PH Consulate General in Honolulu Holds Networking Breakfast for Young FilAm Professionals

Deputy Consul General Angelica Escalona (seated, second from right) and Vice Consul Andrea Christina Caymo (seated, leftmost) together with mentors Jeoffrey Cudiamat (seated, second from left), Anna Marie Cruz (seated center), Melody Calisay (seated, rightmost) and FilAm young professionals of Hawaii. (Honolulu PCG photo)

HONOLULU 13 September 2019 — The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, in partnership with the Filipino Junior Chamber (FJC) and the Filipino Young Leadership Program (FYLPRO), organized a Business Networking Breakfast on 29 August 2019 at the Waikele Country Club Restaurant.

The Consulate invited three established businessmen to share their insights and experience on how they were able to grow their respective businesses and provide advice to budding entrepreneurs who are at different stages in their professional careers.

The Fil-Am professionals were joined by mentors, Melody Calisay, Jeoffrey Cudiamat, and Anna Marie Cruz, who shared valuable insights to the attendees.

Calisay owns a company (East West Marketing) that supplies many of the Filipino food products that can be found in groceries and stores around the island. Cudiamat is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Structural Hawaii, Inc., established in 2004 as an architectural, structural and civil engineering design and consulting firm. Meanwhile, Anna Marie Cruz is the founder of Entrepinayship, a mission-driven social enterprise that seeks to empower Fil-Am women to pursue business and professional development.

The Consulate, through its other community partners, plans to hold more activities and programs that engage second and third-generation Fil-Ams. Next month, the Consulate will host a “Kapihan sa Konsulado” with Secretary Francisco Acosta of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). Fil-Am young professionals will have the chance to learn more about CFO’s program for Fil-Ams and share insights about their experience growing up in the US, which will help CFO in further refining their programs for overseas Filipinos. END

Melody Calisay (second left) shares her insights with FilAm young professionals assigned on her table. (Honolulu PCG photo)

Anna Marie Cruz (leftmost) is joined by her fellow FYLPRO Alums Elizabeth Obod-Frilles (second from left) and Charlynne Mae McGinnis (third from left) and other women young professionals from Hawaii. (Honolulu PCG photo)

Mentor Jeoffrey Cudiamat (second from right) speaks about his experience starting and running his own company in Hawaii and in the Philippines. (Honolulu PCG photo)

For more information, visit  https://www.honolulupcg.dfa.gov.ph,    https://www.philippineshonolulu.org  or https://www.facebook.com/PHinHonolulu/.