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“When I took home the crown as Mrs. Philippines America last year, several newspapers including the New Paltz Times and Hudson Valley One wrote about my win. Of course, I was honored and flattered. But the best thing about it was being able to bring copies of the newspaper to my hometown in rural Philippines, share it with people who saw me grow up, and use it to help make sure the reading glasses we were distributing to our seniors were working. You should have seen their faces. Their eyes literally lit up!”
— Cecille Castillon-Weinstein, Mrs. Philippines America 2019
A traditional Filipino proverb translates to "One who does not look back from whence he came shall not reach his destination." It is often said as a reminder for people to remain grounded in the face of success or popularity.
a vision brought to life
Oplan Balik Tanaw is a collaboration between the Office of Mrs. Philippines America and New York Phil-Am Lions Club. The purpose of the project is to provide residents of South Cotabato, especially its senior citizens, access to reading glasses to aid in their visual difficulties. The name of this project speaks for itself. The literal meaning of “balik tanaw” is “to look back” as in to “reminisce” or “look to back into our past or to where we came from”. In this context, it could also mean and pertain to the goal of the project which is to aid in returning some level of visual acuity of those whose vision has degenerated due to age or other factors through the help of assistive devices such as reading eyeglasses.