Rochelle de Guzman Buenaventura of Winnipeg is one of the 16 awardees of the International Professional Entertainment Network based in Toronto. Buenaventura, nominated by her friend in that city, is being recognized because of her endeavors in helping fellow Filipinos in Canada through community involvement thereby impacting somebody’s life.
The prestigious annual event, called “The 2011 Most Beautiful Filipinos in Canada was held this year on March 19th at Churchill Ballroom, Delta-Chelsea Inn in Toronto. The criteria for selection are based on active community leadership, entrepreneurial ability, high academic achievements, professional integrity, being active in entertainment and had held beauty titles. Among this year’s awardees include Fermer Santos, the first Mutya ng Pilipinas Canada; Janice Lozano, an entertainer and celebrity talk show host from Vancouver; and Johnny Quiambao, a Scarborough resident, was a former board member in the 3rd District of Pampanga.
Rochelle is a well-known figure in the Filipino community in Winnipeg. She is the current president of the Guimbanian Association of Manitoba, a non-profit and charitable organization that works to improve the quality of lives of our kababayans living in Canada and in the Philippines by addressing its rapidly expanding and diversed social, cultural and financial needs. Through her leadership, the Guimbanian Association of Manitoba maintains the promotion and preservation of the culture and tradition of their hometown, Guimba, Nueva Ecija. The officers and members have been involved in all facets of community works which benefit all especially the younger generation.
“We as Guimbanians, we have a mission in our lives to let our next generation of younger Guimbanians to realize the best connection with our hometown in the Philippines. And through the youth’s involvement, they become aware that helping our kababayans is one of the mandate of our associations,” says Rochelle.
Among the projects of the association is the “Operation Damayan”- “Pamaskong Handog”, a gift-giving activity of Radyo Natin Guimba.Throught this activiity, a yearly donation is sent by Guimbanian Association to their kababayans in Guimba. These donations provide special Christmas gift to more than 1,000 underprivileged families and seasonal farm workers. Scholarships are also awarded to qualified less fortunate students who reside in Guimba. The association also supported financially in the construction and completion of the new rectory convent which was built in the early 1940’s.
Aside from the association, Rochelle presently assists in the social and fundraising activities of the Gendringer Group, “The Hollanders”, composed of Guimbanians who worked in the fashion industry in Netherlands in the 1970’s.
Rochelle de Guzman Buenaventura, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at the Sacred Heat Academy in Guimba, was an active student and this led to some of her unforgetable experiences. In 1968-69, she competed for the “Bb.Bulaklak” (Miss Flower) sponsored by the Bulaklak Magazine owned by Elizalde Family and she won “Bb. Bulaklak ng Wika and 1st Princess. In the same ear, she won as “Queen of the Summer Festival” at the Corregidor College. A change in her life took over when a Dutch Missionary, Rev. Fr. Henry de Hey, came to Guimba to recruit workers in Netherland. She joined the other sixty-two other Guimbanians, known today as Gendringen Bathch 1969-7972, to work at the Berghaus Company in Netherlands. She enjoy her stay with kababayans in Netherlands.
In 1972, a new challenge came when she immigated to Canada and met the love of her life, Mel Buenaventura of Malolos Bulacan. They got married on June 19, 1976 and started making their lives in Winnipeg. Rochelle and Mel worked together and got involved in business. In 1978, Rochelle took up a courses on floral design and baking skills and this led to set-up Greenland Florist and One-Stop Wedding Lounge, the 1st Filipino flower shop in Winnipeg in 1980. And during the 1981 Bb. Pilipinas Canada Pageant in Winnipeg, Rochelle and Mel were given a chance to participate in the pageant as flower sponsors for the winners. In 1992, she won a bronze medal for her floral design at the Spring Beauty floral design at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. Not satisfied with her career, she took up secretarial medical course at Success Institute and in 1990, she prepared herself to face another challenge when she enrolled and studied Gerontology at Red River College. In 1993, the husband and wife team owned and operated the first group home and they cared for older and infirmed clients. Outside her business for caring, Rochelle became a group leader and event coordinator of the Happy Go Lucky Dance Group in 1995. The group was involved in the fundraising event of Gawad Kalinga. In 1995 they opened the 2nd group home for the aged, infirmed and mentally challenged individuals. And this led to be elected as the treasurer of the Filipino Seniors Group of Winnipeg, Inc. She became the Junior Queen Valentine of the FSGWI. It seems that growth in business never stopped and in 2003, they opened their 3rd group home. And with her active participation in dancing competition, Rochelle and her dancing group had won numerous trophies from the local dance contests. In 2019, she became the Queen Valentine of the Gendringen Group.
Rochelle says: “ I believe I have achieved my aspirations through strong determination, hard work, perseverance and above all with the guidance and blessings of the Lord Almighty.” This awardee, Rochelle De Guzman Buenvaventua, is a loving, generous, ambitious, “carinosa” compassionate, supportive and with a good sense of humour. No doubt, Rochelle is beautiful, inside-out. “With the help and support of my husband, our commitment to help our community is first and foremost; and our unconditional support to our kababayans in Guimba has been our enjoyment in life,” Rochelle says with a smile.
