Maria CJ De Villa
A number of members of The Filipino Centre Toronto (FCT) is losing patience with its Board Members for failing to face the membership and explain the $678,000 worth of “payables” that President and CEO Mary Ann San Juan presented way back in the September 7, 2017 at the membership meeting, subsequent to the $5.9 million sale of its old Parliament St. building in January of 2017.
Same scenario was replayed in the October 3, 2018 Annual General Meeting when members questioned Mary Ann San Juan why the outstanding “payables” issue was not included in the AGM agenda.
The $678,000 “payables” have already been featured in several articles of both Atin Ito and Balita Filipino community newspapers in the last two years. But despite this newspaper coverage and the two membership meetings, the Board has consistently avoided the topic. Some members have complained that perhaps, the Board simply hopes and prays for the matter to just go away and be forgotten.
Consequently and not surprisingly, FCT, as an organization, up to this time, has yet to publish official Financial Statements for membership approval for the years 2016 and 2017.
Given the Board’s glaring disregard to shed light on this 19-month old controversy, 16 members were compelled to submit a petition last December 20, 2018 addressed to the Board for a Special Membership Meeting to deal exclusively with the subject. This call for a special meeting is a recourse provided by the FCT By-Laws for members (minimum of 10 members).
However, no Special Meeting date commitment from the Board was received in response to the Dec 20, 2018 petition. This lack of commitment from the Board prompted 22 members to sign a second petition dated March 31, 2019.
While it is ‘business as usual’ with FCT (appointing new Board members, promoting its new building at 4395 Sheppard Ave East in Scarborough, and engaging in community functions especially with preparations for its April Spring Gala), FCT remains ‘priority unusual’ in that the need for a special meeting to address the existence of this huge “payables” is obviously being neglected.
Members are worried amid growing concerns that the Board Directors need reminding that per its constitution, the Board is accountable and answerable to its membership.
Identified below are the current members of the FCT Board:
1. Efren De Villa – Chairman
2. Mary Ann San Juan – President & CEO
3 Theresa Lumanlan – Vice President
4. Ed Joaquin
5. Rosalie Aguilar
6. Philip Beloso
7. Melchor Galeon
8. Rose Lamadrid Nagallo
9. Juanita Rejdik
10. Joy Sarmiento
11. Dr. Nenette de Villa
12. Wendelina Arena
13. Frank Cruzet
14. Mercy Maliglig
15. Jerome Peralta
16. Pepito Aleson Torralba
17. Rose Marie Villote
In essence, the fundamental questions on the “payables” are the following:
1. What are these “payables” and why did they suddenly appear after the $5.9 million sale of the FCT building?
2. Why are these “payables” retroactive to so many years and their existence not revealed to members from the beginning, nor reflected in any of the past years’ financial statements?
3. Are these “payables” in compliance with FCT Bylaws that stipulate compensation for Board Members, Officers, or Members of FCT are not allowed?
4. What happened to the attempt of the Board to file a motion for membership approval in the last September 7, 2017 meeting to amend the by-laws to enable compensation for directors of the Board, officers, and members?
5. Do these “payables” remain outstanding since it was presented to the membership on September 7, 2017 or have they been settled? If so when were they paid and under whose authority?
To ensure that proper fiscal practices are observed going forward, all the members are asking for, is a simple and clear explanation of the “payables”. It is truly mystifying that in the name of good governance and transparency, the FCT Board is so hard pressed to hold a Special Meeting for that purpose.
Besides losing patience, some members are rapidly losing confidence in its leadership. As a community centre, FCT management is expected to be critically sensitive and attentive to issues affecting its management and administration of the centre especially on matters impacting its integrity.
Nineteen (19) months have elapsed with no answer whatsoever. Making members wait this long is entirely unfair, if not grossly insulting to its membership. Providing neither answer nor an apology at the least, only makes the situation worse and utterly shameful.
FCT leadership may have dug itself a hole with these “payables” but it is best advised to stop the digging and speak the truth.****