PH Independence Commemorated in Bergen, New Jersey

Deputy Consul General Kerwin Orville C. Tate (third from right) and Bergen County Executive James Tedesco III (first from right) attend the annual flag-raising ceremony and commemoration of Philippine Independence at the Bergen County government complex in Hackensack, New Jersey on 12 June 2018. ( New York PCG photo)

NEW YORK CITY 13 JUNE 2018 – The Philippine Consulate General in New York, represented by Deputy Consul General Kerwin Orville C. Tate, attended the annual flag-raising ceremony and commemoration of Philippine Independence at the Bergen County government complex in Hackensack, New Jersey on 12 June 2018.

Bergen County Executive James Tedesco III heaped praise on the Filipino community of Bergen County, which prides itself on the diversity of its inhabitants. He cited the more than 20,000 Filipinos who reside in the county and who have contributed immensely to the welfare of Bergen through medical services, government service, and even the county’s famous Filipino restaurants.

After his remarks, Tedesco then presented a proclamation declaring June 12 as Philippine Independence Day in Bergen County.

Chair Pro Tempore of the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders Mary J. Amoroso highlighted the similarities between Filipinos and Latinos, noting the two peoples’ love of family, respect for elders, and deeply-held Christian values. She stated that, coming from an immigrant background herself, she understood the desire to build a better life for family in the United States.

Bergen Filipino Community leader Ludi Hughes, along with the Filipino American Festival Inc., Filipino American Association of Fair Law, the Philippine American Community of Bergen County, and the Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey were instrumental in organizing and carrying out the event. END

For more information, visit www.newyorkpcg.dfa.gov.ph / www.newyorkpcg.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinNY/.