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Tribute
To the people who have made a difference in our community.
Maselle G. Virey
October 11, 1953 - June 26, 2022
God called Maselle peacefully, surrounded by his loving family on Sunday, June 26, 2022 at the age of 68, after a private battle with cancer. He will be forever loved and missed by his devoted wife, Miguelita, beloved father of Mikelle and Gliselle (Thomas), proud Lolo of Melrose and Malcolm. Maselle did his formal education in Manila, graduating from the Bonifacio Elementary School in 1966 and the Science Class Jose Abad Santos High School in 1970. He finished his Bachelor of Science, majoring in Zoology in 1974 and Doctor of Medicine in 1978, both at the University of the Philippines. He immigrated to Canada on June 9, 1980 to do a four-year residency program in Psychiatry at the University of Ottawa. Proud of all his accomplishments – Fellow of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada; Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; Diplomate of the American Board of Disability Analysts; Lecturer at the University of Toronto School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; and Courtesy Consultant Psychiatrist at the Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga. He held an active practice in General Psychiatry for 37 years. He volunteered his time and gave talks in the community, nursing homes, and churches on Overcoming the Stigma of Mental Illness and Alzheimer’s Dementia. He was president of the Filipino Canadian Medical Association from April 2007-2009. He initiated a mentoring program for newcomer Filipino-Canadian immigrant physicians, helping them navigate the maze towards credentialing. He was elected to be one of the Board of Directors at the Filipino Centre Toronto from 2007-2010.
February 7, 1931 - January 15, 2022
Aida D'Orazio
Aida D’Orazio (nee Elago) passed away on January 15, 2022. She was born in the Philippines on February 7, 1931. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Monaldo DOrazio. ’She will be missed by her daughter Sabrina, son-in-law Patrick Egan, grandchildren Sierra, Rohan and Adelaide and her numerous relatives and friends. Aida was a Board of Director of the Filipino Centre Toronto from 2002-2013. She initiated the Outstanding Student Awards together with two other educators, Rosalinda C. Javier, FCT’s first President and Tony A. San Juan, FCT lifetime member and a teacher then. A person who does not just sit on her laurels, Aida continued on with other projects for FCT. She took great pride and pleasure in serving the Filipino community. She moved on to the publication of a Filipino cookbook, recipes contributed by FCT Board, volunteers, members and her numerous connections. She was one of the coordinators of the Santacruzan procession, at its annual Pistahan festival at the Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto Civic Centre. Next project was as publicity Chair for FCT. She was conscientious in contacting the local Filipino newspapers and publications about FCT activities and events. She was regular in her FCT columns in the local Filipino newspapers. A lasting Aida legacy with the Centre are the albums of photos and newspaper clippings she painstakingly maintained while she was a member of the Board at FCT.
Aida was a Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas; BSE graduate, PillarCollege, Zamboanga City; Diploma in Educational Media and Diploma in EducationalTechnology, McGill University, Montreal; taught at English schools in Montreal; Secretary,Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations in Quebec; Freelance writer; Columnist, FilipinoForum, Montreal; 2 term President Zamboanga Hermosa Canada; member, Philippine PressClub of Ontario.
Rosalinda Cerrudo-Javier
1940 - 2018
Rosalinda Cerrudo-Javier, first President & CEO of Filipino Centre, Toronto served in this position from the creation of FCT in 2000 to 2016. Popularly known as Linda, she led FCT's aggressive fundraising campaigns and activities in the two years that followed the Centre's creation in order to meet the single mandate of establishing a Filipino cultural community centre in Toronto. For an organization that did not have a penny or a bank account at the onset, FCT was able to acquire a building in the heart of the City of Toronto for a million and fifty thousand dollars, a little less than two years after FCT's launching. The property, formerly known as Donvale Medical Building at 597 Parliament Street, was purchased on December 17, 2002. Linda's involvement with the Filipino Centre Toronto was not the only leadership role she undertook at that time. From 1998 to 2007, Linda was President of Quezon Provincial Association of Canada (QPAC). In her two terms as QPAC President, Linda accomplished a lot - social networking for her fellow Quezon expatriates, medical aid boxes sent to the province, supported Canadian causes like the Canadian Children's Wish Foundation and the Ontario Special Olympics. On June 27, 1999 Rosalinda Cerrudo-Javier received a "Certificate of Distinction" from Joseph Ejercito Estrada, then the President of the Philippines and Jean Chretien, then the Prime Minister of Canada. The certificate was awarded to Linda, "as one of the 100 Outstanding Filipino-Canadians who has helped in the growth of the Filipino community and successfully embraced Canadian citizenship".
On October 7, 2017, Rosalinda Cerrudo-Javier also received an "Outstanding Canadian Award" certificate from Councillor Norm Kelly. It states - "In profound recognition and utmost appreciation of the honouree's outstanding service, proven integrity, unparalleled dedication, continued commitment and unbridled compassion as a member of her profession or organization and the excellent contribution to Canada as an engaged and responsible citizen. This distinctive citation is also being presented to the awardee for having demonstrated significant personal achievement and admirable leadership, with the sincere hope to serve as a positive role model and solid inspiration to the current and future generations”. Linda graduated from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1963. She immigrated to Canada in August 1968. She received an Ontario teaching certificate in September 2018 in time for a teaching position. In the succeeding years, she got married, raised two daughters, and earned her master’s degree. Rosalinda Cerrudo-Javier died peacefully at home surrounded by her family on September 18, 2018. Rosalinda is survived by Felino, her husband of 45 years, her daughters Lin Barbara (Michael Dickinson) and Lin Antonette (Michael Rogers), her grandchildren Aiden, Jack, Aaron and William and her siblings.