[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6045]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    IN RECOGNITION OF MACARIA MABINI

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 9, 2007

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the amazing 
life of Macaria Mabini on the occasion of her 90th birthday, and to 
thank her for all her contributionsn to northeast Ohio.
  Born in the Philippines on March 10, 1917 as the granddaughter of 
Apolinario Mabini, the first prime minister of the Philippines, Macaria 
was destined for a life of distinction. She was a studious and talented 
youth, committed to her studies and her musical development as a 
pianist. Macaria received her bachelor of arts degree as well as her 
master of education from National University in Manila, but her 
irrepressible wanderlust and curiosity about the world left her craving 
more. In 1954, that curiosity--and the SS Wilson--brought her to the 
United States. After arriving in the United States, Macaria quickly 
invested herself in her new community. She obtained her second master's 
degree, in guidance counseling from John Carroll University and 
dedicated herself to giving voice to the voiceless and power to the 
powerless. Macaria helped couples mend broken relationships and 
empowered them to make healthier decisions; she came to the aid of 
people battling abuse and addiction; and, in founding the Giving Tree, 
she provided solace for men and women in recovery.
  Macaria's dedication to her fellow brothers and sisters has hardly 
waned; indeed the scope ofher work has increased. With the Association 
of Philippine Physicians in Ohio, she now returns annually to her 
homeland to administer medical care to the underserved and rural 
populations of the Philippines.
  Amazingly, in retirement Macaria still finds time to satisfy that 
wanderlust that brought her to northeast Ohio over 50 years ago. She 
makes an annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre in 
Quebec, and can claim pilgrimages to Lourdes, Fatima, and the summit of 
Medjugorje among her accomplishments as well.
  Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Macaria 
Mabini on her 90th birthday, and to celebrate a lifetime of pouring 
herself out for her fellow brothers and sisters. May her constant 
affirmation of the human spirit serve as inspiration for us all.

                          ____________________