Florami's passion, dedication

Florami at left with yours truly

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

I'll try to do some personal profiling of the past presidents of the Filipino-American Community of the Carolinas Inc. (FACC) and for starters, I will talk about 2013 FACC president Florami Lao Cordero Lee.

I fondly call her President and why I call her that is a secret between us. Her book of choice now is a book by US evangelist Billy Graham entitled “Where I Am" and she reads as much as she can in her spare time, aside from her volunteer work in her church.

A little throwback to explain my Florami Lao Cordero Lee is a person of interest to me: When I first came to the US a decade ago, fresh from retirement from my journalism career in Cagayan de Oro City, I looked for ways to continue the work I left behind to ease the boredom and the new life in a new place.

It was not easy then as I have a few friends to get information about the community and events. But when I met Florami Lao Cordero Lee all my qualms and questions were met and answered.

Aside from being an interesting subject, she is friendly, courteous and willing to answer my questions about the Filipino-American community in Charlotte.

Florami (wearing striped blouse) works with children in Sunday School

I later came to know that her late brother was one of the original signers of the Articles of Incorporation of the FACC back in the day.

Florami had been in the US for 35 years now. She married Whatt Lee, a very likeable guy who always wears a smile as a badge. 

They have two children named Dina and Kellen. Florami is a proud grandma of Kellen Martin Jr. and is excited about a coming granddaughter.

She is inspired to spread the word of God to children and is currently involved with the Good News Club through the Children's Evangelism Fellowship. Florami teaches Sunday School to 2nd to 5th graders at her church.

Florami is in-charge of the music, teaching hand gestures and songs to children. On her free time, this petite past FACC president reads a lot if devotional books.

Born in Cebu City, Florami grew up in Quezon City but can understand a little Bisaya since her late mother Naomi was from Danao City, Cebu. She said her late mother talked to her in Bisaya while she grew up in Manila.

Florami recounted a story in which she, as a seven-year-old daughter was asked by her mom to buy “ tam-is” or “kamay” in a sari sari store. Despite her best efforts to say “kamay”, the store mistakenly gave her a soap with the brand name “Camay.”

As she cried while heading home, young Florami promised to learn different languages. 

To this date Florami can talk Tagalog and understand Ilocano. Her late dad Higidio was from Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.

Florami also joined and volunteered for mission trips and true enough she has been in out of country missions in countries in Nicaragua and in other states in the US. 

At times, she was nominated by the church for these mission trips.

“I've volunteered in a few local churches and hospices in Monroe. We likewise serve and recognize the caretakers, feeding the homeless people on the street and joined home evangelical missions," she confided.

Florami said she immensely enjoyed the experience of sharing the word of God to other people.

“I went with a different church on my mission trip, namely Joy Church in Matthews. I’m in the missions committee of my church, the Benton Heights Baptist Church and serve in the Missions Committee with the Union Baptist Association. But it is really my passion doing mission trips that involve children," Florami said.

She is now employed in the city of Monroe and spends time with the Filipino American community and church. She is also a member of the executive committee of Women's Empowerment in Charlotte and is also into Bible study.

In addition to family and social commitments, Florami finds time to pursue another personal passion, namely dance. In fact Florami founded the Philippine Cultural Dance Troupe of Charlotte years before she took the helm of the FACC.

With so much on her plate, Florami's enthusiasm and drive can be infectious and I can only admire her dedication in pursuing what she feels most passionate about like church. (For questions and comments please email me at susanap.dennis@yahoo.com or follow me on Instagram at carolina1girl)