Society of Foreign Consuls Honors PHL Consul General and Filipina Educator at Women’s Day Event

(From left to right) Philippine Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Ms. Victoria Calderon and Saudi Arabian Consul General Khaled Alsharif (all photos by NYPCG)

07 March 2018 NEW YORK – The Society of Foreign Consuls in New York (SOFC) honored Philippine Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Filipina-American Educator and Early Childhood Learning Advocate Victoria Calderon with citations at the Society’s International Women’s Day event held at the Bohemian Hall in New York City on March 05.

The annual event which honors migrant women who have made significant contributions to their communities in the US and in their respective home countries is a flagship event of the SOFC.

This year 17 outstanding women from different fields were honored for their achievements and their commitment to making the world more inclusive, diverse, and devoid of any gender bias.

Among the honorees were medical doctors, cultural advocates, artists, performers, educators, academicians, and entrepreneurs. 

The Philippine honoree, Maria Victoria F. Calderon, Ed.M, is a recipient of the New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Education. She was likewise named an Exceptional Global Master Leader of Early Care and Education and Director of the Year by the National Coalition for Campus Children’s Learning Centers in 2015. Her other honors include the Joan Bozer/Minnie Gilette Leadership Award for Empowerment of Women and the Brady Award of Excellence for Administrators given by the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Ms, Calderon has traveled to many countries in order to ensure that children of American Military personnel receive quality education. She was instrumental in the federal grant award of Child Care Access Means Parents in School program for low-income students to continue their education. She likewise helped to raise funds to build the only girls school in Tanzania and does outreach work on training educators in the Philippines’ Arellano University.

During the program, the SOFC likewise awarded a Citation to Philippine Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega for her outstanding service and contributions to the Society, having served in the Executive Board as Vice President for East Asia and Western Pacific from 2016-2017 and currently as Alternate Vice President for the same region.

Consul General Dizon-De Vega thanked Society President and Consul General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Khaled M. Alsharif, and the entire Executive Board and members of the SOFC for the honor. END

(From left to right) Founder of International Women’s Banking Michaela F. Walsh, Consul General Dizon-De Vega and Financial Specialist Lilia Calderon Clemente

Saudi Arabian Consul General Khalid Alsharif presents a Citation to Philippine Consul General Dizon-De Vega

For more information, visit www.newyorkpcg.dfa.gov.ph / www.newyorkpcg.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinNY/.