03 February 2016 - In celebration of the 20th Autism Consciousness Week, the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco held two events to mark the occasion.
At the Monday morning flag raising ceremony on January 19, the Oath “1 Pangako” was displayed on the video wall housed in the Philippine Center’s Main Lobby. Members of the Philippine Consulate, as well as Philippine Center tenants, and the Filipino-American Community, took part in the oath to raise awareness about autism.
The Consulate also partnered with Autism Hearts Foundation to present Old NasSoul, Princeton University’s Soul A Capella Group in a concert entitled “Peace Love and Soul a Benefit Concert,” held at St. Aidan’s Church in Diamond Heights, San Francisco.
President and Founder of Autism Hearts Foundation (AHF) Erlinda Borromeo showed a presentation of persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who, with the proper support and encouragement, are productive members of the community. She recounted the organization’s efforts in previous years to invest in gifted artists based in the Philippines by assigning mentors to coach them to produce paintings on textiles that are currently being used for high-end couture, which the Consulate has been working on intensively with AHF and The Hinabi Project for the past three years.
Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. congratulated Autism Hearts Foundation for their dedication and effort in raising awareness about the disorder, and encouraged those who attended the event to serve as a conduit to give a voice to persons with ASD.
The nine members of Old NasSoul, composed of sophomores, juniors and seniors of Princeton University, are performing in San Francisco and the Bay Area for one week to drum up support for the Foundation. END