I need your Facebook vote. Why? I am a 2012 Nominee for The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York Award

NEW YORK CITY |   According to the letter I received (reprinted below), I am a 2012 Nominee for The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York Awards (TOFA-NY), an annual awards event held during Filipino American History Month celebration.

Nominations are based on merit. However, I need your help. Final winners are based on the total number of LIKE's clicked on Facebook.

Visit this TOFA-NY Facebook Page link below and please click the LIKE tab below my name:


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=131919673614181&set=a.131919633614185.23143.131554353650713&type=1&theater

--> For your "LIKE" to count as a vote, please CLICK on my picture in this Facebook Page and then please CLICK "LIKE" tab, word or button. You’re done.

In order for your vote to be counted, please click the photo of the TOFA-NY nominee first. Then hit the LIKE word or button. Liking the wall post does not count as a vote.

You don't have to be a New Yorker to vote. Share this link with your friends and ask them to vote for me, please. I need the votes!

Winners will be awarded in a gala ceremony to be held at Carnegie Hall on October 27, 2012.

Artwork by Ernie Pena and Troi Santos

AND THIS YEAR’S TOFA-NY NOMINEE…

It was an exhilarating -- and exhausting -- week. The Tofa board pored over hundreds of names submitted to this year’s The Outstanding Filipino Americans. Then we realized there’s just so many Filipinos doing unbelievably outstanding work in their trade and professions.

We are thrilled and deeply honored to present the nominees to the 2012 The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York. We thank the legions of friends and families who believed in them and sent us their bios. The final vote is up to you, the Filipino global community. The final date for voting is Friday, October 5. On October 27, we will all gather at Carnegie Hall to honor this year’s 2012 Tofa-NY awardees.

LETTER DATED JULY 3, 2012

Congratulations, Randy Gener. 

You have been selected as a nominee to the 2012 The Outstanding Filipino Americans in the New York Tri-State (TOFA-NY), representing the category of MEDIA & PUBLISHING.

An awards ceremony celebrating Filipino American History Month will be held on October 27 at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall. Consul General Mario Lopez de Leon Jr. will keynote the event, and community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis will deliver an inspirational address.

Please follow this link to learn more: https://www.facebook.com/TOFAINY2

TOFA-NY was created to give recognition to individuals and organizations that have raised the profile of the Filipino American community in a unique and positive way – and to celebrate their achievements. We are a group of multimedia professionals well plugged into the community. While we know many of the personalities in traditional as well as grassroots advocacy organizations, pre-selection was based entirely on merit.

To make this year’s TOFA truly a people’s award, voting will be conducted in all transparency via Facebook. We suggest you invite your friends and networks to vote. This is not a fundraiser. There are no fees involved and no selling of tickets to win.


We are trying this novel idea for the second time this year. We believe social media is crucial in getting the word out about the many personalities and organizations that have made us one significant and dynamic community in this part of the U.S.

The final voting will be on October 5 at 12 midnight. Winners will be known to all after that.

Tofa Board

Elton Lugay
Myrna Gutierrez
Rolan Gutierrez
Grace Hufano Labaguis
Ronald Labaguis
Marisse Panlilio
Cristina DC Pastor

Artwork by Ernie Pena and Troi Santos