KATHERINE ALCEBAR JERSEY CITY With the month of flowers just around the corner, can the largest and longest running Santacruzan in the U.S. East Coast be far behind? On May 27, the Catholic Action of Mary (CAM) will celebrate the 34th Santacruzan and Flores De Mayo in this city at St. Mary s Church (Second Street/Erie Street). Ledy Almadin, this year s festival chairperson, announced the lovely reynas or queens who will 1 / 5
lead the popular religious event held yearly for centuries now in towns and cities throughout the Philippines. They are Katherine Alcebar as Reyna Elena; Mikeala Banzuela as Reyna Del Cielo; and Gabrielle Mari Manahan as Reyna De Las Flores. Katherine Alcebar Reyna Elena Alcebar, a resident of Bayonne, N.J., grew up in Quezon City, Philippines. Her father, Jose Abela, is a native of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, while her mother, Zenaida Abela Medel, hails from Butuan City and Davao City. A graduate of the University of the Philippines, with a bachelor of arts degree in organizational communication, Alcebar furthered her education in New York City and obtained her master s degree in corporate communication from Baruch College. She graduated summa cum laude for receiving the highest GPA in her batch. Alcebar, a financial data analyst, worked at Lehman Brothers before joining UBS Investment Bank. She is the mother to a six-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy. In her free time, she travels, reads and keeps fit. 2 / 5
Mikeala Banzuela Reyna Del Cielo Born in Santa Cruz, Laguna, Philippines, Banzuela, 20 now resides in Worcester, Massachusetts, with her parents, Merlin and Maricel Banzuela, and two younger brothers, Marc and Mendrick. She was a consistent member of the National Honor Society in high school, and was very active in volunteer work as altar server, parish lector and youth leader. Currently enrolled at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester pursuing education in the nursing program, she s an active member of the ALANA Club, a multicultural club. Gabrielle Mari Manahan Reyna De Las Flores Only 14, Manahan is the only daughter of Richard and Mariel Manahan. An honor graduate of St. James Catholic School, she went to Mother Seton Regional High School as a distinguished scholar. In spite of her busy academics and extracurricular activities, Manahan maintains an A-B grade point average. She is currently the treasurer of the Freshman Student Council and an ambassador for Mother Seton High School. She is also part of her junior varsity volleyball team at Mother Seton, and is very much involved in the Filipino culture club. 3 / 5
CAM series of events This year s reynas will be formally presented in a ball on May 12 at Doubletree by Hilton Hotel. There will also be a mass and flower offering from May 18 to 26, prior to the May 27 main event that will be highlighted by Sunday Mass at St. Mary s Church, procession and street fair. There will also be a thanksgiving dinner at St. Mary s Church Marian Hall on June 16. For particulars, visit www.catholicactionofmary.com; Facebook page Santacruzan and Flores de Mayo; or contact anyone of the following officers: Deacon Cesar Sarmiento 201.653.3318, Ledy Almadin 201.755.3084, Connie Kasilag (presentation ball) 201.420.0387, Eloisa Porto (sagalas & escorts) 551.998.8528, Misty Tolentino (angels & flower girls) 201.792.5371, Amy Tiongson (prayer groups) 201417-8671, or Joey Mayo (street fair vendors, performers) 917.656.9443. 4 / 5
MIKEALA BANZUELA GABRIELLE MARI MANAHAN 5 / 5