Sacramento Filipino American Lawyers Association (SacFALA) presents Pinay Powerhouse 9: ILAW

 The time has come again for the annual Pinay Powerhouse Conference. This year, the Sacramento Filipino American Lawyers Association (SacFALA) is hosting. The conference is titled ILAW (Light), based on the Filipino adage that mothers are ilaw ng tahanan (light of the home). Applied broadly, we Pinays have been an ilaw not only in the home but also in government, politics, the community, and the workplace. Our light is far-reaching!

To that end, our keynote's theme is Liwanag (Luminescence), and the keynote speaker is the Hon. Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the 28th Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court and currently the President and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

Filipino American Lawyers of DC (FALA DC) presented Pinay Powerhouse 8: Advoc8 & Ingat in the nation’s capital where we gathered to learn how to sustainably advocate for ourselves and our community. 

We believe that our Pinay Powerhouse community can only rise when we activate the power of advocacy and ingat (taking care of ourselves) together in harmony. Our advocacy theme will feature experts who will speak on the importance of advocating for disaggregated data, advocating for our family members through the immigration justice system, and how to advocate for our own bodies through reproductive justice. Our ingat theme will hold space where our attendees will learn how to honor our bodies to ensure that our advocacy is sustainable through movement, art, music, and food. 

Pinay Powerhouse VII in San Diego

Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego ("FALSD") was honored to host the 7th Annual Pinay Powerhouse Conference on March 22- March 24, 2024 in San Diego, CA. The conference theme was Sun, Sand & Sampaguita. Sampaguita is the national flower of the Philippines and means “promises,” from the phrase sumpa kita. The conference theme honors the promises we make to the community and our profession, as well as the promises we make to and keep for ourselves. The conference was led by Co-Chairs, Pauline Villanueva and Andrella Gonzalez. The planning committee members were Christine Start, Kristine Avena, Vanessa Candelaria, Gervilyn Cadimas, Rolaine Castro, Michelle Gastil, Gabriela Kula, Diana Laranang, Christine Lopez, Frances Prizzia, Yvonne Ricardo, Emiliza San Diego and Cheryl Shitabata.

Pinay Powerhouse VI in New York

Filipino American Lawyers Association (FALA) New York hosted the 6th Annual Pinay Powerhouse conference on March 24-March 26, 2023. The conference theme was PiNaY State of Mind in Manhattan, New York City. The Conference encompassed an Anti-Asian Hate Panel, Keynote speaker Anna Mercado Clark, and a panel of Pinay Leaders in the Law. The Conference was led by co-chairs, Lizl Leonardo and Louise Lingat.

Pinay Powerhouse V in Seattle

Dare to Reign was hosted by the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California. It was co-chaired by Elaine Edralin Pascua and Jeri Gonzales Abrams, along with their FLOW Planning Committee Members: Lindsay Appleton, Lisa Assay, Mimi Castillo, Anna Clavel, Almira Jane DC-Butler, Cheryl Farrish, Ailene Limric, Maria Manalac, Gail Manuguid, Odette Polintan, Victoria Stairs, Bianca Tillman, and Katrina Villanueva.

Pinay Powerhouse IV (Virtual)

The Pinay Powerhouse Collective made the tough decision to postpone Pinay Powerhouse IV in Seattle due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The collective quickly pivoted and transformed the annual conference to a virtual format with the theme of Root to Rise, hosted by the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California.

Pinay Powerhouse III in Hawaii

Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association ("HFLA") hosted the 3rd Annual Pinay Powerhouse Conference on March 29- March 31, 2019 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The conference theme was Shine On and panels included "Bright Spots" Pinay-Powered Social Justice Achievements, Keynote Speaker Josephine T. Parry, and "Rain and Shine" Using Pinay Power to Bring Business & Prestige to your Practice. The members of the planning committee were Rozelle Agag, Joanne Badua, Jamie Madrigal, and Becky Gardner.

Pinay Powerhouse II in Los Angeles

Following the success of the inaugural conference in 2017, the Philippine American Bar Association (PABA), together with FBANC and other Filipino bar associations in the United States, hosted the second installment of Pinay Powerhouse in Los Angeles, California with the theme of Pinay Now! The planning committee composed of Zathrina Perez, Cherisse Cleofe, Abigail Zelenski, and Aimee Contreras-Camua.

Approximately 150 Filipina lawyers and law students from across the country attended the event, which offered opportunities to learn about current legal issues, network, and celebrate achievements of Filipina legal professionals—including the history-making confirmation of federal judge Lorna Schofield. Balitang America covered the Pinay Powerhouse Conference II.

Photos by Jamie Juni

Pinay Powerhouse I in San Francisco

In 2016, Pinay Powerhouse founders Christine Start, Mari Bandoma Callado, Lorna Garcia De Guzman, Vanessa Candelaria, and Jennifer Sta. Ana envisioned a women’s conference focused on empowering Filipina attorneys and aspiring attorneys as leaders in the law. With the support of the women of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC), Laurie Rose Lubiano, Katrina Romero, Jeanne Grove, Vanessa Leonardo, Angelica Leonardo, and Carmelita Miller, the founders’ vision came to fruition in 2017. Over 100 Filipina judges, attorneys, and aspiring attorneys attended the Inaugural Pinay Powerhouse Conference 2017, Lift as You Climb, hosted by the FBANC in San Francisco, California.

Photos by Jamie Juni