Ethel Nona Guirao Tolentino

Ethel Nona Guirao Tolentino, fondly known as "Nona," passed peacefully on the morning of Friday, March 10, 2017. She was one month shy of her 67th birthday. After her recent retirement in 2015, Nona spent her time traveling the world, with long stays in Bakersfield, CA, Phoenix, AZ, and the Philippines, visiting her family and friends and caring for her four grandchildren. She passed at Keck Hospital, USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, recovering from her recent heart surgery.
Nona was born on April 24, 1950, in Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines to Noe Guirao (father, Romblon, Philippines) and Edith Eberly Morales, (mother, Ilocos Norte, Philippines). She and her brother, Noel Guirao, were raised by her beloved grandmother, Epifania Layus Morales. Throughout her childhood and high school years, Nona was known by everyone as intelligent, ahead of her time, and "the very best and brightest" in everything she did. She loved to danced traditional Philippine folk dances, sing hymns, deliver speeches, write poetry, play the piano, and compete in all of these, where she would win 1st prize in any category she entered. She was class valedictorian at Batac Central Elementary School (Class of 1962) and Eureka High School (Class of 1966) - the Christian high school that her grandfather, Rev. and Dr. Silvestre Morales founded and established on the grounds of her childhood home.
After graduation, Nona attended the premiere academic institution of the Philippines: University of the Philippines, Diliman, in Quezon City. She always wanted to study law, but her family could only afford enough for her BA in Public Administration. She completed her studies right before her uncle, the late Royal Frank Layus Morales (Los Angeles), petitioned her to come to the United States. Nona came to the "land of opportunities" in 1970, right before former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. Once in the United States, she pursued her Masters in Behavioral Sciences at California State University, Bakersfield, and earned a certificate in Human Services Administration. It was there that she continued dancing and met Demetrio Tolentino, whom she married in 1972, and began her life and career in Kern County.
Nona found her calling in the social service sector, starting as an eligibility worker with the AFDC (1974-78) and a supervisor with the Dept. of Human Services (1978-79), helping low-income families establish their eligibility to receive services. From 1980 to 1984, she coordinated volunteers before becoming a unit supervisor  (1985-1990), where she oversaw projects in Adult Protective Services, In-Home Support Services, Employment Related Services (GAIN), and a pilot Emergency Shelter for the Elderly and Dependent Adults.
Her knowledge, experience, and communication skills led her to become Coordinator for Legislative and Administrative Analysis (1991-1992), where she provided executive assistance to the Director. Her achievements included developing a media protocol for the agency and coordinating activities with the department's managers, county heads, media, legislators, and local government leaders. This propelled her into becoming Program Director of Kern County's Dept. of Human Services (1992-1998), where she managed and directed multiple programs including the Jamison Children's Center, an emergency shelter of abused and neglected children; Adult Services, which provided adult protective services and in-home support services throughout Kern; and Child Welfare Services, which focused on child protection and foster care. Going above and beyond the job, every Christmas, she would collect toys and small gifts for her programs' clients and hand-deliver them across Kern County, sometimes with her own children in tow.
From 1998 to 2000, Nona's efforts shifted to KCEOC (Kern County Economic Opportunity Corporation). She coordinated the HelpLine Staff, which provided information and referral services to 10,000 callers per year and responded successfully to the Valley Citrus Freeze Disaster in winter of 1998. Her leadership grew as she became Director of KCEOC's Division of Family Services and Housing, which managed and administrated the Migrant Child Care Pilot Program, Weatherization and Energy Assistance Programs, Supportive Housing Program, LEA Medical, Healthy Start, and the Food Bank.
Her final and longest position was with GBLA (Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance), where she served as the sole Long Term Care Ombudsman for Kern County (2001-2015) and as Commissioner on the Kern County Commission on Aging and Chair of their Long-Term Care Committee. She recruited, trained, and organized hundreds of volunteers to investigate and follow up on the quality of care for elderly and disabled folks in assisted living centers and nursing homes. She made regular appearances before the County Board of Supervisors and Bakersfield City Council on behalf of elderly and dependent adults. Her most important achievements include: testifying before the Senate Health Committee on the overuse of anti-psychotic medications in facilities; initiating, organizing, and participating on the DEAR (Dependent Elder Abuse Review) committee; and implementing the Physician's Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment, a document that elderly or seriously ill patients complete with their doctor to specify their wishes for end of life treatment.
Stories from friends and co-workers reveal how expansive her heart truly was. She developed a friendship with a homeless woman who roamed the streets near Union Avenue, known to the greater Bakersfield community as "Downtown Mary." Nona had earned her trust, never giving up on her nor judging her, and met with her on specific days and times to give needed toiletries and food until the day she was not at their designated place.
Nona's passion for Philippine history and connecting with kin extended throughout California. She expanded the presence and knowledge of Filipino culture and heritage in California through her involvement with the Filipino Community of Bakersfield and Vicinity (President). On June 27, 1998, she co-chaired and organized the Philippine Centennial Gala and City of Bakersfield's 100th Year, paying tribute to the Philippine's 100th Anniversary of Independence. She was a member of the organization Anak ti Batac, and secretary of the Eureka High School Reunion that met annually in Cerritos, California.
Nona is survived by her children, Lisa Minerva, Ray Noel, Dana Grace and Mark Frederick; their father, Demetrio Tolentino; and her children's respective families: Lisa's husband Robert Esler and their daughter, Sofia Aurelia; Ray's wife Staci Ordiz Tolentino and their children Eli Noel, Elizabeth "Elle" Grace, and Otis Rex.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2017, at Mill Creek Christian Church on 1660 "S" St., Bakersfield, CA, at 2 pm, with a reception to follow in the church gathering hall. She will be buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mortuary, on 9101 Kern Canyon Road, Bakersfield, CA, at 11 am. Please consider donating to GBLA (Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance) Ombudsman Program, or CANHR (California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform) in her memory. For further questions and updates on services, please contact Lisa Tolentino (661-301-9856) or Mark Tolentino (661-205-8347).