Gaylord B. Arata, RN

Gaylord B. Arata leads the coordinating and organizing of the Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Council of North America 16th Biennial Convention to be held on September 1 – 3, 2023 and as the overall Chair of the 2nd APO ACNA President’s Cup Golf Tournament to be held on August 31 – September 1, 2023, with both events to be held in Seattle, Washington.

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Gaylord is a charter member of Iota Zeta Chapter, batch 1990-C at the Lyceum Northwestern University in Dagupan City, Pangasinan. Being a globe trotter, he met several APO brothers and sisters, and while working in Ireland, he was one of the organizers of APO Ireland #203. When he came to the United States, he helped in the formation of the APO LNU Alumnae Association.  

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With Greater Washington Alpha Phi Omega (GWAPO) as host of the 16th APO ACNA Biennial Convention, its officers and members find Gaylord’s dedication and loyalty to Alpha Phi Omega’s principles of leadership, friendship, and service, thus elected him as President for 2022 and 2023.

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Gaylord Biala Arata was born on November 25, 1971 in Rosario, La Union, Philippines to Josefina Biala Arata and to the late David Estoesta Arata. He is 14 years older than his only sibling, Neri Catherine Arata-De Rueda. He attended school at St. Joseph Institute in Candon, Ilocos Sur, where he finished his elementary and high school education. Gaylord completed his degree in Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1993 from the Lyceum Northwestern University, and successfully passed the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination (PNLE) the following year.

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As a Registered Nurse, he spent most of his life working overseas. In 1995, Gaylord worked at the Al Hada and Prince Sultan Armed Forces Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he met Cherry Lagasca, also an RN. They decided to tie the knots, and moved to Ireland in 2001 and Gaylord worked at the St. Vincent University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin, and in 2003, their much-awaited first-born son, Eireann, was born. Four years after, Gaylord and Cherry moved to the United States for greener pastures, and welcomed their second son, Eiffel, who was born in 2011. Currently, Gaylord is working at the Puget Sound Kidney Centers at Mountlake Terrace, Washington as a Certified Hemodialysis Practitioner. 

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Though young as he may be, Gaylord is full of heart and vigor putting the welfare of others first over his. A true leader, a friend, and always selfless. As what he keeps saying, “Moving forward and unite as one.”