A Promising New Year

Publisher: The Zambales Association, Inc.

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The general membership meeting held on January 19, 2025, marked the first gathering of the year and had the highest attendance we have seen to date. The renewed interest from the younger generation of Zambales Association, Inc. (ZAI) is becoming evident, thanks to the leadership of ZAI Pres. Joe Alvior and his dedicated supporter, his wife, Mrs. Edith Alvior. Both are energetic and have introduced new and exciting initiatives. 

Attending meetings can be enjoyable. These gatherings provide a valuable opportunity for connection and engagement, which are essential for success. We rarely get to see our friends, and meeting in this way helps strengthen those bonds. Moreover, volunteers frequently offer an enticing selection of snacks, making it a wonderful reason to attend and participate.

The agenda identified by ZAI Pres. Joe Alvior were: a) Feedback from the Xmas party; b) Induct officers who missed the ceremony; c) Schedule a casino trip; d) Schedule 2025 summer family picnic; and others.

These are important issues that need to be addressed. The responses provided were insightful, and many valuable lessons were learned. For example, some members were not informed about the upcoming Christmas party. Our corresponding secretaries noted that many phone numbers were outdated or no one was answering their phones. 

To avoid future misunderstandings, please ensure that your contact information is updated, including the payment of your membership fees. We are all in this together, and fostering a sense of togetherness promotes good health, peace of mind, and healthy relationships among friends and neighbors.

Currently, the feedback indicates that we have over two hundred registered members. Using this information, an updated member roster will be created. Please update your contact information as soon as possible. On the top left-hand corner of our newsletter is a contact info box. Just type your name, your email address, and a short message. Then, click submit. Another is to text or email your new contact details (phone number and email address) to 757-454-2286 or send them to zaiupdate2019@gmail.com. This information will be forwarded to VP Pinah Cecil, Chairperson of the Membership Committee. Thank you!

The casino trip is something to think about. According to the feedback, we need 43 people to sign up to be considered a go and a bus will not be procured until a break-even amount is reached. We can not afford to lose money raising funds. That is simply common sense on our part.

The Summer family picnic is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, July 27, 2025, at Woodstock Park, Virginia Beach, VA. As usual, potluck folks! Bring your favorite dish to share and a bright smile. Hehe … see we are smiling already.

The other item on the agenda is the Mother's Day dance scheduled for Saturday, May 17, 2025. The venue has not yet been decided. The main issues are the menu and the ticket pricing. We are conducting a feasibility study to explore options at the Chesapeake Conference Center and the Marriott Hotel nearby, to negotiate a reasonable and affordable price. We aim to make the mothers happy on Mother's Day, as they often handle the household expenses. We will provide an update once everything is finalized.

At the Christmas party, the new officers of the Zambales Association were inducted by Dr. Arlene Fontanares on December 15, 2024, at the Glenwood Community Hall. 

Members and guests, including children, gathered to celebrate and enjoy the festivities. We learned that the individual chosen to portray Santa spent the entire year of 2024 preparing for this role, ensuring he had the perfect appearance to embody the legendary figure with the white beard. (A lot of adobos, my man! Hehe!)

We will keep the identity of this mystery person a secret, as some members believe it would be unethical to reveal it. Others, however, view it as a great honor to perform as the man in red, and the Santa Claus outfit was a perfect fit. Thank you, Sir, for making our Christmas celebration as joyful as it should be.

Like Santa, we are grateful for Allan and Andy Aranas, who played their violin and music alongside their student Amaree with his cello, and Zack (the three-year-old little kid) with his maracas. They serenaded us with Christmas songs and encouraged everyone at the party to sing along. It was uplifting to see everyone participating in the singing. Meanwhile, Joe Aranas was spotted carrying a cello and running to join the group, but unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to play. Zack, rolling his eyes up and down, said, later Grandpa. Tsk! Tsk! Sorry, Joe—maybe next time, huh! Ing-ing (violin) siguro namaymayat. 

Numerous gifts were donated for the children, as well as for seniors aged eighty and above. Every child present received a gift, and no one was turned away. For the older generation, gift-giving began with the oldest recipients, starting with those in their nineties and continuing down to those in their eighties. One elderly woman expressed her wish that Santa would bring her brand-new dentures, but unfortunately, she did not receive them. The elves no longer have a practicing dentist. Perhaps she will have better luck next year!

The sources of the gifts came from the fish sale fundraising headed by Manang Fely Fontanares and Anne and Pepe Cabacoy, Dr. Arlene Fontanares donated funds, and the Alviors and others had gifts wrapped as well. The sisters, Lorna and Rhodora Fuertes had a booth set up for registration for new members, collection of membership fees, and the sale of the 50/50 raffle tickets with VP Pinah Cecil. 

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Larry Sahagun who reserved the venue, Tom Cecil, Joe Aranas, Freddie Manglicmot, and many others who contributed to the food preparation. Thank you to everyone who brought their favorite dishes and those who did amazing things we missed mentioning, maraming, maraming salamat po sa supporta. It is incredible to see what we can achieve when we work together, sharing our talents and resources while supporting and caring for one another. Thank you again.

Acknowledgment: The photos used were obtained from the ZAI Facebook account and contributed by Minehart Najera, Lorna Fuertes, Joe Alvior, Pinah Cecil, and others. 

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                Learn more:   Virginia DMV registration sticker to come off soon

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Obituary - 2024–2025 (Read more by clicking the names)

In Memoriam - a tribute to ZAI's past presidents.

Carolina Pernites Benjamin Navalta   Teofila Blanco  Gilberto Salumbides Rosita Ortega  Rosauro Rivera  Pablo Tarun Buraga

Corzon Denosta Santiago Galvante  Norma Ilagan Nenita Santorum Joel Samonte Madrid MD Milagros Dy Flores Evelina Buhay Walker

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We apologize for any unintended errors in our writing. English is not our native language, and we are not grammar experts. We are using Ilo-Tag-Lish, a combination of three languages commonly spoken in the Philippines today. Our goal is to provide the best possible content, and we appreciate your understanding if we make any mistakes.

Your support has motivated us to persist despite our limited resources. We greatly appreciate your patience and help in growing our newsletter. — Mike Colorado |  

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Thank you for spending time with us. Until the next issue – God bless.