Global Filipino Network to Hold Panel Discussion On “Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling”

Global Filipino Network to Hold Panel Discussion On “Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling”

Retired US Army Major General Antonio Taguba to Give Keynote Address

(San Francisco, CA – Sept 16, 2014) Global Filipino Network, in partnership with WestBay Pilipino Multi-Service Center and Ding Ding TV, will hold its “Power ng Pinoy Inspiring Achievers Speaker Series” from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 at Ding Ding TV Station, 3350 Scott Boulevard, Building 54 in Santa Clara, California 95054.

This event, which is presented exclusively by AARP, consists of business networking and a panel discussion and will have the theme “Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling”. This professional development speaker series will feature Filipino-Americans who successfully navigated their way through and up mainstream America. These inspiring Filipinos will share their insights and career advice including overcoming cultural barriers to excel in the workplace and achieving both professional as well as personal goals.

The panel of speakers include Cora Tellez, Founder and CEO of Sterling HSA; Jose “Joe” Esteves, Mayor of Milpitas; Eric Refuerzo, Director of Finance Group at Cisco Systems; Immanuel Masinsin, Vice-President of Enterprise Social Media at Wells Fargo; Earl Valencia, President & Founder of IdeaSpace Foundation; and Retired US Army Major General Antonio Taguba, who will also be delivering the keynote address. A representative from the San Francisco Philippine consulate is also expected to grace the event.

“Our goal with this panel discussion ‘Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling’ is to address many of the questions related to identifying and breaking the cultural barriers to excel in mainstream America and provide relevant information on climbing the organization’s leadership ladder,” says Arnold Pedrigal, Founder of Global Filipino Network and Executive Producer of the Power ng Pinoy TV Series.

Filipino-Americans are sometimes referred to as “the invisible minority.” Despite being the second largest Asian American ethnicity, they seem to receive little recognition in American culture and society. While more and more Filipino-Americans have entered the workforce with outstanding credentials and achievements, the number of Filipino-Americans in senior leadership positions had remained low. Hence the term “glass ceiling” or “bamboo ceiling”.

Attending this event will benefit everyone, from college students to entrepreneurs to business professionals. Networking with peers creates opportunities for career advancement or promoting their business through new connections.

As keynote speaker, Gen. Taguba will be speaking about his journey and passion as well as the obstacles he experienced while pursuing his career in the US military service until his retirement a few years ago.

After retiring from the service, Gen Taguba’s life has been reimagined with new pursuits and volunteer works. After his elderly parents became ill, Gen. Taguba and his siblings were ill-prepared to care for them. Faced with tough decisions about their declining health and dwindling finances, they managed to care for them the best they could. To help others, Gen. Taguba became an AARP Community Ambassador to advocate for caregivers and their families. “If I did my due diligence before this happened, perhaps my family would have been better served by the information AARP had. We could have planned something better,” he said in retrospect.

Gen. Taguba also leads the “Filipino American World War II Soldiers Recognition Project” that seeks a Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino American veterans.

The moderators for “Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling” are Anthony Rivero, Host of Power ng Pinoy TV Show, and Vivian Zalvidea Araullo, Executive Director of WestBay Pilipino Multi-Service Center and a journalist at Inquirer.net.

Admission to this event is free, but donations are accepted as well.

This event, which is presented by AARP, will be videotaped at the facilities of Ding Ding TV which will be shown online and aired in Crossings TV (Comcast 238) in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Manila Mail newspaper is the event’s print media partner.

About Global Filipino Network / Power ng Pinoy

The Global Filipino Network is a newly formed organization whose mission is to connect the Filipino community by providing an integrated and collaborative platform, which will provide the source of relevant and meaningful information for and about Filipinos across the globe. It is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Power ng Pinoy is a weekly 30-minute TV series that features inspirational and success stories of Filipino shakers and movers. Produced in a documentary format, Power ng Pinoy introduces and salutes successful individuals, groups and corporations that continue to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos in the U.S. and in the Philippines. Initially a co-production between Prowave Media, LLC and GMA Pinoy TV, Power ng Pinoy has grown to become an advocacy project under the Global Filipino Network organization.

About WestBay Pilipino Multi-Service Center

West Bay was founded in 1968 by local hero Ed de la Cruz and other social activists to address the most pressing socio-economic challenges of the Asian Pacific Islander immigrant community of San Francisco’s South of Market District (SOMA). Throughout the years we helped thousands of individuals through employment placement assistance, food distribution to the elderly, youth programs, community health projects, advocacy initiatives, and case management.

About Ding Ding TV

Ding Ding TV is the first Chinese Internet TV in Silicon Valley. Ding Ding TV is the only one and first Chinese TV show in Silicon Valley that have live audience interaction on location and on internet. Ding Ding TV is famous for its branding talk show, which is also on local TV stations. Global Filipino Network has partnered with Ding Ding TV to mutually benefit both the Chinese and Filipino community through sharing of resources and knowledge base. Ding Ding TV is headquartered in Santa Clara, California.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services. A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world’s largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates. The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.