16 September 2015 – Focusing on the importance of disaster preparedness, resiliency and sustainable renewable energy for the Philippines, Philippine Consul General to New York Mario L. De Leon, Jr., accompanied by Filipino community members led by Father Julian Azucan and Ms. Jean Ryan, Head of the Filipino-American community of Burlington, Vermont, and Consul Felipe Carino, held a meeting with Mayor Miro Weinberger at the City Hall.
Consul General De Leon said that the Consulate General is actively promoting partnerships between the Filipino community and U.S. cities/states under its jurisdiction. He expressed the hope that partnerships will extend beyond economic, cultural and political ties resulting in deeper people-to-people relations. He cited in particular the Consulate’s cooperation with New York’s Emergency Management Agency and local community that helped affected Filipino-Americans in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and Irene and resulted in the formation of the Warden System project, a community-led response to natural and man-made disasters.
According to 2010 U.S. Census, Filipinos in Vermont number around 1,000, but Filipino community members believe that the figure may now be higher.
Mayor Weinberger replied that Vermont has set a 90% state-wide use of clean energy by 2050 and Burlington is investing in sustainable designs for housing and other IT-enabled tools as he recalled numerous flooding in recent years. He welcomed Filipinos in Burlington and encouraged them to participate in civic activities geared toward disaster response and resiliency.
Mayor Weinberger said that Vermont’s local economy not only relies on local and foreign tourism, but also through universities and local technological industries that offer high-technology designs employing renewable energy. In fact, Vermont has an electric utility plant that operates purely on renewable energy, he emphasized.
Father Julian Azucan, a Filipino Parish priest in the suburbs of Burlington, expressed his pleasure in introducing Filipino community members to Mayor Weinberger and hopes that the city can welcome the community association which intend to formalize their corporate existence soon. He was accompanied by community members Jean Ryan, Elsa and Rene Aguila, Patrick Garcia and Cesar Ontoy.
After the meeting with Mayor Weinberger, Consul General De Leon thanked the local community in a salo-salo, where a dialogue was held to explore partnerships with the Consulate in addressing their concerns. The community members, in turn, conveyed their thanks to Consul General De Leon whom they acknowledged as the first Filipino Consul General ever to visit them in Vermont. END