06 December 2016 — The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco recently hosted a gathering of young Filipino Americans in the Bay Area, in an effort to promote its thrust to Spark * Connect * Empower within the Filipino-American community. 

Heads of various Filipino Clubs in high schools throughout the Bay Area collectively known as Filipino Youth coalition, organized the “Fil-Social” at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center last November 22. The coalition is headed by Ms. Isabel Acenas, a junior at Burlingame High School and a Jefferson Awardee.  

In previous meetings, Ms. Acenas has brought up the youth's interest in SOMA Pilipinas and elected Filipino-American leaders.  They are also interested on how to volunteer their time to reach out to the elderly in the Community, and to learn more about their Filipino roots.

True to the Coalition’s vision, the young leader discussed with her peers the upcoming Filipino American cultural events that they can participate in, such as the Filipino-American Development Foundation’s Parol Festival and the Consulate’s Parol Lighting Ceremony.  END