Marlene Birao Schachter

MARLENE BIRAO SCHACHTER

Tireless, spirit-filled, generous, hard-working, kind-hearted,
unselfish and very humanitarian in nature, that is, Marlene Birao-
Schachter.

“Life is too short,” is one of Marlene’s points of view. “ If I can give
or share something to others that I have, I will do it now before it
is too late.”

Birao-Schachter hails from Bato, Toledo City. She graduated as
valedictorian in high school at the University of the Visayas. She
was a scholar of the Colegio de San Jose- Recoletos,
Philippines. At the same time that she was pursuing a Law
degree, she was also working on her degree in Bachelor of
Science in Commerce, major in Accounting.

She migrated to Canada looking for a greener pasture. And while

working for a manufacturing company there, she was able to hook up many unemployed Filipinos in
getting jobs within the company.

Birao-Schachter holds the distinction of being the first and only Filipino woman elected twice as
President of the Filipino Association of Montreal and Suburbs, better known as the FAMAS, the oldest
and largest Filipino association in Quebec. The first time she was elected was in 1988, and the
second time was in 1993. A dedicated and a low-profile leader, she played a key role in the realization
of the dream of many Filipinos in having a Filipino community center.

“When I took over as the President of the FAMAS in 1988, the association has about $100,000 in its
coffer,” recalled Birao-Schachter. “But nobody thought of buying a property that FAMAS and the
community could call their own. To buy a building was a dicey decision for me but I took the
responsibility of signing the mortgage. The building serves now as a center and the mortgage is paid
off.”

She has served the community in various capacities. To mention a few: as one of the organizers and
as Secretary of the United Filipino Homemakers Club; Director of FAMAS, the Philippine Folk Art
Society of Quebec and the Federation of Filipino Canadian Association of Quebec; Deputy Chairman
of the Kalihukang Bisaya Movement; Treasurer of the Philippine Centennial Movement in Quebec;
Organizer of the Santo Nino de Cebu (Sinulog) celebrations.

She has been actively helping in raising funds for many organizations, which include the Save a
Family Plan, Save the Poor Foundation, Sun Youth and Dans la Rue.

But Birao-Schachter is best known for her generosity to many worthy projects. Her friends were
touched when, on her first wedding anniversary, she requested them to make donations to FAMAS
instead of giving her gifts. She did this again on her 60th birthday. This time she distributed the money
that she received as gift to various charities which included the Save a Family Plan, UNICEF and Pillar
Trust Foundation.

“I want to set a good example to our kababayans,” said Marlene. “I am not rich but money is not
everything in life. For me, it is more rewarding and satisfying to know that I am able to help others who
have more needs than I do.”

Being a Canadian citizen does not stop her mind and heart to belong to her native Philippines. The
Save the Poor Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps needy children in Davao, has also
benefited from this gesture of generosity. She is also the Chairman of the Kalihikang Bisaya
Movement in Montreal, a non-profit organization that sponsors deserving students through the Cebu
City YLAC Free School Foundation, Inc.

“Kalihukang Bisaya has been sponsoring six students’’ said Birao-Schacter, “but I am personally
helping another six.”

Her good deeds do not go unnoticed. She is the recipient of awards from various associations which
include the FAMAS, PHILBECAN, and 100 Outstanding Filipino-Canadians.

Birao-Schacher has been happily married for about 19 years to Allan, a Christian- convert Jew. It is all
about true LOVE.

Her generosity is indeed immeasurable!