Lea Salonga Receives TOFA-NY Heritage Award at Carnegie Hall Tonight

Right on the heels of her Disney Legend citation that had recognized her iconic vocal recordings for two Disney Princesses Mulan from Mulan and Jasmine from Aladdin, Lea Salonga, born and raised in the Philippines, is set to receive another accolade: the Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York (TOFA-NY) Awards' Heritage Award tonight, October 29 at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. 

Salonga's fellow actors of Filipino descent MiG Ayesa, who will host the awards ceremony, T.V. Carpio, and J. Elaine Marcos were also nominated for TOFA-NY's community-determined awards for their exemplary performances in Broadway musicals Rock of Ages, Spider-man, Turn Off the Dark, and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, respectively.

"New York has always been proud to be a city of promise and opportunity for people of every background, including generations of Filipino Americans," says Mayor Mike Bloomberg in a message to the awardees.

"We take this opportunity to honor the men and women who contribute to our city's amazing energy and spirit," he adds.

TOFA-NY Awards, whose organizers include journalist Elton Lugay, technical director Marisse Panlilio, journalist Cristina Dc Pastor, and photographer Percival Roque and whose winners were unconventionally picked by Facebook users, has been created to celebrate the second year of the Filipino American Heritage Month, which falls on October.

Besides Salonga, dancers Craig and Samantha Abaya, who were junior champions on ABC's hit show Dancing with the Stars Season 7; philanthropist and community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis; organizations Filipino-American Human Services Inc. and Filipino-American National Historical Society; and weekly newspaper Filipino Reporter will also receive TOFA-NY's Heritage Awards.

For more information, visit www.carnegiehall.org/Event.aspx?id=4294979611.