Proud of his roots

With his almond eyes and dark skin, not even his classmates in elementary school in Bethesda, Maryland, thought that he was of Philippine descent.

Born to Filipino parents from Bohol, the Philippines, Charles Sayon Jr., fondly called Chuck by his peers and colleagues, has always looked back to his roots—an Asian and a Filipino by heart. Chuck said he could never forget his experience when he was still a child and he had to go to a public school in Maryland.

“I was the first non-white American student in the school,” Chuck recalled.

Chuck, turning 50 this May, said being of a different color meant a lot at that time, especially in a state where most of the population was composed of Caucasians. He said he and his only sibling had to struggle against discrimination—at least during that time. He said most Filipinos in that era were flocking to urban states and cities where there were mixed races, but his family opted to stay in Maryland because his parents’ relatives were also there.

Chuck’s parents, Charles Sr. and Magdalena, chose to live in the United States for a brighter future for their family. His dad, now deceased, was in the Navy for 23 years that began when the Philippines was still a Commonwealth of the U.S. He said his father had to travel in and out of the Philippines during that time to fulfill a promising career in the Navy.

The first 10 years of Chuck’s life was spent in Maryland, then his family moved to San Francisco. Chuck said being in the Bay Area made him realize that, despite being different, life is beautiful and could be harmonious. He said he found a home in California because this is where he saw other people of different colors mixing and mingling without a care in the world.

“California is more cosmopolitan,” said Chuck, adding that he flourished in his new surroundings. “It was enjoyable to be in a more diverse neighborhood.”

MAKING IT IN COLLEGE

Chuck said he started working when he was younger. He said he had to eke out a living to make it to college. He had to work as a gas station attendant, lifeguard, bus boy, and newspaper boy, among others.

He said gone are the days when young people had to toil and sweat just to earn a living. He said that during his time, “I really had to work my way through college.”

Chuck always wanted to be a forestry specialist but back then the profession did not show any potential in terms of monetary rewards, so he chose to major in geology. He said during that time, geology seemed more lucrative than forestry. Chuck graduated from the University of California, Hayward, with a degree in geology.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

His first professional job was as a park maintenance aide for the California State Parks in San Francisco. He said his job then included construction of fences, repair of buildings and structures and clearing of trails and roads. Then he became a sales coordinator for a retail dealership company in San Leandro where he coordinated the sales activities of the company.

Chuck then joined the U.S. Peace Corps as a volunteer in Micronesia. He said he was appointed to the Pohnpei State Economic and Development Authority, Marine Divisions in Eastern Micronesia for the first two years with the corps. Then the corps had to transfer him to Seattle to work with the Peace Corps recruiting office. While there, he had to assist in organizing and conducting information campaigns for prospective volunteers at universities and communities.

From 1992 to 1996, Chuck worked as Natural Resources Management specialist, working for the National Park Service’s Western Regional Office, Division of Natural Resources and Research in San Francisco. Some of his responsibilities included: overseeing the natural resources management in over 50 NPS park units in Arizona, Nevada, California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

In 1996, Chuck was given the opportunity to work in the CNMI as the park’s site manager to oversee the development and maintenance of the beautiful, American Memorial Park.

“I [came] to Saipan to go back to the island style of living,” Chuck said.

Initially, he planned to work on the island for at least three to five years but Chuck said he had begun to enjoy the island and his 10-year tenure with the island only proved that he has fallen in love with Saipan.

“I guess I’ve been captured by Saipan,” he grinned.

Celebrating his 10th year on Saipan this May 14, he is now planning whether to have a huge celebration since this year also marks his 50th birthday on Nov. 7.

‘PINOY’ BY HEART AND TASTE

Chuck still considers himself a Filipino, especially when he shows his flair in preparing Filipino dishes. He said he makes the best “adobong baboy” but could prepare other Filipino dishes for his friends and family.

“My dad inspired me to cook,” he said, adding that his dad used to be a steward in the Navy.

He believes the Philippines produces the best cooks in the world. He said this was proven when a Filipina was appointed last year to be the executive chef in the White House. “Filipinos excel in this industry.”

Chuck admits he loves traveling. Among the places he has gone to are Tahiti, Micronesia, New Caledonia, Australia, Borneo, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. He said he also makes it a point to travel to the Philippines three to four times a year. He said he just loves to shop in Manila where he could also see relatives and some friends.

Chuck said one thing that he always admires in his fellow Filipinos is the “strong sense of community of the Filipino people.” He added that this is one trait that others would never surpass anywhere in the world.