The Philippine Consulate General, San Francisco in cooperation with the Filipino-American community in the Bay Area honored His Excellency Willy C. Gaa, Philippine Ambassador to the United States of America with a welcome back reception. The occasion was held on May 10 at the historic War Memorial Veterans Building in San Francisco.

            Commissioner Dennis Normandy of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and a host of other community members took turns in welcoming back Ambassador Gaa who was assigned to the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco as Vice Consul and subsequently Consul from 1975 to 1980.           

            Among the speakers at the event included old friends of the Ambassador, Mr. Roberto de Lara who is the Business Manager of the Philippine Center and Bert Galang, Past President of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco. Mr. Perry Diaz, a community leader from Sacramento welcomed the Ambassador on behalf of all Californians and made him an honorary Californian for his work in empowering the Filipino-American community when he was assigned to both San Francisco and Los Angeles where Amb. Gaa was Consul General.  Mr. Mario Panoringan CEO of the Daly City-Colma Chamber of Commerce spoke on behalf of the large and successful Filipino-American business community which has made the empowerment of Filipino-American leaders possible. Also present during the reception were leaders of the Filipino-American community from Vallejo, led by Council Member Hermie Sunga, Union City and Stockton.

            Two of the most highly placed Filipino-Americans in public office also spoke and welcomed the Ambassador and these were the Honorable Rodel Rodis of the City College of San Francisco and the Honorable Jacquie Lingad Ricci of Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Juvenile Probation Commission. The last speaker to give his remarks was the Honorable Dennis Normandy who aside from being a Commissioner with the Public Utilities Commission is also the Chair of the San Francisco-Manila Sister City Committee. In his remarks Mr. Normandy emphasized to the Ambassador the unity of the Filipino community, the necessity and importance of teaching the English language in the Philippines and the rising economic power of the Filipino-American community.

            Consul General Sanchez in her opening remarks said “Ambassador Willy C. Gaa has had a long distinguished career in the Philippine Foreign Service. He has been assigned to numerous Philippine diplomatic posts all over the world, but San Francisco is the city where the Ambassador was first assigned as Vice Consul over 30 years ago. He has served the Filipino-American community and has seen it grow and become the force that it is today.”

            “Indeed the community, not just in the Bay Area, but all over the country has matured to become one of the important pillars of American society. As the community continues to reach new heights I would like to reaffirm the Philippine government’s commitment to helping you achieve your goals,” she added.
 
            Ambassador Gaa thanked the community for the very warm reception he received and he said “San Francisco will always be special to me and my family because we spent some of our happiest days together here in the Bay Area. Our children were born and grew up here.”

            “The Filipino-American community can be assured of the continuing support of the Philippine Embassy in Washington. We will assist you in issues that are of importance to you and will remain your primary link to your Motherland, the Philippines,” he added. END