THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407140151
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
ALTHOUGH THEY'RE not blood relatives, talking with April Alquizar and Jossette Barbero is like talking with identical twins, or at least with sisters of a very close age.
Slim, trim, bright and beautifully mannered, the pair of recent high school graduates enjoy many of the same things, finish each other's thoughts and share a deep respect for and love of their Filipino heritage.
Come fall, they'll even be going off to George Mason University together.
The two daughters of retired Navy men who have known each other ``forever,'' as they said characteristically in unison, shared one of the most exciting events of their young lives recently when they were among the 12 debutantes presented to society at a ball sponsored by the Filipino Women's Club of Tidewater.
Joining them in honors at the ball at the Holiday Inn Greenbrier were Cynthia Bassig, Tina Louise Bemmann, Jessica Calpito, Elizabeth Garduque, Ellen Hermosilla, Cheryl Marcelo, Sacha Mejia, Madriel Mirador, Cherlyn Sagun and Cecilia Salvador.
The elegant formal affair was an outgrowth of the club's mission to promote and preserve the culture of the Philippines among the 40,000 people of Filipino heritage in Hampton Roads.
It's a mission that is not lost on the debutantes. ``To me, personally, I'm sort of getting in touch with my culture,'' Alquizar started out thoughtfully.
``Like Filipino heritage being brought from the Philippines to the United States,'' Barbero quickly added.
That was precisely what the club members had hoped last year when they began working on the plans for their first debutante cotillion.
``Debutante balls are very big back home in the Philippines,'' Barbero's mother, Lumen, a former president of the organization said. ``But they're usually done individually, which is very expensive.''
By combining their resources and having one large presentation, the group was able to do two things: keep the costs to the families more reasonable and raise money for the cultural center that the Filipino community is building on Baxter Road.
The major fund-raiser was the sale of ads in the program for the ball.
To read those ads is to get a glimpse into the culture the organization hopes to preserve.
The book, filled with pictures of multi-generation families and best wishes from parents, grandparents, brother, sisters and numerous uncles and aunts - many with M.D. or other advanced degrees listed following the names - reflects the traditional Filipino values of family and education.
It also reflects the closeness of the community. ``We call every adult that we're close to `auntie' or `uncle,' '' Barbero said. ``That's out of respect, even if they're not real relatives,'' Alquizar added.
Many of those relatives, blood and honorary, came from out of town to attend the affair.
``We sold 200 tickets,'' Venus Tomaneng, club president, said. According to Tomaneng, the debutantes were chosen through the recommendation of friends and in response to advertisements targeted to the Hampton Roads' Filipino community.
In her forward to the book prepared for the ball, Tomaneng had special words both for the debutantes and their parents.
For the young ladies, the emphasis was on the event. ``This is your party. Enjoy it!'' she wrote.
Her words to the parents had a somewhat deeper meaning. ``Witness the transformation of your little girl into a beautiful young adult and cherish the love that you alone have nurtured,'' she gently advised them. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JO-ANN CLEGG
April Alquizar, left, and Jossette Barbero, both bound for George
Mason University, were among 12 debutantes presented to society at a
ball sponsored by the Filipino Women's Club of Tidewater.
by CNB