Honoring Our Manongs and Manangs 2026
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Standing (L-R) Joe Gacoscos, San Francisco Consul General Arnel G. Talisayon, Mona Lisa Yuchengco, Brig. Gen. Steve McLaughlin, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret.), Roderick Medallon and Lloyd LaCuesta. Seated: Dr. Richard Tenaza, Dr. Joy Bruce, Luzviminda Micabalo, Perla Ibarrientos and Polly Cortez (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
A packed Koret Auditorium at the San Francisco Public Library served as the backdrop on Saturday, August 8, 2026, for a moving three-hour afternoon program honoring 12 Filipino American leaders. Their collective lives represent decades of pioneering achievement and selfless service across military defense, diplomacy, public service, medicine, literature, field science, entrepreneurship, and grassroots advocacy.
Organized by Positively Filipino, a premier digital magazine chronicling the global Filipino story in all its complexity, in partnership with Cris and Evelyn Raimundo, Publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco described the honorees as true "living treasures" who have safeguarded culture and carved out paths for future generations.
"We honor them today to express the gratitude and appreciation they so richly deserve, and to let them know their hard work and sacrifices have not been forgotten. Their stories remind us of where we came from and guide us to a better future. Their experience and wisdom give us hope and new beginnings," Yuchengco stated, grounding the event in purpose. She also mentioned the passing of two honorees: Peter Jamero (2024) and Diosdado "Dado" Banatao (2025).
The afternoon opened with greetings from Jaena Rae Cabrera, Program Manager of the library's Filipino American Center. Cabrera offered a land acknowledgment, paying respect to the Ramaytush Ohlone people as the original caretakers and sovereign inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula.
Veteran television journalist Lloyd LaCuesta served as emcee, steering the audience through a rich repertoire of community introductions, trophy presentations, heartfelt acceptance speeches, and family remembrances. The resonant gongs of the Kulintang Dialect ensemble, led by educator and composer Conrad Benedicto, provided live music that anchored the ceremony in pre-colonial cadence and diaspora pride.
Marking a historic milestone in longevity, this year’s tribute honored a vast span of life experiences, from the youngest honoree in his active mid-70s to an extraordinary matriarch celebrating 110 years of life.
It is with profound respect and affection that the 2026 tribute spotlights these remarkable Manongs and Manangs.
The 2026 Honorees
Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano, U.S. Army Ret. (Colorado)
The first Filipino American promoted to general officer in the U.S. military, Soriano retired in 2005 after 35 years of service as a three-star lieutenant general. He had commanded I Corps at Fort Lewis, Washington, and was the highest-ranking Filipino American in U.S. military history at the time.
Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano (Image courtesy of Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano)
Introduced by Brig. Gen. Steven McLaughlin, Soriano appeared by video and urged younger Filipino Americans to recognize the opportunities created by those who came before them. “The door is open. It was opened for me by people I never met, and we carry a duty to hold it open for others coming behind us,” he said. “There will be challenges, obstacles, and naysayers along the way. So, don’t quit or give up.” He added that legacy is “not about the title you carry, but the example you left.”
His son, Keith Soriano, accepted the award and offered a more personal portrait of the general as a devoted father and grandfather.
Keith Soriano accepting the award for his father, Lt. Gen. Soriano, from Brig. Gen. Steve McLaughlin (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Perla Gange Ibarrientos (California)
Introduced by Dr. Rod Daus-Magbual, a council member and former mayor of Daly City, the 91-year-old community leader was honored for nearly four decades of volunteer service, including her longtime work with the Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center (PBRC). A pharmacist by training, she immigrated to the United States in 1973 and later found her calling in community service.
Perla Ibarrientos receiving the award from Dr. Rod Daus-Magbual (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
“Tita Perla” called Daly City her extended family and spoke warmly about the rewards of volunteering. “In my 37 years of service, serving the community, I found out volunteering is amazing. It’s rewarding,” she said. “I touched so many people, so many people’s lives in my 37 years.”
Eddie Flores, Jr. (Hawaii)
Eddie Flores, Jr. (Image courtesy of Eddie Flores, Jr.)
Lloyd LaCuesta read the introduction prepared for Susie Quesada, president of Ramar Foods, who was unable to attend. Co-founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue and author of Franchising the American Dream, Flores overcame a learning disability and academic struggles to become one of Hawaii's leading Filipino entrepreneurs and community builders.
After joining the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii --- the nation's first Filipino chamber, founded in 1954 --- Flores became deeply involved in the effort to build the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu. Recruited by Roland Casamina, he spent nearly a decade helping turn the dream into reality, including raising funds through Filipino community celebrations. The 50,000-square-foot center opened in 2002. Flores has often said that building it was a greater accomplishment than growing L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.
“For me, giving back to the Filipino community is very important,” Flores said in a video message. His younger sister, Vicky Leon, accepted the award on his behalf.
Vicky Leon, sister of Eddie FLores, Jr., accepting the award on his behalf from Lloyd LaCuesta (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Evangeline Abellera Paredes (Washington, D.C.)
Evangeline Abellera Paredes (Photo by Jon Melegrito)
Zeni Mallari, president of Gordon Manor, offered a remarkable look at the 110-year-old Manang Vangie’s life of public service and volunteerism. During World War II, Paredes served as secretary to Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon when his government was based in Washington, D.C. She later worked for the Philippine Embassy, traveled across the country with Gen. Carlos P. Romulo to visit Filipino communities, and joined the U.S. Department of Defense in 1957.
Zeni Mallari (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Asked what she was most proud of, Manang Vangie pointed not to her government career but to helping raise funds for the Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center, serving underserved Black families in Washington. Even in her 90s, she continued volunteering and speaking out against racial injustice.
Her advice for a long life was just as memorable: “Volunteer, help others as much as you can, be kind and generous, eat plenty of nuts, chew your food well… Most of all, don’t take yourself too seriously.”
“I’m ready to go any time,” Manang Vangie said, “but I’m not pushing it.”
Milagros “Mila” Medallon-Ka‘ahanui+ (Hawaii)
Milagros “Mila” Medallon-Ka‘ahanui+ (Photo courtesy of the Medallon-Ka‘ahanui Family)
A pioneering social worker and former executive director of Hawaii’s Office of Community Services, Manang Mila devoted more than four decades to defending the dignity of immigrants, Filipino World War II veterans, care-home residents, and other marginalized communities. Introduced posthumously by Dr. Angelica Cortez, founder and CEO of LEAD Filipino, her story showed a life spent not only helping people in need, but building systems to support them.
When Filipino World War II veterans began arriving in Hawaii in 1992 with little support, Mila mobilized housing, food, citizenship assistance, and social services. She created a state task force for Filipino veterans, helped establish immigrant resource centers on three islands, and fought for stronger standards for care homes.
Her son, Rod Medallon, remembered a mother who was “very, very tough, but kind-hearted.” He recalled her emptying the family pantry to feed veterans who had nowhere else to turn. “Her compassion was never passive,” he said. “She was a woman of fire and grace, strong as steel against injustice… but she had a tender heart.”
Roderick Medallon, accepting the award on behalf of his mother, Milagros Medallon-Ka‘ahanui+, from Dr. Angelica Cortez (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Dr. Jocelyn “Joy” Bruce (Florida)
Dr. Jocelyn “Joy” Bruce, accepting the award from Gayle Romasanta (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Retired neuropathologist, tenured professor at the University of Miami, author, and community advocate, Manang Joy was introduced by Gayle Romasanta, author and trustee of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS). Alongside her distinguished medical career, Bruce founded organizations serving Filipino American families, elders, and youth.
She founded NANAY, meaning “mother” in Filipino (Tagalog), in honor of her own mother. “I decided that whatever time I did not spend with her, I’m going to spend with all the other elders who are still around,” Bruce said. She wanted to provide companionship, address depression, and help elders enjoy their remaining years.
Her service went beyond NANAY. Bruce founded the Philippine Charities Foundation in Miami in 1992 and the Philippine American Federation of South Florida in 1998, which brought together 20 Filipino American associations. She also served as Southern Regional Chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations. After seeing a CNN report about children imprisoned with adults in the Philippines, she helped establish Advocates for Children and Elders International Philippines, which advocated for changes in the country's juvenile justice law.
But Manang Joy turned her recognition of past accomplishments into a responsibility for the future. “I’m challenging everybody to get together, join hands, and make sure that we serve these people who are needy, elders who need companionship, and youth who need guidance. Can we do that?”
Linda Ty-Casper (Massachusetts)
Linda Ty-Casper (Image courtesy of Linda Ty-Casper)
At 95, Manang Linda, author and poet, is best known as a legendary historical novelist who transformed a troubling library discovery into a 60-year literary crusade to tell the complex history of the Philippines. She was introduced by scholar, professor, and writer Michael Gonzalez.
Dr. Michael Gonzalez (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Her fascination with Philippine history began with her grandmother's stories about the Revolution against Spain and the Philippine-American War. Years later, while studying at Harvard, she discovered inaccurate and derogatory accounts of Philippine history and Filipinos in Widener Library. Determined to challenge those narratives, she turned to historical fiction, eventually writing more than 20 books. Her novels explored war, colonialism, political corruption, human-rights abuses, and the Marcos dictatorship, preserving difficult chapters of Philippine history for generations of readers who did not experience them firsthand.
Her work continues to reach new generations. The Three-Cornered Sun, set during the Philippine-American War, was reissued in 2024, while a revised critical edition of A Small Party in a Garden was reissued in 2026. Even in her 90s, she remains productive, publishing a memoir in 2025.
Luzviminda Sapin Micabalo (Nevada)
Luzviminda Micabalo, receiving the award from Lourdes Moldre (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
At 88, Manang Luzviminda is a healthcare leader and philanthropist whose professional success became a platform for decades of service. Lourdes Moldre, a nurse executive at UCSF Health, traced her career from establishing Cabrini Medical Center's first home health agency to becoming a healthcare executive, while building an equally remarkable record of humanitarian work in the United States and the Philippines.
With her late husband, surgeon Dr. Zosimo E. Micabalo, she participated in medical missions across the Philippines for more than 27 years, bringing healthcare to underserved families. In 2001, she established a nonprofit foundation in Nevada to support underserved communities in the United States and the Philippines. In 2007, the couple donated land in Oroquieta City to Gawad Kalinga to build homes for poor families. She also supported educational programs, raised funds for disaster victims, and advocated for Filipino nurses' rights. Long retired from her professional career, she continues to join medical missions.
Manang Luz turned those accomplishments back toward the people she served. “When we lift someone, we lift the whole community,” she said. “This award belongs to you, the community, and to my husband, whose compassion still guides me.” She added, “If our small part inspired others, even one person to help others, then I feel that we have won our cause.”
Dr. Richard Tenaza (California)
Dr. Ricard Tenaza, receiving the award from Dr. Elena Mangahas (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Manong Richard is a renowned field biologist, Professor Emeritus at the University of the Pacific, primate researcher, and namesake of Antarctica's Tenaza Peak. Elena Mangahas, co-founder of Little Manila Rising in Stockton, gave the audience a worldview of Dr. Tenaza's accomplishments.
Born into a Filipino migrant farmworker family, Tenaza spent his earliest years living in a packing-crate home near Half Moon Bay. From those humble beginnings, his curiosity about nature took him around the world, from the Arctic tundra and California's Farallon Islands to the rainforests of Indonesia, the savannas of East Africa, and Antarctica, where his pioneering research on Adélie penguins led to Tenaza Peak being named in his honor.
But his legacy extends beyond scientific discovery. During three decades at the University of the Pacific, he took generations of students out of the classroom and into forests, oceans, and distant lands where science became something they could experience firsthand. He also devoted decades to Filipino American education and community organizations, including FANHS, and served as the first faculty advisor to Kilusan Pilipino, mentoring Filipino students as they explored their own history and identity.
Polly Santiago-Cortez (California)
Polly Cortez, accepting the award from Flor Nicolas (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Manang Polly is a retired federal banking regulator, Vice Chair of the Friends of UP Foundation in America, and President of the Dr. Jose Rizal Legacy International Foundation.
Introduced by Flor Nicolas, South San Francisco councilmember and the city's first Filipino American mayor, Polly was recognized for a life that joined professional achievement with community service. During 38 years in federal banking regulation with the U.S. Treasury, she helped oversee financial institutions and protect the public interest. Beyond government service, she has encouraged Filipino Americans to participate in civic life and pursue positions of leadership.
For nearly two decades, she has served the Friends of UP Foundation in America, helping channel alumni support toward scholarships, research grants, and professorial chairs. A lifelong Girl Scout, she has also served as a board member, financial consultant, and mentor. She helped establish the sister-city relationship between South San Francisco and Pasig City and, through the Dr. Jose Rizal Legacy International Foundation, continues working to preserve and share Rizal's legacy with future generations.
Manang Polly traced her drive to serve to a near-death experience when she was struck by lightning at age eight. Given what she considered a second chance at life, she built a personal mission around her “P” words—purpose, positive prayer, participation, perseverance, persistence, principles, and passion.
“This is not the end; we have to keep going,” she said. Her mission: “Building bridges, making a difference that matters, guided by purpose and powered by passion.”
Manang Polly ended with a challenge that captured the spirit of the afternoon: “May we continue to turn our compassion into action, service with impact, purpose into legacy.”
Paciencia “Pat” Gacoscos+ (California)
Paciencia “Pat” Gacoscos+ (Photo by Mona Lisa Yuchengco)
Manang Pat was honored posthumously. Manny Fernandez, a former Union City councilmember and longtime friend, recalled the retired public servant and community activist who became the first Filipino American woman elected to the Union City Council.
Her public service began long before elected office. In the late 1980s, she spoke out against racism and called for greater minority participation in politics. She served eight years on the New Haven Unified School District Board of Education, where she helped bring Tagalog instruction to James Logan High School. Later, as Union City vice mayor, she supported a resolution backing the DREAM Act and a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrant youth.
Manang Pat also believed in building bridges across cultures. As chair of the Human Relations Commission, she founded the Union City Sister City Festival in 2004 and became founder and president of Union City Friends of Sister Cities, promoting friendship and understanding among communities across several countries. Until her death on May 22, 2026, shortly after her 81st birthday, she continued encouraging others to embrace civic engagement and community service.
Her son, Joe Gacoscos, remembered another side of his mother, a woman who could make friends with anyone, regardless of wealth, race, gender, or political influence.
In her recorded message, Manang Pat said their generation was “giving it to the younger people to accept the challenge” and become of service to the community.
Joe Gacoscos (right) receiving the award for his mother, Pacienca Gascoscos, from Manny Fernandez (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Maj. Gen. Antonio "Tony" Taguba, U.S. Army Ret. (Virginia)
Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, accepting the award from Cecilia Gaerlan (Photo by Minerva Amistoso)
Manong Tony's life reflects military service, moral courage, and a commitment to preserving Filipino American history. Introduced by Cecilia Gaerlan, founder and executive director of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society, Taguba rose to major general during a 34-year Army career. The son of a Philippine Scout who survived the Bataan Death March, he gained international attention in 2004 when he led the investigation into detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. His report documented widespread abuse and failures in military oversight, even though speaking the truth came at great personal cost to his career.
Retirement opened another chapter of service. As chairman of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP), Manong Tony led the national campaign that secured the Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino World War II veterans. But he believed a medal was not enough. FilVetREP went on to develop "Duty to Country," an educational program designed to teach new generations about the veterans' service and sacrifice.
“That's their legacy,” Taguba told the audience. “You got to tell their story.”
This year’s tribute honored a vast span of life experiences, from the youngest honoree in his active mid-70s to an extraordinary matriarch celebrating 110 years of life.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Building Communities: A Tribute to Our Manongs and Manangs 2026 was made possible through the generosity of many, including:
Title Sponsor: Cris and Evelyn Raimundo,
Sponsor: Gordon Manor and the Mallari Family
Partners: Ben and Rose Olivas
Supporters: Alex and Barbara Abela; Sonia Delen and Chris Fitzsimmons; LBC; Loida Nicolas Lewis; Mila and Ernie Llorente; Mango Tours; The Pasquil Rogers Family; Ramar Foods; BEI Hotel San Francisco; Goldilocks USA
Volunteers: Agnes Alikpala, Beverly Bongolan, Lois Briones, Eliza Duerme, Imelda Oppenheim, Maritella Oppenheim, Bess Roces, Irwin Ver, France Viana
Event recording: Minerva Amistoso
Snacks: Goldilocks USA
Hotel accommodations: BEI Hotel San Francisco
Stage and audiovisual support: San Francisco Public Library and its crew
Host: Lloyd LaCuesta
Entertainment: Kulintang Dialect
CLOSING REFLECTIONS
When the honorees and the audience moved to the Latino/Hispanic Community Room for networking, post-event photos, and refreshments provided by Goldilocks USA, Philippine Consul General Arnel Talisayon offered another perspective on the meaning of the tribute. He recalled growing up in Manila knowing relatives in America largely through balikbayan boxes, cassette-tape messages, long-distance telephone calls, and other connections between migrant relatives and families left behind.
"I remember associating life in America with one of plenty. Life without challenges, without sacrifice, and without struggle. As an adult, I now know that this is not the case. Every migrant story carries with it themes of uncertainty, anxiety, doubt, and even fear. Every migrant story has tales not only of the excitement of arrival, but of the pain and difficulty of departure. Every story of Filipinos who migrated to the U.S. is built on the stories of generations who carried the same hope, uncertainty, courage, anxiety, strength of will, fear, doubt, and piety," Talisayon shared, connecting those memories directly to the Manongs and Manangs and saying today's Filipino American communities were built through years of work, shared vision, and commitment by those who endured earlier struggles.
The call to action is clear: An honor recognizing past achievement also carries a responsibility for the future.
Lorna Lardizabal Dietz is a Filipino community publicist and cultural empowerment advocate. She serves on the board of directors of Sentro Filipino: The San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center.
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