The Outstanding Filipino Awards (TOFA) has unveiled its second batch of honorees for this year’s ceremony, set for Oct. 24 in Jacksonville, Florida, with TV host Dr. Boy Abunda once again taking the stage as host.
This round of awardees is a mixed bag in the best way – a decorated war veteran, a beloved entertainment icon, health care trailblazers and entrepreneurs whose work spans continents. Together, they reflect the breadth of what it means to be Filipino today, according to event organizers.
Perhaps no story in this year’s group carries more weight than that of Remigio “Rey” Cabacar. The Maryland resident, now 98, is believed to be the last surviving Filipino American World War II veteran in the greater Washington, D.C. area – a distinction that comes with its own quiet gravity.
Cabacar enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1945 at just 17, but getting there wasn’t simple: he walked 32 miles to reach a recruitment station, organizers said. That determination carried into a 25-year military career, including a stint aboard the USS Thompson. In the decades since, he’s poured his energy into advocating for Filipino veterans’ benefits, work that helped earn him the Congressional Gold Medal.
On the entertainment side, TOFA is honoring Sharon Cuneta – the “Megastar” herself. Cuneta made her debut at age 12 and has spent nearly 50 years since building one of the most enduring careers in Philippine entertainment: more than 40 albums, over 60 films, and both FAMAS and Gawad Urian honors along the way. These days, she’s still very much in the spotlight, coaching on “The Voice Kids” and “The Voice Teens.”
Rounding out the business honorees is Alfonso “Chito” Zulueta, a Miami-based pharmaceutical executive whose résumé reads like a masterclass in the industry. After 33 years at Eli Lilly and Company – capped by a run as president of Lilly International – Zulueta now chairs Interpharma Investments Limited, the parent company of Zuellig Pharma. He also sits on the boards of Lupin Ltd. and Glooko, and runs his own investment firm, CZ Ventures, which bets on emerging health innovations.
Also being recognized is Ildeme “Demee” Mahinay Koch, an entrepreneur born in Cebu and now based in Switzerland. Koch founded DE MOI, a beauty and wellness brand that has found its way into more than 35 countries. A University of the Philippines graduate and a sought-after international speaker, she’s also branched into investing, backing ventures in wellness and artificial intelligence.
Sydney Loyola’s honor comes after more than three decades spent as a principal dancer and choreographer devoted to Philippine dance – including work with the storied Bayanihan Philippine National Folk-Dance Company. Loyola, a transgender Filipina American now based in the San Francisco Bay Area, grew up in Palawan before going on to found the American Center of Philippine Arts and co-found the Haraya Dance Project. Her journey became the subject of the documentary “The Road to Sydney,” which screened at the Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film – a fitting spotlight for a life spent performing.
Several of this year’s honorees come from nursing and health care, fields that rarely get their due outside a crisis – though TOFA is making sure that changes.
Dr. Agustin T. Guido III, a nurse executive and researcher in New Jersey, led a COVID-19 pandemic response that achieved a 100% patient recovery rate, a remarkable outcome by any measure. He now serves as director of education and staff development at JFK Hartwyck at Oak Tree.
In Jacksonville, Dr. Romeo Devera has spent more than four decades in critical care and nursing education, with a career that’s taken him across the Philippines, the Middle East and the United States – including a long tenure at Mayo Clinic Florida dating back to 1991.
Carol Manilay-Robles, a nurse leader in Maryland and a DAISY Award recipient, currently serves as Eastern Region vice president for the Philippine Nurses Association of America.
And in Guam, registered nurse Job Marconi Mascardo – originally from Dipolog City, Philippines – was recently named one of The Nurses Magazine’s 2026 Men of Honor. He also founded BEST Healthcare Rankings.
The remaining honorees bring their own distinct forms of impact.
Dr. John Paul Tuanqui Abenojar, a social work leader based in Virginia, made history in 2023 as the first Filipino to receive the Ida Cannon Award in Clinical Practice.
Melvin Joseph Labao Dizon, a social worker in Hawaii and a retired U.S. Army sergeant first class, is now researching the ethical use of AI in health care access.
And Mona Liza Santos, a children’s author in California, has written more than 40 books and founded National Intentional Kindness Day – proof that advocacy can take many forms.
The 16th TOFA awards ceremony takes place Oct. 24 at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster.
