Each
year, Mars Rivera, the indefatigable Chairman and Master of Ceremonies of Pista
sa Nayon's entertainment, performs miracles. He is symphony conductor, movie
director, and master chef rolled into one as he mixes and glues all the
ingredients of Pista's program. For 12 consecutive hours,the Filipino American
community's finest talents, from age 8 to 80, strut, dance, joke, sing, march,
break dance, on stage and offstage. At its center is Mars Rivera, who has
assembled the performers, visual artists, production crews, and community
patrons that raise money to ensure Pista-goers are entertained for a full day.Leadership, community service and entertainment are not new to Marciano Inocencio Rivera. He has since retired from his work at the Asian Counseling and Referral service, where he supervised case managers devoted to diverse Asian American Pacific communities. But, he continues to work on projects that serve Filipino seniors. He hopes to establish a retirement place in the Philippines where seniors can have the assistance they need and still live independently.
Mars came to live first at Vashon Island after a successful career as a lawyer and vice president of an insurance company in the Philippines. After the children left home, he and his wife Angela Castrillo, known as Angie, moved to Seattle. They have been married 40 plus glorious years. Their family spans three generations - Angie's mother who is over 90 years old, their five children and seven grandchildren.
"Our story is similar to the thousands of immigrants that come here. It was difficult at first because I was much older and it was not easy to integrate my professional experience with the job market. Fortunately, Angie was able to work at the University of Washington and I eventually found my niche in social work. It is a second career for me and I find helping people very rewarding." Of all his numerous accomplishments, Mars is most proud of being conferred a Papal Knight of Saint Sylvester, a recognition by the Vatican and the church for his leadership in the Legion of Mary.
When asked how he got into "show biz" at Pista, there was an obvious delight in his answer, "My father was a poet, writer, singer and emcee and it was natural for me to follow". With deserved pride, he added, "As class president, high school leader and valedictorian, I was also expected to be a speech maker."
A little known fact is that in his early days, Mars was also a singer in a band. His love for music, his dedication to the community, and his ability to lead come together at Pista sa Nayon. "I love this event because it is the one time that young and old, Philippine-born and American-born are enjoying each other and working together. The production team is outstanding and I know that when I'm not here any more, the show will go on because of the talent we have in our community."