A tireless humanitarian. A community leader. A friend. You rocked our world, Ging, and made it a better place. We will miss you. A life lived for others Carmencita Hernandez – or Ging, as she was known to the thousands of people whose lives she touched – passed away on December 6, 2011 at Toronto Western Hospital, three days after she suffered a massive stroke. She was 67 years old. She is survived by her mother, brother Arthur, daughter Agatha, granddaughter Sari, and grandson Mickey. Ging leaves behind a legacy of humanitarian accomplishments – the result of a lifetime spent working to advance the rights of women, gays and lesbians, and members of visible minority groups. A catalyst and force for good Ging was a catalyst who helped create numerous community and national-level organizations, including the Coalition of Visible Minority Women and the Kababayan Community Centre, both focused on helping immigrant and low-income groups. She was always fighting the good fight, advocating for domestic workers through INTERCEDE, speaking up against spousal abuse at a Filipino-Canadian conference on wife assault, and breaking down racial and gender barriers. In the 1970s, as the Philippines struggled under the Marcos dictatorship, Ging was one of the few activist leaders who led the Second Propaganda Movement against the Marcos dictatorship and formed the Coalition Against the Marcos Dictatorship. In 1978, she co-founded Balita, one of the first Filipino newspapers in Canada and now an enduring institution in the Filipino-Canadian community. A champion of Filipino art and culture Ging believed in art and culture as potent channels for political expression and empowerment. She helped establish the Carlos Bulosan Cultural Workshop, a Toronto theatre group which debuted in 1982 with Carding, a play about a Filipino immigrants in Canada. Ging also played a pivotal role in the launch of Fairchild 1430 AM, a multicultural radio station which in 1997 aired a Filipino radio evening program called Flipside. To support young artists, writers and musicians in the Filipino community, Ging formed Arts Music on Reflections – or AMOR for short – which organized art exhibits in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. A wealth of well-deserved accolades Ging was not one to seek the spotlight, preferring instead to operate behind the scenes. Nevertheless, her work did not go unnoticed. In 1987, the City of Toronto gave her its Constance E. Hamilton award, which recognizes efforts to secure fair treatment for women. Two years later, the Toronto Star named her Woman of the Year. The accolades extended well beyond Toronto; in 1990 Ging became a YWCA Women of Distinction Award recipient, and in 1993 she was honoured with the prestigious BANAAG Award, given by the Philippine government to overseas Filipinos with extraordinary achievements or humanitarian work. A friend to so many While Ging was well known for her ability to organize groups and spur them to action, she was far more than a leader of people; she was a friend to so many. She was kind and tenderhearted. She opened the door to her own home in Toronto and, over the years, provided a safe haven to numerous women who needed a place to stay. Ging genuinely liked people. She truly cared. A friend once referred to her as a “scholar of humanity.” And that she was – a perpetual student of life who was always looking for ways to elevate the human condition and, somehow, change the world. Thank you, Ging, for everything.