2006 Filipinas Magazine Achievement Awards

Community Service: Reuben Seguritan, Esq.
Sponsored by Genentech, Inc.

?Reuben Seguritan, a lawyer and activist, works tirelessly to promote the interests and welfare of his compatriots. For the last 31 years his private law practice has represented numerous clients, among them nurses, teachers, scientists and World War II veterans. Working with community activists in the 1970s, he helped stop the deportation of hundreds of foreign nurse graduates who were caught in a bureaucratic catch-22.

Seguritan’s expertise in immigration law has led to the publication of numerous articles in law journals and Filipino American newspapers. Seguritan was editor of the Common Law Lawyer (the authorized journal of the international Common Law Exchange) and is the author of We Didn’t Pass Through the Golden Door, a book of essays on the plight of overseas Filipinos, who have been “objects of discrimination and legal oppression.” Seguritan wrote the book after discovering a lack of literature about the Filipino American experience.

Seeking justice for the downtrodden inspired Seguritan to become a lawyer. “I believed lawyers were in a better position to advocate and serve the public,” he says. Seguritan received his bachelor’s degrees in law and political science from the University of the Philippines, Diliman and was a member of the now-defunct organization called “Lumaban,” a group made up of young lawyers who defended anti-Marcos activists during the Martial Law years.

Seguritan serves as general counsel for several Fil-Am organizations including the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), the Association of Philippine Physicians in America (APPA) and the Philippine Nurses Association of New York (PNA-NY). He also takes special pride in representing and co-founding the Filipino American Human Services, Inc., (FAHSI), a New York-based agency that provides social services to disadvantaged Filipinos. Seguritan’s motivation to fight for the rights of his countrymen is based on the need to empower the community. “We all benefit if our community benefits from our utmost efforts,” he says.

Throughout his career Seguritan has received awards for his leadership and community service. They include the Exemplary Achievement Award in Immigration Law (1979); the Distinguished Professional Award in Law from the University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America (1989); Outstanding Filipino Overseas Award (1993); and the Outstanding Pro-fessional Award from the Association of Filipino American Accountants and Philippine Professional Regulations Commission (2002).—Maricar Liberato