PH Consulate General in San Francisco Hosts Reception in Celebration of 127th Anniversary of PH Independence and 50 Years of Philippine Center
Officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco at the 127th Philippine Independence Day reception. (San Francisco PCG photos)
SAN FRANCISCO 24 June 2025 — The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco hosted a reception in commemoration of the 127th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Center in San Francisco on 13 June 2025, at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center.
Chief of Protocol Penny Coulter, representing the City and County of San Francisco, State Senator Scott Wiener of California’s District 11, and Regional Director John Choi of the Office of Foreign Missions of the US State Department graced the event.
During his speech, Consul General Ferrer highlighted that under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., the Philippine economy has demonstrated resilience and robust growth, with a 5.6% average GDP growth in 2024, signaling a steady economic recovery. He also underscored the impact of the administration’s “Build Better More” infrastructure program, which is driving nationwide progress in transportation, connectivity, and food security. In addition, he noted the newly enacted CREATE MORE Act, aimed at restructuring the country’s investment climate to attract more businesses and foster innovation.
Consul General Ferrer also underlined that the Philippines–United States alliance remains strong and enduring, noting unprecedented momentum across all pillars of cooperation — defense and security, economic partnership, and people-to-people ties.
As part of the evening’s celebration, Consul General Ferrer paid tribute to the Philippine Center in San Francisco, which is marking its 50th anniversary of dedicated service, cultural stewardship, and meaningful engagement with the Filipino American community in the U.S. West Coast.
LALO, a Filipino American choral ensemble based in the Bay Area, provided musical entertainment with their outstanding rendition of the songs, “Manila”, “Isang Mundo, Isang Awit”, “Tagumpay Nating Lahat”, “A Million Dreams” and “Defying Gravity”. An array of Filipino food were also served which included lechon belly, pancit palabok, chicken inasal, lumpia, and buko pandan, to name a few. Ube infused liquor and premium wines from Napa de Oro and Corte Riva — produced by Filipino American wineries in Napa Valley — were also popular with the guests.
The event was attended by more than 150 people composed of federal, city and local officials, members of the consular corps, representatives from the business sector as well as Filipino-American community leaders. Consul General Ferrer said: “We at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco look forward to continuing working with all of you. We remain steadfast in our commitment to building a just, prosperous, and peaceful society, for our peoples and for future generations.” END
From left to right: California State District 11 Senator Scott Wiener, San Francisco City and County Chief of Protocol Penny Coulter, Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer, and Regional Director John Choi of the Office of Foreign Missions of the State Department
Consul General Neil Ferrer expresses gratitude to the guests for joining the Consulate in celebrating the 127th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence. (San Francisco PCG photo)
Regional Director John Y. Choi of the Office of the Foreign Missions of the State Department (rightmost) offers a toast on the occasion (San Francisco PCG photo)
Consul General and Madam Miriam Ferrer, San Francisco City and County Chief of Protocol Penny Coulter, and Regional Director John Y. Choi of the Office of Foreign Missions, State Department, with members of the consular corps
From left to right: Consul General Neil Ferrer, Madam Miriam Ferrer, Deputy Consul General Maria Paz Cortes, Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil, and Trade Commissioner Anne Marie Umali, greet South San Francisco Councilmember Buenaflor Nicolas (San Francisco PCG photo)
From left to right: Vice Consul Glaiza Quarteros, Vice Consul Hannah Go, Regional Director John Y. Choi of the Office of the Foreign Missions, Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil, Consul Adrian Baccay, Deputy Consul General Maria Paz Cortes, San Francisco City and County Chief of Protocol Penny Coulter, and Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer (San Francisco PCG photo)
Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer (3rd from left) and Madam Miriam Ferrer (4th from left) welcomes Deputy Consul General Takeshi Ishihara of Japan (2nd from left)
The LALO ensemble (San Francisco PCG Photo)
For more information, visit http://pcgsanfrancisco.org, https://www.facebook.com/PHinSF/ or https://www.instagram.com/phlinsf/.