Pinay from Manila is one of Obama’s lead campaigners

MANILA, Philippines - “Yes we can. Maraming salamat po." This was a portion of a letter that was from a Filipino, but not just from an ordinary Pinoy. Eddie Charmaine Arivan Manansala wrote to leaders, family, and friends last June 24 encouraging them to help ensure Barack Obama’s victory in the 2008 US presidential polls. Manansala, who was born in Manila and lived in Los Angeles, will be instrumental in making Obama sit at the White House. In the letter, Manansala said she was chosen as Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Vote Director for the Obama Campaign. “I look forward to working with you in the upcoming months as we engage the Asian American and Pacific Islander community nationwide, as well as in key battleground states," she told Obama supporters in her letter. The choice of Manansala as one of Obama’s campaign leaders adds to her many accomplishments. In 2007, Manansala was chosen by the Filipina Women’s Network as one of the “100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the US." In a ceremony in Washington D.C., the network recognized Filipina leaders like Manansala “who have made or are making a difference in government policies or laws that impact business, industry, and society, and who enrich the lives and careers of others by sharing the benefits of their wealth, experience, and knowledge." The recognition befits Manansala, a graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, who has a master’s degree in public health at the George Washington University in Washington D.C. She is only in her 30s, but has already held key positions that have to do with US politics and cause-oriented undertakings. She was senior policy adviser to Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the US House of Representatives. During the Clinton administration, Manansala was senior policy analyst for the White House Initiative on AAPIs. She was California political director for the Service Employees International Union, which has two million members in US, Canada, and Puerto Rico representing workers in hospital systems, long term care, property services, and public services. Manansala also became senior policy adviser to the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity in Los Angeles, a coalition of organizations and individuals promoting the rights of Filipino World War II veterans. Her being one of Obama’s head campaigners is nothing new, but only an extension of her dedication in promoting the rights and interests of AAPIs. Since six years ago, Manansala was already called a “great leader." She was praised for helping “shape the way Asian Pacific Americans are treated and helped coordinate the federal government’s outreach efforts to the community." For Manansala, working for Obama’s victory also means helping AAPIs realize their aspirations. According to her, the "Obama campaign acknowledges the extraordinary contributions of the nearly 13 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have helped build a strong and vibrant America." “We will forge a more effective regional framework for collective security in Asia and the Pacific to promote political and economic stability, confront transnational threats like terrorism and influenza, and collectively address environmental concerns," she said in her June 24 letter. “Finally, we will restore the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to work towards its original goal of meeting the underserved needs of AAPIs," she added. - ARCS, GMANews.TV