THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION - NEVADA (UPAAN)
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by Isidro (Sid) Dela Cruz, UPAAN Past President, Historian, Director & Registered Agent (RA); prev. update on 12/18/2021; this update 1/16/2023
 
The genesis of the UP Alumni Association – Nevada, aka UP Alumni Association of Nevada, hereinafter referred to as UPAAN, was evolutionary in nature, starting with the various preliminary formation meetings that took place in the 1990s.  It was initially formed as University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America – Nevada Chapter on June 16, 1995 by Art Javier together with Ronaldo Madarang, Abraham Velasco, and Alexander Lopez.
 
The movement gained momentum and official national recognition when it elected on April 21, 1999 its first set of officers and co-hosted with the UP Alumni Association of Los Angeles the 10th Grand Assembly and Reunion of UP Alumni Association in America (UPAAA) on October 15-17, 1999 at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first set of officers were: Will Vicuna, president, Abe Velasco, 1st vice-president, Ed Cruz, 2nd vice-president, Lilia Castaneda, corresponding secretary, Eva Mandapat, recording secretary, Nora Alonsozana, treasurer, Susie Padilla, assistant treasurer, Ronnie Madarang, press relations officer, Art Javier, Auditor, Fred Evora, Roger Megino, Martin Tianco, Paolo Dimaano, George Joson, Pete Puertollano, Tommy Laurel and Sheila Murphy, directors.
 
In 2003, in our desire to elevate to the next level our goals to put more emphasis on charitable, educational and public service, the name was changed to UP Alumni Association - Nevada and the Constitution and Bylaws (CBL) were amended and reinstated through the effort of Benlor Rivera (then vice-president) and Pat Barber/Isidro Dela Cruz (then president) to conform with the Nevada Revised Statutes on Nonprofit Corporations and the Internal Revenue Code Section 501-C-(3).  Our application for a non-profit status was approved by the IRS on Nov. 5, 2003 with Tax ID # 753046980, and thus, the UP Alumni Association – Nevada, formed under the Laws of the State of Nevada, a 501-C-(3), was born.
 
On Aug. 3, 2019, the CBL was amended to reflect the many changes that occurred in the Association through the years. For example, the definition of “alumni” and categories of membership were redefined to follow the ones used by the UP Alumni Association in the Philippines. Also, the governing body, its power and duties, and conduct of operation were updated to reflect current best practices.  Also incorporated was the role of technology, the Internet, net meetings, text messaging, etc. in managing the Association’s affairs. The Association’s objectives were also realigned to be in sync with the objectives of the UP Alumni Association in America.
 
 
OBJECTIVES
 
The Association’s objectives outlined in the amended CBL are to:

1. Provide help and resources to the University of the Philippines in support of its mission as a premier academic institution.
2. Provide leadership in fostering a bond of unity, fellowship and collaboration among alumni and organizations to achieve common goals.
3. Promote the development and advancement of intellectual, cultural, social and civic projects that benefit the University of the Philippines and the community at large in general.
4. Generate funds to support its charitable, educational and cultural activities under Internal Revenue Service guidelines on tax exempt organization.

 
1999/2017 ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. Hosted in Las Vegas two UPAAA General Assemblies and Conventions: a) the 10th General Assembly and Convention at Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Oct. 15-19, 1999; and b) the 17th General Assembly and Convention on Aug. 30-Sept. 1, 2013 at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.  
2. Participated and sent delegates to the various UPAAA General Assemblies and Conventions, i.e., Aug. 17-19, 2001 at The Palmer House Hilton in Chicago; Oct. 24-26, 2003 at Westin Oaks Hotel at the Galleria, Houston, Texas;  Oct. 7-9, 2005 at Town & Country Resort & Convention in San Diego, CA; Sept. 1-3, 2007 at the San Francisco Financial District Hilton;  Sept. 4-6, 2009 at JW Marriott Hotel, Washington, D.C.; Sept. 2-4, 2011 in Jacksonville, Florida, Oct. 9-11, 2015 at Wyndham Bayside, San Diego, CA; Oct. 26-28, 2017 at Woodbridge Hotel, Iselin, NJ.  
3. Donated various sums of money to UP for the benefit of the various campuses, professors and students: a)  $13,400 to UP on 1/27/2015 ($7,400 from UPAAN and $6,000 from UPAAA net proceeds of the 17th Gen. Assembly and Convention in Las Vegas) to establish a student scholarship grant at the College of Arts and Sciences at UP Visayas and UP Mindanao on a rotational basis; b) $2,000 to UP Diliman Palma Hall classroom renovation project in 2003; c) $2,500 to the UP Modernization Fund in 2004; d) $1,000 to PGH Pediatric Ward in 2005; e) $2,000 to the UP Centennial Fund Campaign through UP Foundation, Inc. in August 2006; f) $300 to Save the Carillon Restoration Project; and g) $300 to UP Iloilo’s Gurong Pahinungud Program.  
4. Donated $30,000 to establish a UPAAN Centennial Professorial Chair at the College of Music in Diliman on June 24, 2010; BOR Excerpt 1258th 7/29/2010. First awardee was Maria Shela A. Najera, PHP 75k, 7/1/2019-6/30/2020, fund balance as of 1/14/2021 PHP 1,865,495.  
5. Donated various sums of money to several charities: a) $2,800 to build a house at the Gawad Kalinga USA Village in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, Philippines in April 2011; b) $1,000 to typhoon Ondoy victims on Oct. 2, 2009 and $1,000 to typhoon Sendong victims in Mindanao on Jan. 2, 2012 through PACF and GK International.  
6. Hosted in Las Vegas ten (10) consular outreach events of the Philippine Consulate in LA from 2009-2014, which helped thousands of Filipinos obtain passports, dual citizenships, travel documents, civil registries and overseas absentee voter registration.  
7. Joined the 4th of July, 2004 Independence Day Parade in Summerlin followed by a UPAAN picnic at Hillpointe Park, hosted by Sid and Evelyn Dela Cruz.  
8. Brought to Las Vegas the first ever original Filipino opera performed in the United States, “Karim at Jasmin” on Sept. 20, 2008 at the Horn Theatre, College of Southern Nevada.  
9. Sponsored UP’s Centennial celebration in Las Vegas on June 27, 2008 with UP Pres. Dr. Emerlinda Roman, CBA Dean Erlinda Echanis, CM Dean Montet Acoymo and PH Consul General Mary Jo Aragon in attendance.  
10. Co-hosted with NAFFAA on May 1, 2011 at the Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino then Philippine VP Jejomar Binay’s dialogue with the leaders of the Fil-Am community in Southern Nevada.  
11. Co-hosted with UPMASA Nevada Chapter a dialogue between the then Phil. Ambassador to the United States, his Excellency Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., and the media and the Fil-Am community in So. Nevada on May 14, 2011 at the Bally’s Hotel & Casino. 
12. Sponsored KALAHI Philippine Folkloric Ensemble’s “Mabuhay ka Pilipino” (Long Live the Filipino) cultural show which is a dance and song review of the Philippines’ path to independence at the Artemus Ham Concert Hall at UNLV Performing Arts Center on June 11, 2011.  
13. Sponsored Alpha Psi Rho (the first Asian Pacific Islander Fraternity in UNLV) in the annual phantom fireworks sale on July 1-4, 2011 which netted $1,000 for UPAAN. 
14. Held a “Mega BBQ” event to recruit new members and foster friendship among members on March 18, 2012 at the residence of Sid and Evelyn Dela Cruz, 8080 Dark Hollow Pl, Las Vegas, NV 89117. 
15. Hosted and/or co-hosted multiple times various UP groups and alumni who came to perform and/or compete in Las Vegas like the hip hop groups “The Crew” and “UP Street Dance Crew,” UPeeps, Madrigal Singers, UP Concert Chorus, Raul Sunico, Ryan Cayabyab, etc. 
16. Jan. 23, 2016 -- Co-hosted with the Asian Community Resource Center the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus’ performance at the Church of Scientology and Celebrity Theater which involved promoting the concert, selling tickets and housing/hosting the choir members. 
17. June 12, 2016 & June 6, 2017 - Joined the Philippine Independence Day parade/motorcade and celebration in Las Vegas with banners and t-shirts, thus raising awareness for UPAAN. 
18.  Aug. 2/3, 2017 –Welcomed UP Maroons led by Coach Bo Perasol at their training camp and treated the men’s basketball team to Spice Market buffet dinner at Planet Hollywood. 
19. Oct. – Dec. 2017 -- Led the various Phil-Am organizations in Las Vegas, in cooperation with Alta Home Healthcare, in planning, sponsoring and executing “Philippine Tapestry,” a cultural fashion show by Renee Salud at the Texas Station Casino on Dec. 2, 2017, raising $9,000 for the Vegas-based victims’ survivors of the 10/1/17 mass shooting at Mandalay Bay. 
20. Jan. – Dec. 2018 – Led the distribution of funds to the various victims of the 10/1/17 mass shooting, including to the UNLV Lied Library.

 
2018/2021 ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS, DOROTHY LLARIZA-TOME, PRESIDENT

1. April 11, 2019 - Donated $565 to UP Visayas Teaching and Learning Resource Center’s “Sponsor-A-Tutee” Program which provides tutorial assistance to students in need, using peer students who excel in a subject as tutors. 
2. May 6, 2019 - Donated $300 to PACF to help repatriate to the Philippines the body of Filipina mother Karen Gotidoc Lopez (a murder victim). 
3. June 9, 2019 - Participated in the Philippine Independence Day motorcade and donated food at the Venetian Banquet Hall celebration. 
4. June 27, 2019 - Hosted a meet-and-greet luncheon for the 28-man UP Fighting Maroons Men’s Basketball Team at the South Point Garden Buffet.   
5. August 3, 2019 - Amended and approved the UPAAN Constitution and Bylaws (CBL). 
6. September 2019 – Supported the 4th batch of Filipino Special Ed. Teachers of the Clark County exchange program through donations and welcome dinner in cooperation with organizers. 
7. October 19, 2019 – Supported the 12th Annual Philippine Heritage Night of the Fil-Am Heritage Foundation through sponsorship. 
8. October 2019 – Attended the 20th UPAAA Grand Reunion and Convention in San Francisco through Dorothy Tome, Ana Parcon, Luz Micabalo, Joe Tinio, Jean Mizell Chayette and advertised in the souvenir journal. 
9. November 21, 2019 – Purchased from UP Diliman 18 pcs of sablay to be used by Board members and officers of UPAAN during official functions, with help from Jean Mizell-Chayette. 
10. December 14, 2019 – Held the UPAAN Induction of Officers and Christmas Dinner with attendance of community leaders; through the initiative of Joe Tinio, opened this event to community leaders at Dance Starz Café. 
11. February 2020 - Signed Memorandum of Understanding with UPAAA to co-host the Grand Reunion and Convention 2021, with amendment for the virtual platform, February 2021. 
12. April 2020 - Through Therese Heilman, conducted a webinar for UPAAN community on ways to deal with Covid 19; facilitated procurement and distribution of sanitizers, face masks, gloves, disinfectants, and wipes to UPAAN members and friends. 
13. April 20, 2020 - Donated $545 to UP Diliman Student Council IskoOps for relief efforts to help the families in UP Campus. 
14. May 25, 2020 - Supported the Las Vegas Fil-Am and NaFFAA’s project Bayanihan in distributing food bags, meals, masks, and face shields in response to Covid 19. 
15. June 27, 2020 – Through Dorothy Tome, conducted a webinar with the UPAAA on “Coping with Radical Change”. 
16. November 2020  – present - Through the initiative of Mia Casino, created weekly podcasts named “On the Dot” through PHLV Radio app, co-produced and co-hosted by Mia Casino and Dot Tome, for public service, publicity, fund-raising, community presence, and highlighting of UPAAN members and UP alumni. 
17. December 13, 2020 - Hosted a virtual memorial for Joe Tinio, attended by the UP Vanguards, Joe’s family and friends, and staff of his home care facility. 
18. Donated money to UPAAN Covid 19 casualties – Manny Santos, Eva Mandapat, Joe Tinio, Perl Tinio. 
19. Through the initiative of Ana Parcon, raised funds through sales of UP masks. 
20. April – Through Ingrid Cabrera, sent boxes of clothes and household items to Marikina flood survivors and Micabalo Gawad Kalinga Village in Oroquieta City. 
21. Jan -June 2021 – Through the initiative of Sid Dela Cruz, donated $4,000 Scholarship Grant through UP Foundation, Inc. to UP Mindanao College of Science and Mathematics on 6/25/2011.  In addition, two UPAAN members Sid & Evelyn Dela Cruz donated $6,500 Scholarship Grant through UP Foundation, Inc. to UP Diliman Virata School of Business on 5/11/2021. 
22. April 24, 2021 – Through the initiative of Julie Ann Torremoro, distributed 42 food boxes from Project 4 Humanity to friends of UPAAN. 
23. June 12, 2021 – Participated in and donated food to the 123rd Philippine Independence Day Celebration along with 100+ community groups in Las Vegas. 
24. July 22, 2021 – With Ana Parcon, Timo Casino, Mia Casino, and Dorothy Tome, hosted dinner for six (6) UP alumni working and studying in UNLV, among them Prof. Nora Caberoy and Lorena Samentar. 
25. August 4, 2021 – Raised $1,500 funds for Gamification Sponsorship for the 21st GRC, a pioneering event in UPAAA’s history. 
26. October 22-24, 2021 – UPAAN co-hosted with UPAAA, Inc. the 21st Grand Reunion and Convention (GRC) which was successfully conducted virtually due to Covid 19 with about 400 registrants. UPAAN’s share of the net earnings from the GRC was $3,887. 
27. December 27, 2021 – In response to the call for help due to the destruction caused by typhoon Odette in the Philippines, the UPAAN Board approved to donate $1,000 to UP Cebu for campus rehabilitation and $200 to Phil Am Charity Foundation, Inc. (PACF) for typhoon victims. More importantly, UPAAN partnered with PACF in kicking off the typhoon Odette global fundraising campaign on Jan. 1, 2022 at Seafood City, Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV.

 
2022/2023 ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS, BENJAMINA CASINO, PRESIDENT

1. Created the Chief Technology Officer position as a permanent position in the UPAAN CBL leading to growth in our internet and social media presence, website, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter and Youtube. 
2. Conducted a very successful membership campaign to recruit more and younger members. The campaign yielded a $1k donation from new members Pat and Dahlia Saldana.  Membership applications and payments via Paypal is now available online. 
3. Conducted the Tulong Dunong Project to provide financial, material and moral assistance to the J1 teachers (imported from the Philippines on a 3-year teaching visa by the Clark County School District) to help them settle down smoothly in Las Vegas. 
4. Participated in the June 2022 Philippine Independence Day celebration and motorcade. 
5. Held three face-to-face general meetings in 2022 to foster camaraderie among members: April 23 Tagsibol Picnic at the park which ended up meeting at Dr. Aragon’s office due to windy weather, Aug. 6 meeting at the Vicuna rest house in Mt. Charleston, and Dec. 9 Christmas get together at D’Pinoy Joint. 
6. Helped improve the UPAAN brand name and image nationally.. Won in the UPAAA Virtual Reunion Gamification.  Created a 30-second advertisement for UPAAN which airs ON THE DOT, a podcast now going on its 3rd year. UPAAN members received different awards and recognitions like Mother of the Year, Father of the Year Outstanding Mother of the Year.  Ana Parcon is UPAAA Auditor and Dorothy Llariza-Tome is UPAAA Liaison for the Visayas. 
7. Successfully launched a song-writing contest titled HIMIG which brings out the best in Fil-Am talents in the So. Nevada area and in the process raised $2k in donations after expenses.  
8. Conducted charitable projects like sending outreach boxes to the Tiboli and Aetas in Mindanao and collecting toys (instead of exchanging gifts) at the Christmas party which were donated to the firefighters’ “Fill the Fire Truck” toy drive for the underprivileged children in Las Vegas.

   
 
UPAAN CONTRIBUTION TO THE SO. NEVADA COMMUNITY
 
Looking back, hosting the Philippine Los Angeles Consulate’s outreach program in Las Vegas ten times over a 5-year period from 2009 to 2014 has been the most important contribution of UPAAN to the Sothern Nevada Fil-Am community.  For background, the Consular Outreach Program is a regular activity of the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles to bring its various consular services closer to its constituents residing in areas within its jurisdiction. Hosting entails funding, arranging for and providing a venue, a staff of volunteers, publicity, marketing, coordination, logistics and all other activities necessary to make the event a success.  By sponsoring these consular outreaches, UPAAN was able to help thousands of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in Nevada and the surrounding States renew, replace, amend and/or extend their Philippine passports, secure dual citizenships, register births and marriages, legalize documents, secure travel documents, and register overseas absentee voters.  Specifically, UPAAN hosted and in some situations co-hosted with other organizations the consular outreach events enumerated below.  An average of 100 dual citizenships, 300 passport services, 200 overseas absentee voting registrations, and 100 civil registries and document legalizations were performed per event.
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1. Feb. 14-15, 2009 -- at Masonic Memorial Temple, 2200 West Mesquite Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106, co-hosted with FAHF-NV.
2. May 23-24, 2009 -- co-hosted with FAHF-NV at Seafood City.  
3. Aug. 22-23, 2009 -- at Masonic Memorial Temple, 2200 West Mesquite Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89106.  
4. October 10-11, 2009 -- co-hosted with FAHF-NV (Fil-Am Heritage Foundation-Nevada) at Seafood City.  
5. June 19-20, 2010 -- at Bugsy's, 6145 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89146, co-hosted with FAHF-NV.   
6. October 4-5, 2010 -- at Seafood City, 3890 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119, hosted by NaFFAA-NV (National Federation of Fil-Am Associations-Nevada) and assisted by UPAAN volunteers.
7. Feb. 18-19, 2011 – at Quick Tax Refund Office, Desert Inn Road, Las Vegas, NV.
8. Oct. 8-10, 2011-- at Salo-Salo Grill & Restaurant, 3650 Jones Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89103.
9. May 26-27, 2012 – at the Boulevard Mall Promenade, Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV.
10. May 24-25, 2014 – at the Boulevard Mall Promenade, Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV.