Fil-Am Community Celebrates PH Independence Day at the Heart of San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO 02 July 2018 — The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, working with the KalayaanSF Committee and in partnership with The Filipino Channel (TFC), celebrated the 120th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence with an outdoor festival at Union Square on 16 June 2018.
With the theme Spark*Connect*Empower, the Festival, which first took place in 2011, continues to grow bigger every year.
Union Square, which is at the center of San Francisco, was saturated with everything that is Filipino.
From 12:00 noon until 7:00 pm, every corner became a performance venue for young Fillipino-American singers and dancers.
Five food booths afforded festival-goers a taste of Philippine cuisine. Booths displayed an array of wares from Filipino businesses, from Filipino publishers, textiles, shirts, and many more.
The festival, which was attended by over 12,000 people, culminated in an outdoor concert where a fashion show featuring the designs of Anthony Cruz Legarda, the in-house designer of Autism Hearts Foundation, showcased painted piña fabrics by persons with autism.
The 2018 Kalayaan Heroes were once again presented to the Community at the Festival. The Heroes were able to meet and greet the Community, where they were asked questions about their civic engagements and activities, and were later presented to the audience at the beginning of TFC Hour.
The Heroes have become a mainstay during the KalayaanSF events, with the hope that through their example, Filipino-American would be inspired and be proud of their Filipino roots, and actively contribute to uplifting the profile of the Filipino Community in the United States.
Consul General Henry S. Bensurto Jr. kicked off the outdoor concert with the battlecry of “Pinoy Ako, Proud Ako!”, to inspire the Filipino-American Community to be proud of their roots and heritage. He emphasized how the sacrifices of our forebears allow Filipinos today to pursue their dreams, and that there is no better way to honor the memory of their sacrifice but to be proud of our roots and heritage.
This year’s concert was headlined by Jaya and Jay-R, who both grew up in the West Coast and understood the Consulate’s desire to spark, connect and empower the Filipino diaspora. Their energy and performances moved the crowd to dance at Union Square, until the end of the festival. END
For more information, visit www.sanfranciscopcg.dfa.gov.ph/ www.philippinessanfrancisco.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSF/
