Deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of one of NaFFAA’s founding members and former National Chair, Greg Macabenta.
In 1997, he wrote NaFFAA’s clarion call to Filipinos in the US:
“Major events are occurring and laws are being passed that affect our interests such as those on immigration, affirmative action and social services. But our community is being swept by the tides of change and circumstance. We are not playing a significant role in shaping these events and enacting these laws, despite the fact that we make the largest Asian ethnic group in this country.”
NaFFAA’s first set of officers in 1997, from left: Greg Macabenta as PRO, Klaus Buntua, Rodney Salinas, Jon Melegrito, Gloria Caoile, and Alex Esclamado as national chairman.
“We appear to be impotent in the face of these adverse circumstances, not because we lack the numbers nor the social status nor the intellectual capacity but because we, as a community, have not been able to harness our full potentials as a socio-economic and political force.”
“We have not struggled hard enough for empowerment. This is our challenge. Panahon Na!”
Another NaFFAA pioneer, Loida Nicolas Lewis, joins Alex Esclamado, Jon Melegrito, and Greg Macabenta (standing) in this 1997 photo. Loida Lewis calls Macabenta a “warrior for justice and democracy.”
As a community, we have come a long way because of visionaries like Greg. May his legacy continue to light our path forward. Rest in power, Greg, at Maraming Salamat. 💜
#RestInPower #NaFFAAmily #RIPGregMacabenta #MakeABenta
Since 1997, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) has been the standard-bearer for promoting the welfare and well-being of the four million Filipinos and Filipino Americans throughout the United States. NaFFAA is the largest non-partisan, non-profit organization and national affiliation of Filipino American institutions, umbrella organizations, and individuals. Its fourteen-member regions cover the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands.
