Fil-Am Receives 2016 API Leadership Award

Filipino-American Demos Punsalan was one of the four community leaders honored by State Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) at his 6th Annual Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Leadership Awards ceremony held at the Olive Hyde Mission Room in Fremont on May 12th in celebration of Asia Pacific Islanders Heritage month. The honorees from Alameda and Santa Clara counties were recognized for their contributions in education, technology, culture and the arts.

As a co-founder of California Technological Care (CTC), a non-profit organization aimed at bridging the “digital divide” and promoting computer literacy in underserved communities since 1999, Punsalan has helped collect, refurbish, donate and install computers with internet access to public schools throughout the Bay Area, Central Valley, Asia, Africa and South America.

His community service began as a member of the California Jaycees. He then became the President of the Filipino American Jaycees of Northern California where he worked with several civic organizations and programs including Meals on Wheels, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Philippine Earthquake Relief Project and the AIDS Foundation.

To continue building on this local success, Punsalan helped launch the “No Child Left Online” initiative in 2006 in partnership with the New Haven Unified School District, Tri-Ced, and the cities of Milpitas and Union City to expand CTC’s worldwide efforts. Since then, more than 2000 computers and printers have been refurbished and distributed to various schools in the Philippines, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Paraguay.

In 2014, Punsalan and CTC started work with Praising Hands and the Ryder Charitable Foundation to provide a set of laptop computers, printers and projectors to a Special Education School in Cebu City. Last year, in collaboration with the Starkey Housing Aid Foundation, CTC began providing free hearing aid to children with special needs and hearing impairments abroad.

Punsalan has also been involved with the Filipino American Veterans of WWII Project, Union City Friends of the Sister Cities Committee for Typhoon Haiyan relief and various other local charitable organizations.

In 1978, after immigrating to the US from the Philippines, Punsalan worked at AT&T until his retirement in 2012. He has since dedicated his time and energy to his charitable work. He hopes to continue helping both his local and global communities doing everything he can to improve lives and the environment.