Mother and Sons

Laura Rica arrived in California on August 1988 as one of the participants to the United States International Education program. She attended graduate school at Boston University where she was a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow. Her major fields of study were in International Business and Advanced Economics. During her study year, she completed internships at major US corporations around the city of Boston and attended seminars in Washington D.C. and California.

Prior to her study year in the USA, she graduated from the University of Asia and the Pacific with a degree of Master of Arts (MA) in Business Economics. Her technical paper was entitled "A Strategy for the Development of Regional Telecommunications in the Philippines" and her field was telecommunications.

After her studies at Boston University were completed, she was accepted to the Mason Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and then Harvard University for further studies and a degree in Master of Public Administration. At the same time, she was offered employment at the International Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), a consortium of satellite providers. She decided to accept the employment offer, defer her studies, and move to the metro area of Washington, D.C. In March, 1990, she became a homeowner in Springfield, Virginia.

Laura has traveled extensively as a professional and has been to the following countries: Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. She has friends, from her Humphrey year and from working at INTELSAT, in 150 countries all over the world. She can also speak and/or write in the following languages: English, Pilipino, Spanish, and German. Her racial descent and upbringing is a combination of Asian and Western European, with her ancestors coming from Spain, France, and the Philippines.

In 1999, she co-authored Mother and Sons, Poems and Essays and completed her memoir, A Tale of Survival, in 2000. She continues to live in Virginia where she owns her own company, travels to foreign countries and the USA to visit her family.

Victor Ronald Ibanez

Victor Ronald was born on February 27, 1974 under the zodiac sign of Piesces and the Chinese sign of the Tiger. He graduated from a private school for boys, Claret School, with honors and was awarded a government scholarship to the Philippine Science High School. He became a member of his school’s Tae-kwon-do team that was being trained to compete in the Philippine Olympics and gained his Red Belt in 1989.

In 1990, he came with his elder brother and sisters to live in Virginia, USA. He continued his high school studies at Hayfield and transferred, finishing his courses at Bryant High School in Alexandria. After completing his first two years of college at the Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, he enrolled for active duty in the US Marine Corps. He is now at his duty station in California.

Carlos Rodrigo Maglalang

Carlos Rodrigo was born on March 21, 1972 under the zodiac sign of Aries and the Chinese sign of the Ox. He graduated Valedictorian from Claret School. He was awarded a government scholarship to the Philippine Science High School, where he graduated with honors. He was accepted to the University of the Philippines as an NSDB scholar in 1988.

In 1990, he came with his brother and sisters to live in Virginia, USA. He completed his degree in Business Management and majored in Information Systems at the George Mason University in 2000. He finished his courses with a grade point average of 3.80, graduating Cum Laude by his college. At present, he is working with Sprint Communications (USA) as an Analyst.

Winner of Poet of the Year award 3003 and Shakespeare Trophy for Excellence, Famous Poets Society (USA)