NYC admin taps more Pinoys to take over key posts

MANILA, Philippines —  The current administration of New York City has tapped many Filipinos to take over key positions, the city's Chief Technology Officer Minerva Tantoco recently told Philippine Consul General Mario de Leon Jr.

Tantoco, who holds four patents for technology-related inventions was born in Manila, but migrated with her family to the United States when she was four years old. She grew up in New York's Flushing neighborhood, and honed her skills in California's Silicon Valley at the beginning of the technology boom, where her talent was quickly recognized.

Aside from her being appointed as New York City's first Chief Technology Officer, there is Maria Torres Springer, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the New York Economic Development Corporation, and Carmelyn Malalis, the city's Commissioner on Human Rights.

According to the NYC government website, Torres-Springer, who is also the first woman to hold the position, has served as Commissioner for Small Business Services since 2014, spearheading the administration's efforts to raise wages.

She also led the expansion of skill-building in workforce placement programs, grow women-owned and immigrant-owned businesses, etc. She obtained a BA in Ethics, Politics and Economics from Yale University and a Master's in Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

On the other hand,  Malalis used to be a partner at Outten & Golden LLP where she represented individuals and classes of employees in New York City and across the country in civil rights and employment actions.

Malalis earned her J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law and received a B.A. in women's studies from Yale University.

During the visit held at the New York City Hall, Tantoco explained that Mayor Bill De Blasio's administration created the position chief technology officer as the city's way of acknowledging the importance technology plays both in the city's needs and the lives of New York residents.

Emphasizing the importance of technology as a valuable tool for economic and human development, Tantoco shared some of the progress happening on the city.

Tantoco said New York City is bent on developing its own technology sector and to keep New York on the cutting edge of technology innovation.

On top of that, the city government is also trying to increase the delivery of internet services to its residents, 20 percent of whom have no access to technology.

Tantoco also mentioned the relevance of intergovernmental partnership with regard to emergency management. Both agreed on the importance of technology in matters relating to disaster preparedness and response, especially since the Philippines has seen more than its fair share of violent typhoons, and New York has experienced getting hit by hurricanes as well. — Alixandra Caole Vila