Reported by Gloria T. Caoile for the Philippine Times of Southern Nevada · Adapted for the web by the PTSNV newsroom · Masthead

Three states went to Colorado. One region came home with almost everything.

At the NaFFAA National Empowerment Conference, the Desert Mountain Region — Nevada, Arizona, and Utah — captured the Carabao Award, took first place in NaFFAA’s Got Talent, elected its president to the national vice presidency, and put three of its own on the national board. For Filipino-American Las Vegas, it was the best showing at a national conference in years.

What the Carabao Award Means

The carabao has been honored in the Philippines for generations as a symbol of strength, resilience, and hard work — the animal that plows the soil, raises the harvest, and sustains the community.

NaFFAA gives the award to the region that best embodies that spirit. NaFFAA National President Ryan Namata presented it to a Desert Mountain Region delegation led by DMR President Sally Balecha, alongside Thelma Lassig, president of NaFFAA-Utah; Charmel dela Cruz, president of NaFFAA-Arizona; and Dr. Michael StaJuana, president of NaFFAA-Nevada.

It was not the region’s first Carabao. It was, by the delegation’s own account, the one that felt most earned — three state chapters that arrived as a single unit rather than as neighbors sharing a hotel.

Sally Balecha Elected NaFFAA National Vice President

The most consequential news of the conference came at the end of it. DMR President Sally Balecha was elected national vice president of NaFFAA, moving a Southern Nevada leader into the organization’s top tier.

Three more Desert Mountain Region members were elected national trustees: Jacque de Joya, Leo Belmonte, and Resty Lopez.

That matters beyond the trophy case. Trustees and officers shape where a national organization spends its attention — which regions get programming, which issues get pushed in Washington, which communities get counted. Four seats is real leverage for a region that has often had to ask to be heard.

The Night Vegas Took Over the Room

Before any of the formal business began, there was NaFFAA’s Got Talent — and the Desert Mountain Region performed last.

Arizona and Utah opened with “Hawak Mo Ang Beat,” Manila’s current craze, and the room woke up. Then Nevada delivered what only Nevada could: a full Vegas revue, in costume, in character.

• Sonny & Cher — Cynthia Deriquito and Resty Lopez
• Liza Minnelli — Marylyn Ante
• Diana Ross and the Supremes — Jacque de Joya, with Sally Balecha and Ruby Scaglione
• Tina Turner — Cin Cin Landeros
• Michael Jackson — Dr. Michael “Doc Mike” StaJuana
• Elton John — Ferdie Ponce
• Elvis — Leo Belmonte

By Elvis’s last verse the whole delegation was onstage. The judges did not deliberate long. First place, by a landslide.

Credit for the polish went to Ian Balido, who ran two rehearsals and sent the performers out with confidence.

The Work Behind the Trophies

The performances got the applause. The workshops got the results.

Desert Mountain Region members led sessions and ran conference operations throughout: Sally Balecha, Jacque de Joya, Hon. Consul Amie Belmonte, Dr. Michael StaJuana, Geri Inciso, Johann Sayson, Sam Buban, and Charmel dela Cruz.

Romeo “Romy” Jurani chaired the COMELEC Committee, ruling on election questions with what one delegate described as constitutional compliance and gentle authority. When the election needed staffing, Ruby Scaglione and Cynthia Deriquito stepped in.

Nadia Jurani — known throughout the community as Ninang — received a special award for her sustained work empowering the Nevada community.

A Word About the Honorary Consul

One workshop drew particular notice. Honorary Consul Bella Aurora “Amie” Belmonte spoke about what the role actually asks of a person: an unpaid, effectively around-the-clock commitment to being the first call for Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in trouble.

Her message was short. Assistance is not a task. It is duty, and it is love for community.

For Southern Nevada families who once had nowhere to turn on consular questions, that office has become a place to go — a gap closed after years of it being open.

Why This Matters for Southern Nevada

Nevada is home to more than 200,000 Filipino Americans — the state’s largest Asian American group, and a community that now has its own cultural district on Maryland Parkway, a museum, and 46 local organizations where there were once a handful.

What was missing was a seat at the national table. This conference supplied four.

It is the same civic muscle that turned out for the NaFFAA Candidates Forum, where more than 40 candidates met Southern Nevada voters face to face. Show up in numbers, and the room adjusts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NaFFAA?

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations is the largest national organization representing Filipino Americans in the United States, working on civic engagement, leadership development, and advocacy.

What is the NaFFAA Desert Mountain Region?

The Desert Mountain Region covers Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. Its president is Sally Balecha, who was elected NaFFAA national vice president at this conference. NaFFAA-Nevada is led by Dr. Michael StaJuana.

What is the Carabao Award?

A NaFFAA regional honor named for the carabao, the Philippine water buffalo that symbolizes strength, resilience, and hard work. It recognizes the region that best reflects that spirit through its service and unity.

How can I get involved with NaFFAA in Las Vegas?

NaFFAA-Nevada takes part in civic forums, leadership programs, and community events across the Las Vegas Valley throughout the year. Watch our community events calendar for upcoming gatherings, or email info@ptsnv.com and we will point you to the right contact.

Based on reporting by Gloria T. Caoile in the August 24, 2026 print edition of the Philippine Times of Southern Nevada. Read her full front-page account, and the rest of the issue, in the complete August 24, 2026 digital edition.

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