23 August 2016 — Around 80,000 people flocked to the 23rd Annual Pistahan Parade and Festival in San Francisco, USA on August 13 to 14 to take part in the vibrant celebration of Filipino culture and cuisine. Pistahan is known as one of the largest Filipino-American gatherings in the United States.
The officers and staff of the Consulate General, its attached agencies, and their family members actively took part in the two-day festivities. The said festival aims to empower and unite Filipino-Americans in the Bay Area through the celebration of Filipino talent and artistry.
During the festival, Filipino-American artists performed Filipino songs and dances, and conducted martial arts demonstrations. Seven pavilions were set up to cover themes such as art, dance, food, health, innovation, and sports.
Sixty organizations participated in this year’s parade. The parade showcased floats, dance companies, marching bands, a human Philippine flag, a jeepney, and a higante. The theme of the parade is ‘Journey to the Heart of SOMA Pilipinas’ in celebration of the passing of legislation of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors designating an area in the South Market as SOMA Pilipinas.
Philippine Consul General to San Francisco Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. was invited to address the Community during the opening of the event, alongside Commissioner Al Perez, Assembly member Rob Bonta, San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, and leaders of the Filipino community.
He encouraged the community to unite and stand together in electing local officials who can best serve the interests of Filipinos in the United States, and congratulated the all-volunteer Pistahan Committee and the Filipino Community for their continued support of events that celebrate the history, culture and heritage of the Philippines.
Secretary of Tourism Wanda Teo also addressed the festival attendees on the second day, encouraging our kababayans to visit the Philippines. She shared the Department of Tourism’s goals of providing a stable, resilient, sustainable, transformative and inclusive tourism industry. She also shared that the Philippines would be hosting the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in January 2017, and enjoined the Community to actively promote the Philippines as a tourism destination. END
