UNIFFIED is an organization of educators who share the vision of dedicating their skills in promoting excellence in teaching and providing community service through projects that will benefit their community. UNIFFIED is a duly registered 501(c)(3) and a SEC registered non-profit organization in the United States and in the Philippines.
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VISION
VISION
To organize and unify Filipino-American educators in the United States of America, in the Philippines and other countries into an organization that will showcase their exemplary abilities in school and in the community.
MISSION
MISSION
To realize its vision, UNIFFIED will empower educators to have a commitment and dedication in implementing and supporting programs and will assist them and respond to their needs and to their students as well.
HISTORY
HISTORY
The organization took a vital role in recommending remedies and conducted an information drive of school vacancies to Filipino teachers in need of school placements and a number of those were able to find job in neighboring states. The growth of the association became inevitable. In August of 2012, seven chapters joined namely; North Texas, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and eventually South Carolina, an online election officers was conducted to have a unified body to oversee the chapters in December of 2012. (Click to read more)
The organization took a vital role in recommending remedies and conducted an information drive of school vacancies to Filipino teachers in need of school placements and a number of those were able to find job in neighboring states. The growth of the association became inevitable. In August of 2012, seven chapters joined namely; North Texas, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and eventually South Carolina, an online election officers was conducted to have a unified body to oversee the chapters in December of 2012. (Click to read more)
Patrick Overton once said – When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of the two things will happen… There will be something solid for us to stand on or we will be taught to fly. The plight of Filipino Teachers in the United States is not that easy. The bitterness of leaving loved ones behind is a reality that every Filipino craving for a greener pasture can never be concealed. But only those who pushed through with their dreams succeed because of the anticipation that failures become a detour in their journey.
The difficulties in finding American teachers to work in the classroom paved the way for school districts in the United States to be more creative and innovative in recruiting teachers overseas. Lured by the American dream, Filipino teachers enjoy the sunny skies, the spring, summer, fall and even the snow in the winter as they occupy the schools desperately in need.
Despite the qualifications every Filipino teacher possesses, the inevitable debarment of Prince George's County Public Schools from the H1B program in 2011 took place thus displaced many of them and called the need to form a National Filipino American Teachers organization that offers immediate assistance. PGCPS is no longer capable of sponsoring hundreds of teachers due to their non-compliance of wage requirements and various conditions for visa issuance. This results in a huge number of displaced Filipino teachers in search of new workplace all over the United States. This led to the organization of the Maryland and Washington DC teacher’s group. The organization took a vital role in recommending remedies and conducted an information drive of school vacancies to Filipino teachers in need of school placements and a number of those were able to find job in neighboring states. The growth of the association became inevitable. In August of 2012, seven chapters joined namely; North Texas, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and eventually South Carolina, an online election officers was conducted to have a unified body to oversee the chapters in December of 2012. The vision of Mrs. Paraluman G. Castaneda was materialized and became the founding chairman. On the other hand, Ronie L. Mataquel from New York City was unanimously elected to be the organization’s first national president. In July of 2013, Deputy Consul General Maria Teresa De Vega inducted the officers during ‘its Gawad Parangal sa mga Guro in Astoria World Manor in Astoria Queens New York.
On March 21, 2014, the UNITED FEDERATION OF FIL-AM EDUCATORS INC. (UNIFFIED) was incorporated in New Jersey City and became a duly recognized 501c3 non-profit organization in the United Sates. UNIFFIED was born and Chapters was springing up like mushrooms, New Jersey,
Sacramento California and Vicinity, Los Angeles – Orange County, New Mexico, Bay Area, and recently the Massachusetts Chapter was formed and started activities geared towards teacher development, community service and recognized outstanding Fil-Am teachers.
One remarkable accomplishment of the organization is to provide guidance to displaced teachers in their self-petition papers in order to continue working in the United States school system. One of the many beneficiaries of this initiative is Lynne Ciocon. The other outstanding works of UNIFFIED are Paaralan sa Embahada in Washington DC, the Adopt-A-School project that provided project development sessions to students and teachers including provision of school materials. Likewise, numerous families became recipients of the “Roof-Over Their Head” project during typhoon Haiyan and the “Feed a Child, Build a Community” feeding program. UNIFFIED also donated a classroom in South Cotabato, a water well pump and hand washer for students in a remote elementary school in Mindanao. The eight-year old organization partnered with OWWA in 2016 in the Salindunong Program (sharing or Knowledge) with NRCO and the Department of Education that has sustained the participation of various schools including the SPIMS beneficiaries in Region 4-A. UNIFFIED continues to implement these projects in selected areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao despite limited resources.
UNIFFIED held its 4th International Educators Summit in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, Philippines on August 4-6, 2017 with the theme “Unifying Filipino Educators with One Vision: UNIFFIED Philippines” and open its membership to Filipino Educators. In August 9-11, 2019, the 6th International Educators Summit was held in General Santos City. Prior to this date, UNIFFIED Philippines was issued a Certificate of Incorporation by the Securities and Exchange Commissions.
This year UNIFFIED awarded 10 teachers with Php 5,000.00 grants of school supplies and donated at least 5 laser printers to selected schools in the Region 2. It also conducted professional developments in various places in the Philippines and recognized more than 200 outstanding educators in the Philippines and hundreds of teachers all over the world.
At eight (8), UNIFFIED is dubbed as the youngest and the largest Filipino American Educators Association in the United States, a multi-service 501(c3) and SEC registered organization which aims to provide educators professional growth opportunities and promote mutual support and cooperation with other local, national and international organizations in which the organization is associated to educational and civic services through worldwide programs and projects.
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