mistakes of the past. This year the FACT Conference is celebrating its 25th anniversary while the University of Illinois is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Both have extraordinary histories and look to promising futures that impact individual lives and society. Sincerely, David W. Chih, Ph.D. Director, Asian American Cultural Center www.go.illinois.edu/AACC

FACT PACK CHELSEA TUVILLA MARIA CLIMACO FACT Coordinator

FACT Coordinator

CLARISSA HERNANDEZ LILLIAN HANG Hospitality Hospitality

JANAIS PEACE Information Technology

KATRINA MONREAL Marketing

AMANDA YU Marketing

OLIVER BERGANOS Media

TINA KIM Team Fact Manager

ZAHIR ABDULRIDHA Team Fact Manager

ANTHONY NGUYEN Campus Ambassador

TIA MANGAHAS

REYMAR DE LEON

Variety Show Coordinator

Weekend Schedule Friday 4:00pm - 10:00pm Registration (AACC) 4:00pm - 7:00pm Opening Reception (AACC) 7:00-9:00pm Opening Ceremonies (GH 112) Saturday 8:30 - 9:30am Late Registration (YMCA) 9:00am - 9:30am Opening Session (LH THEAT) 9:50am - 11:00am Session 1 11:15-12:15 Session 2 12:20 - 1:30pm Lunch Session 1:45 - 3:00 Session 3 3:15-4:30 Wristband Pick-Up 5:00 - 7:00 Variety Show Sunday Closing Ceremonies (AACC) 10:00am - 12:00pm Announcements & Pricing: FACT Apparel and Tapestries can be picked up during Friday and Saturday Registration as well as Wristband Pick Up. Doors for Variety Show will open at 4:15PM at Foellinger Entrance: $7, $1 for Hurricane Relief Fund UIUC Students: Free General Delegate Wristband Pick-Up: Greg Hall 112 Performer Wristband Pick-Up: Foellinger Auditorium

Building Information

1. Illini Union

2. YMCA

3. Lincoln Hall (LH)

4. Gregory Hall (GH)

5. Foellinger

6. AACC

Free Parking Lots (Friday after 5PM to Monday at 2AM): Lot C-9 on Sixth and Chalmers Lot D-6 on Goodwin and Illinois

Lot D-1 on Goodwin and Illinois Lot D-9 on Illinois and Lincoln

Overnight parking (2AM to 6AM) is prohibited.

Keynote Speaker

The Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines dubbed him as the “Millennial President” and giant network ABS-CBN described him as “influential, charismatic, progressive, an empowering voice and a strong leader for our kababayans (countrymen).” The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) made history when they elected Brendan Flores, a leader, a philanthropist, an advocate of FilipinoAmericans and a banker by profession from Jacksonville, Florida as its first millennial and youngest ever national chairman. As National Chairman of NaFFAA, Brendan is responsible for leading the largest national affiliation of Filipino American institutions, organizations and individuals to unite and amplify the voices of the four million Filipinos and Filipino Americans living in the United States. Flores holds a position as Regional Banking District Manager and Vice President at Wells Fargo. He is currently leading one of the largest markets in Florida totaling over a billion dollars in deposit. Flores is responsible for Wells Fargo’s retail business, ensuring that local goals and targets are met for a wide variety of criteria including customer service, governance, ethics, risk management, small business, affluent segment, business growth and community involvement. He is arguably one of the youngest ever bank managers promoted within a Fortune 500 company, at the young age of 18. Brendan was also one of the youngest promoted to Vice President and Community Banking District Manager role. Brendan was recently recognized as one of the three finalists of the recently held ABS-CBN North America Gawad Geny Lopez Bayaning Pilipino Awards (Global Filipino Hero). He was also honored as one of the most Outstanding Filipino Americans in the United States as well as the National Academy Foundation’s Alumni Honoree of the Year. Flores is active and followed on Twitter: @Brendan_Flores1, Facebook: @ BrendanGFlores and Instagram: @brendan.flores, where he encourages all to connect with him.

Session 1 Workshops Network Like You Need A Job Today Shane Carlin | LH 1090

THE DAILY GRIND Daily Center | Illini Union Room C

Seek the Thrill - Find Your Journey John Ballesteros | LH 1022

Chasing your Dream (Team) Dream Team | Illini Union 104

Maligayang pagdating â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Diversity and Inclusion from A Non-Filipino Mustafa Anwar | LH 1060

Martial Law, I Thought that was 45 Years Ago! Anakbayan Chicago | GH 205

My Migration Story Samahan Youth Anakbayan | GH 307

Discovering Your Rags to Riches Story Khai Vin Ly | GH 215

Identity in One Entity Cat Taylo | GH 207

Treat Yo Self M.O.V.E.D. | LH 1002

Are You Even Listening to Me Hai Pham & Reed Cabral | LH 1064

Unleash2XS UIUC Workshop Bo Bercasio & Andrew Liang | GH 112

Ladyboys: A Conversation about Gender in the Asian Diaspora Danny Mathews | GH 327

Heating Up, Hitting Your Mark, and Following Through: Discovering Self-Awareness & Leadership through Beer Pong Joanna Ramos | AACC Lounge

prePhilippine Scripts in the Diaspora Kristian Kabuay | GH 329 Cooking as a Political Act Filipino Kitchen | LH 1028

Biyahe: FINDing & Affirming Your Journey FIND | LH 1065

Nonviolence: Creating Positive Peace January Boten | LH 1066

What Does Being Pinoy Mean to You? Erika Saligan & Randall Tran | GH 111

My Identity My Choice: The Mixed Race & Adoptee Experience Jonathan Roberts with Erin Nakagaki And Zoey Doto | LH 1000

Unleash Your Political Prowess: API Civic Engagement Louie Vital | GH 217 Filipino Food 101 Krizzia Yanga | LH 1027

One Click, One Sound: A Tinikling Master Class Xavier Hernandez & Melanie Arce | YMCA Latzer

Session 2 Workshops Uphold & Unleash ang Diwa ng Mangdirigma (Warrior Spirit) Christopher Dino | YMCA Latzer

Lights, Camera, Whitewash: A Dialogue on Hollywood’s (Mis)Representations Ariana Cavallini | GH 217

Expect For Yourself Jeremy Bautista | LH 1090

Seen and Heard APAC UU | GH 111

13 People: 1 House Christina Carpio | GH 205

Stories from a Filipino Kitchen Dr. Gigi (O.I.I.R.) | AACC Lounge

Chasing your Dream (Team) Dream Team | Illini Union 104

Creating a Sustainable Undocumented/ DACAmented Action Gioconda Guerra | LH 1002

Reporting Bias Incidents on Your Campus January Boten | LH 1066

Trending - #PinoyInTheMainstream Jon Salvani | GH 319

Take Back Our Education! Education Not Militarization! Anakbayan Chicago | GH 215

Your Mileage May Vary: Life Beyond Your Asian Org Annie Kim & Lihan Chen | GH 307

Addressing Cultural Conflicts from My Lola’s Story Kenny Importante | GH 317

“I Am From” Poetry for Social Change Ice-Breaker Emily Lawsin | LH 1065

Ibig Sabihin | Say with love: spoken word for ourselves and our people. Gretchen Carvajal | LH 1024

A Portrait of a Mambabatok Kristian Kabuay | GH 329

THE DAILY GRIND Daily Center | Illini Union Room C

So What Are You Anyway?: Exploring Multiethnic Identities Chris Aldana | GH 327

Stop the Killings and End Impunity: The Drug War in the Philippines and Police Violence in the United States ICHRP | GH 223

Hustle Hard: 10 Habits of an Effective Leader Rose-Ann Argon | LH 1060 Common Threads Jerico Domingo | GH 100

Activating the Diaspora: Solving Philippine Problems Here and There Eric Ordonez and Kaya Collaborative | GH 311

Session 3 Workshops Reflect Our Past, Unleash Our Future Pilipino Unity for Progress (UniPro) | Illini Union Room C

Conference Within A Conference MAFA Executive Board | LH 1092 Pin@y Timeline: This is the History that We Share Emily Lawsin | GH 112

prePhilippine Scripts Hands on Baybayin Workshop Kristian Kabuay | YMCA Latzer

Freshman Workshop Jake Reniva & Kayla Arquines | Illini Union 104

Full workshop descriptions available at: psauiuc.org/fact/workshops!

Variety Show

Rex Lasat Navarrete is a Filipino American comedian whose material is geared toward Filipino audiences. Navarrete remains to be a one of the hardest working, relatively unknown American comedians today though he’s performed alongside notable national headliners as George Lopez, DL Hughley, Paul Mooney, among others. The future seems to only give him the chance to connect with a larger audience that is now finally getting the opportunity to experience the changing face of American stand-up comedy. Coming all the way from California is Dominic ‘D-Trix’ Sandoval! D-Trix is a Filipino American dancer and Youtube Personality. He was a contestant on the third season of So You Think You Can Dance and along with the rest of Quest Crew, winner of the third season of America’s Best Dance Crew!

Variety Show Cat Taylo | Emcee

Cat Taylo is an alumni of PSA UIUC and MAFA community. She currently works as a practice associate where she conducts Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. She hopes that you enjoy the show!

Erika Saligan | Emcee

Erika Saligan is a sophomore studying Integrative Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She is originally from Ozamiz City, Philippines, however she moved to Urbana, IL almost twelve years ago. She is a sister of Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. and she is the Awareness Co-Chair of UIUC Philippine Student Association. She plans to pursue a career in the medical field as a physician or obtain her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and doctoral degree to become a biology professor.

Alex Guiritan | UIUC

Alex Guiritan is a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is currently studying psychology with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience with hopes of pursuing a career in either medicine or occupational therapy. Aside from serving as Philanthropy Chair for Philippine Student Association, Alex is also involved with the Student Alumni Ambassadors, Alpha Phi Omega, and the University of Illinois Foundation.

Variety Show Justine & Abby Rich | Variety Show

The Philippine National Anthem is entitled “Lupang Hinirang,” which means “Chosen Land.” The lyrics allude to the Philippines as a beautiful land with sacred shores, and a strong people whose light shall never be dimmed. Performed as a duet by sisters Justine and Abigail, singing the Philippine National Anthem honors all who have fought for Filipinos and Filipino-Americans and tonight, it reminds us to uphold our cultural roots and legacy.

Theta Lambda Beta Fraternity, Incorporated | UIC Theta Lambda Beta Fraternity, Inc. was founded at UIC on September 20th 2010. Their pillars are Truth, Leadership, Brotherhood, Cultural Awareness, Academic Excellence, and Fitness.

Stepping is a dance form with origins in military drills and African dance and uses the body to produce complex rhythms. This performance embodies Uphold and Unleash as stepping requires powerful movement to uphold the history of this art and unleash one’s potential.

[FIA]* Cultural | UIC

[FIA]* Cultural is a sub-group of [FIA]* that exemplifies our rich Filipino heritage through various displays of cultural dances originating from the Philippines. Translated as the “Dance of Lights,” Pandanggo sa Ilaw is a popular folk dance that showcases candles mimicking fireflies dancing in the air at sunset and at night.

Variety Show Rylan Santos & Joseph Lin | Purdue University Joseph Lin (senior) and Rylan Santos (sophomore) are both great dudes from Purdue University. Joseph has been gifted with an amazing ear for music and plays several instruments and Rylan was born into a family full of great singers. Our performance is a medley of a few songs that have meaning to us. This exemplifies the theme in that we are upholding our musical talents while choosing to unleash/ share them to a wonderful audience.

K-PROJECT | UIUC

K-PROJECT is a group of friends that enjoy dancing K-pop together. Through the use of K-pop dance, K-PROJECT aims to uphold asian pop culture, making it more accessible for any and everyone. We come from various dance backgrounds, unleashing the endless possibilities of coordination and teamwork with each performance.

Gretchen Carvajal | UW - Madison

Gretchen Carvajal is an Artist hailing from the Bay Area California. She is a poet, printmaker, neon sign bender, and alumni from the University of Wisconsin Madison (shouts to FASO). She has performed for every timezone in America and has even done spoken word in the Philippines. Her performance and career as a poet serves as a reminder that as Filipino Americans we have gone through too much to sit in silence.

Variety Show OSU Kawayan | OSU

The Ohio State University presents the modern Filipino-American dance, Kawayan. A hybrid form of rhythmic beats combined with a high-energy performance dedicated to the fighting spirit of our people. For this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme of Uphold & Unleash, we acknowledge the past and continue the tradition of our Fil-Am created dance with new stories of the next generation.

UIUC PSA: Barkada | UIUC

Barkada, the cultural group within PSA, is dedicated to the performing arts of Filipino culture. Through dances in the Muslim suite, their performance is an external conflict about a mischievous twin who becomes the reason why her innocent twin gets held captive by fighters. This exemplifies the theme, Uphold & Unleash because they worked hard to uphold Filipino culture and are finally able to unleash their talents at 2017â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FACT Variety Show.

Unity Collective | Chicago

We are a group of friends from all across the Chicagoland area to dance and grow together in their craft. We have members from Puzzle League, CODA, Dream Team, etc. We strive to bring people together and to support each other and bring positivity to rehearsal space.

Personal Thanks Great things are never achieved alone. To our delegates, you are the reason why I chose to coordinate this special conference. Thank you for inspiring and motivating me to put others first. I would not have made it this far without my family. Thank you for your endless support throughout the years with all of my endeavors, especially to my parents. To my roommates, AKAs, friends, and Brook, thank you for being my rock and for being there for me throughout this whole process. To my dearest FACT Pack, Team FACT, PSA Board, and Advisors, thank you for helping make this whole conference possible. With your guidance and support, we were able to create a conference that allowed delegates to have an amazing experience. Thank you to the AACC staff, workshop facilitators, and special guests for your contributions and efforts towards this conference. You have all been an inspiration to me. I am forever grateful for our cosponsors, who have helped make our vision come to life. Chelsea, from Cultural Chairs as sophomores to FACT Coordinators as seniors, my college experience would have not been the same without you. We are one true dynamic duo.

-Maria Climaco I would like to extend a huge thank you to my family foremost. Mom, Dad, and Kuya Rick: thanks for loving me unconditionally, supporting me, and being patient even though I can sometimes be a handful. I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the person that I am today without your guidance and I cannot be grateful enough for all the sacrifices you have made in order for me to have the life that I live. To my adings, ates/ kuyas, and friends, thank you for always looking out for me and reminding me to take a step back when things get tough. You taught me the true meaning of resilience and to not be afraid to take that extra leap of faith. To PSA Board and Advisors, thanks for believing in me and providing me with all the resources I need in order to succeed. Cheers to the Team FACT volunteers, staff, workshop facilitators, and co-sponsors, for dedicating the time, energy, and funds to help make this conference possible. To FACT Pack, WE DID IT! ILY GUYS. Thank you to the delegates for participating, being open to trying new things, and for being a part of something bigger than ourselves. And last but not least, thank you to my co-chair, Maria Climaco for being there through it all. We experienced college together, had leadership positions in PSA together, cried together, and laughed together. Name a better iconic duo, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll wait. #TUVILACO

-Chelsea Tuvilla

Special Thanks To The Thomas Monahan Company Boyer & Sappenfield Investment Advisors Lorelei Sheff Winnie Stortzman Caffe Bene Dr. & Mrs. Climaco Professor Manalansan Yoderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen Dickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pharmacy Judy Eskridge BJ and Jerry Hale Dr. Charly & Nancy Nguyen Connie and Steve Shrader Lolita & Ricardo Tuvilla Andy & Linda Manna Sally Kibler Dr. & Mrs. Derro Dr. Edelita Jamis Gigi & Brian Smith Hunan Restaurant Randy and Cindy Rothrock Thomas Monahan Dr. Bumatay A.J. & Alison Rivera Rose-Ann Aragon University Housing UIUC Asian American Studies Department