Member Spotlight

Commissioner Maricres Valdez Castro. Before delving into politics as the only Filipino-American serving on the City of Tacoma’s Commission for Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, she served as Miss Washington U.S. International 2021, Miss Universe Philippines – Muntinlupa 2020 (with a focus on addressing the over 2 million abandoned children living on the streets of the Philippines), and is the reigning Miss Mesoamerica International Filipinas 2022. She is simply inspirational, passionate, a caring shoulder to lean on, and a sisterly presence to look up to.

Listening to her suggestions and life learnings as she is also a former US Peace Corps Health Volunteer serving in the Heart of Africa (Zambia) for two years, one may achieve greater and better results! Commissioner Castro comes from a medical missionary family who established the first hospital in Pilar, Sorsogon. She is one lady whose mission in life is to spread gentle warmth, promote reconciliation, justice, kindness and happiness to people around her. Maricres focuses on philanthropy as a current Child Sponsor for an abandoned child with disabilities living in the Philippines through Chosen Children’s Village Foundation.