Filipino Canadian real estate group formed

Filipino Canadian real estate group formed

The Filipino Canadian Real Estate Association (FilCREA) held its first organizational meeting on Wednesday, January 26, 2005, at the Best Western Executive Inn Hotel in Scarborough.

Organized by licensed real estate representatives, the meeting was chaired by Mr. Benny Jose, Associate Broker with Remax Executive Realty. Special guest speaker was Ms. Cynthia Lai, past president of the Toronto Real Estate Board and former president of the Chinese Canadian Real Estate Association.

Ms. Lai outlined the benefits of forming a professional real estate association which included building relationships through networking, stronger alliances for business and investment opportunities and being an organized voice of the Filipino community in the real estate industry. She also emphasized that the FilCREA’s mandate should not be to replace the Toronto Real Estate Board but to complement it and to enhance its services to the members. She further added that as a non-political lobby group, the new association can be a strong force for important concerns of the 160 or so real estate professionals servicing over 200,000 Filipino Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area.

Those in attendance were: Jon Amante (Remax Realtron), Tony Arroyo (Homelife Cimmerman), Clemente Cabillan (Remax Realty Specialists), Larry Bercasio (Remax Rouge River), Jess Cubos (Homelife Cimmerman), Ramon Cezar (Remax Executive), Benny Jose (Remax Executive), Arsenio Malvar (Homelife Vision), Jose Nolasco (Homelife Cimmerman), Tina Le Ramos (Remax Executive), Willie Reodica (Remax Goldenway), Evelyn Orjalo (Remax Realtron), Jay Selda (Prudential Achievers), Virginia Tigas (Remax Ultimate), Emilie Sy (Homelife Bayview), Mary Jane Viejo (Remax Realtron), Jerry Viejo (Remax Realtron), and Rubi Talavera (Remax West).

Special guests included: Real estate lawyer, Antonio Villarin of Abesamis, Villarin law offices; mortgage broker, Dolores Lomeda of Invis Financial and Mel Catre, adviser.

Elected interim directors and officers were: Benny Jose, president; Clemente Cabillan, 1st vice president; Jon Amante, 2nd vice president; Rubi Talavera, 3rd vice president; Jess Cubos 4th vice president; Virgie Tigas, secretary, Joe Nolasco, treasurer and Tony Arroyo, Willie Reodica, Mary Jane Viejo, Ramon Cezar, Emilie Sy, Tina Ramos, Jay Selda and Arsenio Malvar, directors.

First priorities of the association according to president, Benny Jose, are to finalize the by-laws and constitution, attract membership, and launch the association in an induction dinner dance targetted for April 30. Interested parties may contact Benny Jose at 647-893-7653, or Rubi Talavera at 905 731-3948.

(PRESS RELEASE)