MRS. PHILIPPINES 2015 CARMEN D. ESTACIO Chicago Philippine Lions Club

By Maria Girlie Pascual

She would always greet you with a smile, impeccably dressed in a dark color suit and skirt ensemble, no nonsense shoes, a string of pearls or two, her hair neatly styled, her makeup always in good taste, her demeanor is professional but warm, her eyes focused on you behind elegant specs.

She is always willing to listen, to help, and as the Secretary of State’s Jessie White’s handpicked Asian American liaison for the last 15 years, Carmen Durano Estacio has uplifted the Filipino profile through her grace, intelligence and able handling of the duties of her office.

Growing up in the southernmost island of the Philippines, this lovely lass from Zamboanga thought that her love of clothes and fashion was where she was headed, but after graduating from college, she became a local teacher in her hometown before migrating to the United States. Here, she honed her craft in design and became quite known in the community for her talent in creating elegant wear, while working other jobs as well.

Carmen’s U.S. government affiliation began at the state’s Cook County Recorder of Deeds office, but after seven years, this position put her on a path to meet Secretary of State Jessie White, and from there, he appointed her to become the Asian American Liaison for the State of Illinois, and thus became part of U.S. history.

As the official representative for the Asian American community, Carmen worked tirelessly with the different ethnic organizations and leaders in Chicago in supporting the Secretary of State’s office in disseminating information as well as getting feedback on how their communities can be better served. She was front and center as one of the handful of Filipino delegates, and the only Filipina in the group at the 1996 National Democratic Convention in Chicago. Her civic mindedness has landed her community service positions such as President of the American Voters League of the Midwest, Director of the Diamond International Lions Club, Director of the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago to name a few, and her service to others has garnered her numerous accolades, awards of distinction and titles throughout the years. These include the Distinguished Government Service Award from the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce, the “Woman of the Year” title given to her at the 2000 Hall of Fame awards by Via Times and the Chicago Philippine Reports TV, the recipient of the National Prism Award for being a “Woman of Style and Achievements” as well as the Chicago Philippine International Lions Club, just to name some of the more prominent ones. The list goes on and on, too much to list them all. Such is Carmen’s prominence in the Filipino American community, the respect that she has earned because of the quality of her service to those who seek her help, the friendships that she has forged through her charm and grace under and above pressure.

One her more important contributions to the Secretary of State’s office was the formation of the Asian American Advisory Council or AAAC, which Carmen helped organize in May of 2000. Chicago ethnic community leaders from India, Thailand, China, Korea, Cambodia, Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Tibet and the Philippines joined this special group to help the state reach out to the different factions that make up our Asian American pie in Illinois. So far, through Carmen’s leadership, the AAAC has been able to hold workshops, health fairs, seminars and such, just to help and educate immigrant groups and how they can better contribute their talents and experience to the state, and how the state can help the seniors of the different communities be healthier, more vital, and engaged in life. Her boss, the honorable Jessie White can only gush about Carmen Estacio’s talent and invaluable contribution to his office, and continues to nurture a strong bond with our people through our “Madame Asian American Liaison”.

Even with a full schedule, Carmen continues to dabble in fashion on the side, launching several shows with different local designers, and her love of the classy, classic, elegant look has set her apart from the others. On this end, she still aims high. She was President of the Filipino American Designers of Chicago, Chairperson for the Philippine Culture in Glamour and Style at the Field Museum, and more recently, celebrated her birthday with, what else, an after dinner fashion show at the Schaumburg Golf and Country Club which featured her timeless collection of gowns and dresses that she has personally created over the years. It was a fitting tribute to Carmen’s talent and original style, and a reminder of how this lady embodies all of what young women aspire to—looks, talent, grace and intelligence. This is the “Carmen Estacio” formula, this is what makes her tick, and what has helped her come to this point in her life, accepting another award, and this time, it is a full 360 degrees that she is being honored as Mrs. Philippines 2015 by the Chicago Philippine Lions Club, the oldest Filipino Lions Club in the Chicago Filipino American community, for her life’s work and achievements.

Group photo of CPLC Muses 2015-2016 with their respective escorts: Kailanie Charisse Ilagan (Little Miss Philippines CPLC), Escort: Samuel Slaw; Mrs. Philippines CPLC Carmen Estacio, Escort: Camil Estacio; Danielle Isabella Lopez (Miss Philippines CPLC), Escort: Colin Austria.