Sacramento Filipino Lawyers Association - Annual Gala at Seasons 52
By Administrative Law Judge Danette Brown
On the evening of October 20, 2021, the Sacramento Filipino Lawyers Association, or SacFALA, hosted its Third Annual Gala at Seasons 52, celebrating its bayanihan roots. The Filipino word “bayanihan” embodies the spirit of communal unity and cooperation. The Filipino community’s legal, cultural, student, and community organizations are the heart of soul of SacFALA’s bayanihan existence. All of SacFALA’s leaders proudly represent the Filipino community not only as lawyers and judges; they also represent their community as active participants in support of organizations such as the Philippine National Day Association, Outstanding Filipino Youth Awards, Filipino American Youth Leadership Conference, My Sisters House, Filipino Fiesta of Sacramento, and the Filipino Womens Club.
The gala program began with a warm welcome address by SacFALA President Alberto Montefalcon, who introduced this year’s SacFALA board members: Serena Warner, President-Elect; Justin Dela Cruz, Immediate Past President; Kimberly Procida, Vice President; Ryan Reyes, Treasurer; Derek Ledda, Seretary; and Board Directors Chris Alvarez, Dee Brown, Jeffrey Javinar, Robert Saria, Emmanuel Salazar, Gino Barrica, and Emelyn Rodriguez. UC Davis Law Student Liaison Matthew Santos and his 20-plus Filipinx Law Student Association (FLSA) classmates enthusiastically attended the event. Each student was strategically placed at each table to ensure active engagement with lawyers, community leaders, and judges. SacFALA is grateful for the support of Sacramento Superior Court Judges Shama Mesiwala, Augustin Jimenez, and David De Alba for their gracious support and presence.
Keynote speaker Luis Céspedes, Judicial Appointments Secretary to Governor Gavin Newsom, spoke of the bayanihan spirit when telling the story of Larry Itliong, a Filipino farmworker activist, who approached Ceasar Chavez and asked his organization, the National Farm Workers Association, to join the Filipinos in the Delano grape workers strike. Mr. Chavez agreed, and the Filipino and Mexican farmworkers joined together, forming one organization – the United Farm Workers.
Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye also spoke eloquently of the bayanihan spirit when she graciously thanked the manang and manongs, or older Filipinos, for paving the way for the younger Filipino generation to achieve higher education and their obligation to give their time, experience, and wisdom back to the community.
State Personnel Board Vice President and Former Acting Lieutenant Governor Mona Pasquil spoke of the career opportunities presented to her throughout her career. She gave sage advice to the law students, encouraging them to take advantage of mentorship and career opportunities, and to have the courage and confidence to accept challenging career opportunities, even if they feel they are not ready to do so.
Rounding out the evening, UC Davis FLSA 1L student Josh Concepcion recited an engaging monologue of his Filipino roots and experiences. His monologue was followed by SacFALA’s Scholarship Fund efforts in conjunction with the National Filipino Lawyers Association. The event raised several thousand dollars in support of law student scholarships.
Maraming Salamat po sa inyong lahat (thank you very much to all of you) for celebrating the bayanihan spirit with SacFALA!