The officers, directors, and members of FAPCNY present during the club’s elections | Photo Troi Santos
NEW YORK, NY– The Filipino-American Press Club of New York (FAPCNY) has elected Dave Llavanes Jr. as president during its meeting held at Lahi Restaurant in Elmhurst, New York. The election marks a new chapter for the only Filipino-American press organization on the East Coast, with Llavenes as its seventh president.
Also elected were Don Tagala, vice president, Lindy Rosales, secretary, and Marilyn Abalos, treasurer. The new Board of Directors is composed of Marivir Montebon (OSM! creator), Ricky Rillera (publisher and editor-in-chief of Philippine Daily Mirror), Myrna Gutierrez (founder of Who’s Who Magazine), Troi Santos (Business Mirror Philippines Daily US Bureau Chief and photojournalist for Newswatch Plus Philippines), and immediate past president, Momar Visaya.
Rillera, Montebon, and Tagala have previously served as presidents.
Llavanes is the founder of The Filipino Reporters and a contributor for GMA News. He has built a strong track record covering stories that matter to Filipino and Filipino-American communities across the New York metropolitan area. Tagala is a reporter for the Bilyonaryo News Channel, bringing additional expertise in Filipino-American journalism to the leadership team.
A member of the club since 2024, Llavanes has been an active participant in the organization’s mission to support Filipino-American journalists and promote press freedom.
As president, Llavanes will serve as the chief executive officer of FAPCNY and preside over all meetings of the organization’s members and the Board of Directors. He will have general supervision, direction, and control over the business and affairs of FAPCNY and its officers, agents, and members, subject to the Board’s general direction and control.
Llavanes will appoint all committee chairpersons and serve as an ex officio member of all committees. His responsibilities include overseeing the organization’s standing committees focused on membership development, community development, professional development, fundraising, marketing, and bylaws review.
Founded in 2011, the Filipino-American Press Club of New York is the only press organization of Filipino-American community journalists on the East Coast. The organization holds 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and serves working Filipino-American journalists and communication professionals in the New York Tri-State area.
FAPCNY highlights news and events affecting the Filipino community in Metro New York and supports community journalists covering Filipino-American issues. The club promotes fellowship, the profession’s ethical standards, and the public’s right to know, while sponsoring and supporting projects aimed at community betterment.
Under Llavanes’ leadership, FAPCNY will continue its core mission through:
- Professional development workshops and seminars
- Networking events connecting journalists across platforms
- Awards recognizing excellence in journalism about Filipino-American communities
- Advocacy for press freedom in the United States and the Philippines
- Community engagement on issues of public interest
- Partnerships with organizations such as the New York Press Club, Asian American Journalists Association, National Writers Union, and New America Media
With approximately four million Filipino-Americans living in the United States, Llavanes aims to ensure their stories are told by journalists who understand the culture and recognize the complexity of Filipino-American experiences.
