CLAIRE MORALES TRUE: In the service of Milpitas, VM Evelyn Chua fulfills her brother Ted’s wish

MILPITAS CITY — I’ved met Vice Mayor Evelyn Q. Chua of the City of Milpitas only once but her warmth and smiles as the Philippine News Today team hobnobbed with her at City Hall already make that encounter meaningful and memorable.

I am not surprised if those characteristics of her were her secret weapons that ensured her victory in the last City Council election and eventually her ascend as the number two official of the city.

What surprised me later is that I found out that she was a reluctant politician. She admits during our brief talk that she had no plans to join the political fray, but only to do her share as a citizen to help people and the community in whatever capacity she could.

In many interviews with her by various media, VM Evelyn says that as a resident of Milpitas for more than 30 years, she has been active in the community in various capacities, including service on the Community Advisory Commission and Emergency Preparedness Commission. As a supporter of affordable housing, she created a workshop on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). And she’s also active in the arts, lending her support to the Milpitas Children’s Theatre Alliance.

Her service to the community was quickly noticed prompting groups to endorse her to the City Council. She gave way to the clamor and ran in 2016 but she was unsuccessful. This did not deter her from serving the community. After the 2016 run, VM Evelyn was appointed to the Planning Commission and served in that capacity before finally securing a council seat in 2020, thus becoming the first woman of Filipino descent elected to serve on the Milpitas City Council.

VM Evelyn has impeccable credentials being a holder of Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from the Golden Gate University and a Bachelor’s degree in medical technology from the Far Eastern University. She graduated from Manila High School in historic Intramuros where Philippine News Today editor in chief Alfred Gabot was her classmate. She is an experienced applications programmer, systems analyst, project manager, and had worked as a real estate agent. She retired as a Senior Operations Manager in 2017 from the Silicon Valley Bank.

Throughout our stay at City Hall, VM Evelyn Chua was visibly proud and happy that she was given the rare opportunity to serve the city that she dearly loves up to the City Council level and involved in policy making for a rapidly growing and evolving city.

What drove her to devote her time to serve the community?

She recalls in a published report that her brother Ted who was in the US Navy (he perished at 29 during the Vietnam War) who petitioned her and their mother to the United States. She says her brother told her then that “I have to give back to this country. Because we’re so fortunate to be here.” She has fulfilled her brother’s wish.

I doff my hat to VM Evelyn. Carry on Vice Mayor.

(The writer is managing editor and columnist (True or False) of Philippine News Today. She can be reached at cmtpr1962@yahoo.com.ph.)