Ayala Foundation USA Hosts Gala to Inaugurate Transformation to PhilDev USA

New Name, New Focus on Strategic Philanthropy

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Ayala Foundation USA (“AF-USA” or “the Foundation”) today announced that it is hosting a fundraising Gala event on September 25, 2010 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose to inaugurate its transformation into the Philippine Development Foundation USA (PhilDev USA). With the new name, PhilDev USA is positioning itself as a catalyst fundraising organization to guide donors and partners towards strategic giving to address the Philippines’ most pressing problems and needs. PhilDev USA will continue AF-USA’s vision of being a “bridge of hope across the seas”, and will count on its long-term partnership with Ayala Foundation, Inc. (AFI) in the Philippines to do due diligence and ensure proper accountability on local projects for its Philippine beneficiaries.

“We want to tap the growing Filipino-American community and guide them toward supporting strategic development projects that can achieve significant impact on a sector, plans that can be scaled up and sustained. “”

“With Filipinos now comprising the second largest Asian-American population, they represent a valuable asset that PhilDev USA can harness in an effort to accelerate socio-economic growth in the Philippines,” said Vicky Garchitorena, President of AF-USA and AFI. “We want to tap the growing Filipino-American community and guide them toward supporting strategic development projects that can achieve significant impact on a sector, plans that can be scaled up and sustained. “

The Gala will be co-chaired by Sherri Burke and Maria Banatao, both members of the Board of Trustees, and will gracefully lead an evening that will include dinner keynote speech from Richard Blum, and recognition of outstanding Filipino achievers in the fields of science and engineering. The event’s distinguished list of Honorary Chairs includes Jaime and Bea Zobel de Ayala, Antonio and Gail Alvarez, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Ken and Josie Natori, and Lea Salonga. The black-tie /formal barong Tagalog dinner will also feature world-class entertainment with a concert presentation of an original Filipino musical, “Long Season”, based on Carlos Bulosan’s novel, “America is in the Heart”, performed by Filipino-American Broadway stars .The Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO) will provide the music. There will also be an auction for special items such as dream vacations in El Nido Resort in the Philippines, Turtle Bay Resort in Hawaii, weekend in Lake Tahoe, dinner for 10 couples in Sonoma, Dancing with the Stars VIP tickets, and many more.

The event is sponsored by One Ayala, Tallwood Partners LLC, Chevron, Intel, The Lewis College, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, Ronna Reyes Sieh and Stephen Sieh Family Trust, Tiffany & Co., Wells Fargo, Philippine Airlines, Bailard, Capital Group, Charles and Catherine Peterson, First Republic Bank, Joep van Beurden, Morton Grinding, Airfreight 2100,Inc.-FEDEX, Citibank, Cohn Reid O’Neil Insurance, Cornish & Carey Commercial, Deutsche Bank, Latham Watkins, LinkedIn Corporation, Mark Vorsatz, Medical Care Professionals, Meridien, Michael and Xochi Birch, Morris, Davis, Chan, Nicholas Beim, Matrix Partners, PhilAm Life/BPI, Asian Journal, and GMA Pinoy TV.

In-Kind Sponsors include Ayala Systems and Technology, Inc. (ASTI), Care.com, Cheryl Burke Dance Studio, Corey McPherson Nash, Corte Riva, Delta Airlines, Diverse City Theater, G2iX, IBM, Inquirer.net, Mango Tours, Philippine News, The Fairmont Hotel San Jose, and Vuqo.

About AF-USA

Ayala Foundation USA is registered in the US as a 501c3 public charity, specifically a diaspora philanthropy foundation. For the past ten years, AF-USA has raised more than $9 million from more than 7,000 donors for projects of over 130 non-profits in the homeland.

(To find out more about the Philippine Development Forum and Gala, visit www.af-usa.org, call 650-598-3126 or email [e-mail]