17 November 2016 – The Philippine Plaza, Inc. an organization dedicated to pursuing advocacies benefitting Filipino-American veterans of all wars, held a simple commemoration ceremony on Veteran’s day at the Philippine Plaza in Jersey City, New Jersey on November 11.
Ms. Flor Medel Reyes, Founder and CEO of Philippine Plaza, Inc., welcome all the guests and community members who gathered at the Philippine Plaza dedicated to Filipino-American veterans of all wars and military campaigns in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Mr. Nestor Enriquez, a Fil-Am veteran of the Korean War spoke about the challenges of serving in a submarine during wartime and of the tremendous sacrifice made by his comrades to preserve democracy.
In her message, Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega reaffirmed the Consulate General’s commitment to support ongoing efforts to secure more benefits for Filipino-American veterans and their families including securing passage for the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 as well as monitoring the progress of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Parole Program for families of veterans.
The event was made more memorable with the presence of Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and the first-ever Filipino-American City Council President for Jersey City Rolando Lavarro, along with other Council members and officials. Both Mayor Fulop and Council President Lavarro paid tribute to the veterans.
Mayor Fulop, himself a veteran of the Iraq War conveyed the Jersey City Government’s commitment to assist veterans and also the Filipino-American Community in General.
Jersey City is home to one of the largest concentrations of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in the US. END
