Los Angeles-born Maria Torres-Springer wants to reconnect with her Filipino roots

Maria Torres-Springer, the Los Angeles-born Filipina-American deputy mayor of New York who was put in charge of ensuring the economic recovery of the city in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, is looking forward to reconnecting with her roots.

During a meeting with Consul General Cato early last month at the New York City Hall, the deputy mayor said she had been away for a long time, expressing her willingness to serve as resource person in future collaborations with the Philippine Consulate General as a way for her to connect with the Filipino community.

As deputy mayor for Economic and Workforce Development, Torres-Springer is considered to be one of the most powerful Filipino-Americans in the US Northeast. She was among the first officials to be appointed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams after he won his election bid in December.

Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer’s father was from Pampanga while her mother was from Batangas. Her family moved to the Philippines when she was nine and stayed in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga until she was 14. “I look forward to visiting the Philippines again,” she told Consul General Elmer G. Cato during the meeting. She misses Kapampangan food and wants to get herself a San Fernando lantern for Christmas.

The deputy mayor still knows Kapampangan, although she has not been able to speak a lot of it lately. “But it’s much better than my Tagalog,” she said.

Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer’s story is one of hope and perseverance. Shortly after her appointment in December, she described during a news conference what it was like growing up as a child of immigrants. She said her family struggled financially and her parents, who both have passed on, had to work multiple jobs.

According to her, the family had to rely on Section 8 vouchers and food stamps but she went on to study at Yale University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree and then at Harvard where she obtained her master’s in public policy.

She had previously served in various capacities in New York City, including as commissioner of small business services and later of housing preservation and development. Prior to her appointment as deputy mayor, she was vice president of the Ford Foundation.

We all carry echoes of the choices that led our families to leave their homes and strike out a better future. My ancestors, like many of yours, were strivers and survivors, generation after generation, and so I stand here today because of their strength and resilience.

“We all carry echoes of the choices that led our families to leave their homes and strike out a better future,” she said at the December news conference. “My ancestors, like many of yours, were strivers and survivors, generation after generation, and so I stand here today because of their strength and resilience.”

In addition, Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer offered to assist members of the Filipino Community who might want to take advantage of the city’s small business recovery programs and expressed interest in possible tourism, trade, investment, and employment opportunities with the Philippines.  newyorkpcg.org/pcgny