Romeo Rabusa
Romeo was a founding member of the Phoenix Asian League in 2004. Learn more about him below!
Tell us about yourself and your role in the City of Phoenix.
I have been a City employee for 23 years, starting with the Parks and Recreation Department Adaptive Recreation Services as Resource Coordinator for the ClearPath Program, then in the Aviation Department Facilities and Services Division, directly providing administrative and management support to the Deputy Department Director, for over ten years, and now with the Office of Arts and Culture as Special Project Administrator providing oversight in the management, maintenance, and operations of the city-owned Cultural Facilities, Municipal Art Collection, as well as managing the office operations of the department. Outside my city obligations, I spent my time helping the poor and needy in Phoenix neighborhoods, in addition to my other personal obligations.
What is a memorable experience or achievement you’ve had during your time with the City?
With my 23 years of City work experience, particularly working with constituents, there are many memorable experiences or achievements. That’s why I am always grateful to be part of a government organization that cares about people and makes a difference in their lives. But one memorable experience and achievement always stands out because it’s deeply meaningful to me. The Clear Path program was intended to help people with disabilities obtain and maintain employment, and I was so grateful to help each person with disabilities with the accommodations (housing, medical-dental, transportation, mobility, etc.) she/he needed to help her/him obtain and maintain employment, as the Resource Coordinator. However, there was a time when our Job Developer badly needed assistance to help those (people with disabilities) who completed the program find a job, which was not an easy task. So, I volunteered to help, in addition to my Resource Coordinator duties. One day, I helped a dozen of people of disabilities hired for a job. If the City is keeping a record of it, I still the have the record of assisting a dozen of persons with disabilities get a job in one day.
Tell us about your cultural background and heritage. How do you celebrate your heritage, personally and within the community?
I am Filipino, but my mother was born in the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Having experienced both worlds, I always feel like what you see and experience in Hawaii, you will find them in the Philippines. You just need to travel from one island to the other because there are 7,100 islands in the Philippines. Another thing about Hawaii, the Aloha spirit is celebrated daily by the way they greet, wear Hawaiian shirts and costumes, sounds and music, etc. Hawaii celebrates the culture and heritage daily. Filipinos celebrate the culture as part of the history cycle in a year. And the Catholic Christian faith is a huge part of celebrating our culture. As a result, there are many celebrations of our cultural heritage throughout the year. Town and city fiestas highlight both religious and social cultural celebrations.
Is there a local AAPI business or organization you would like to highlight and share with others?
There are three Filipino restaurants that I highly recommend: Flaming Pig at 1534 W. Camelback Road, Halo-Halo Kitchen at 3553 W. Dunlap, and Casa Filipina Bakeshop and Restaurant at 3531 W. Thunderbird Rd. To witness Filipino dances and music, I recommend attending the Philippine Independence Day celebration, which is on June 12th, but they celebrate it on the closest Saturday. To watch the mixture of religious and social cultural events, Filipinos have the annual Flores de Mayo, which they always celebrate at St. Mary’s Basilica in the month of May.
What message would you like to share with others during AAPI Heritage Month?
It is always great to have the opportunity celebrate our cultural background and heritage, so don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate Asian American Heritage month!
