By Ruth Bayang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Dolores Sibonga, a pioneering Filipino American lawyer, Seattle City Council member and civil rights advocate who spent decades in public service, has died. Her friends say she passed early on Wednesday morning.
She was 95.
Sibonga grew up in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Washington in 1952 and a law degree from the university in 1973. She became the first Filipino American admitted to the Washington state bar that same year.
Dolores Sibonga (front) on her 93rd birthday in 2024. In the back, from left: Assunta Ng, Joan Yoshitomi, and Teresita Batayola. (Photo provided by Teresita Batayola)
“Dolores is from that generation of firsts who broke down barriers, and defined leadership as a woman of color and as an Asian American,” said Teresita Batayola, former CEO of ICHS.
Elaine Ikoma Ko, former executive director of Interim CDA, called Sibonga a “dear friend and mentor.”
“Dolores was a once-in-a-lifetime leader who overcame great odds to become the first of many achievements… She will remain in our hearts forever.”
Before becoming a lawyer, Sibonga worked in radio and television in Spokane, and at KIRO-TV and KOMO-TV. She and her husband, Martin Sibonga, began publishing the Filipino Forum in 1977. The newspaper covered civil rights and encouraged political participation among minority communities.
In 1978, she was appointed to the Seattle City Council, becoming the first woman of color to serve on the council. She was elected to the council the following year and served for more than a decade, leaving office in 1992. She also ran for Seattle mayor in 1991 and lost, but has “no regrets,” she wrote in her memoir, “The Best Adobo in Town: From Café to City Council.”
Sibonga also served in state and county government. She worked as a public defender and legislative analyst and held positions with the Washington State Human Rights Commission.
In 2017, Sibonga and Joan Yoshitomi established the Ruth Woo Emerging Leaders Fellowship, which provides government work opportunities to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, according to King County.
“Her innate charm and grace wrapped around a sharp mind, unflinching courage, and hard work,” said Batayola. “She’s my hero… someone who forged a path to follow, a path that experienced changes, new starts, and a supportive community who believed in possibilities.”
King County officials proclaimed Aug. 18, 2026, as Dolores Sibonga Day, recognizing her public service and contributions to civil rights and the Filipino American community. Her daughter, Randi Sibonga, accepted the proclamation on her behalf.
She is survived by her daughters, Theresa Escobar and Randi Sibonga, Randi’s husband Bart L. Shilvock, and Theresa’s daughter Maya Escobar.
The cause of death was not immediately available. Funeral or memorial arrangements were not immediately available.
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