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RISING PROFILE OF FILIPINOS IN US AMPLIFIED IN INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATIONS

08 July 2015 – The spirit of patriotism still reverberate with the Filipinos in the US Northeast as the community celebrated the 117^th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence in different cities across the tri-state area and New England, highlighting the emerging presence of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in the mainstream US society.

Serving as kick-off event was the Independence Parade organized by the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc (PIDCI) in Manhattan, New York City on June 07. The community started the day with a flag raising ceremony at the Philippine Center in Fifth Avenue and a concelebrated thanksgiving mass followed by a community breakfast. At noon, over 100 organizations marched and performed on the streets and tens of thousands more watched and participated in the street fair that followed in Madison Avenue, attended by Philippine Ambassador to the United States and Madame Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., Philippine Consul General and Madame Mario De Leon, Jr., government officials visiting from the Philippines led by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Presidential Adviser for Environmental Protection Secretary Neric Acosta. Among the US government officials who graced the occasion were New York Senator Chuck Schumer, first Filipino Federal District Judge Lorna Schoefiled, and New York  Congresswoman Grace Meng.

Consul General De Leon referenced the theme of the Independence celebrations “Kalayaan 2015: Tagumpay sa Pagbabagong Nasimulan, Aboy-Kamay na ng Bayan” (Independence 2015: Triumphs on Reforms, Within the Nation’s Reach) in his messages, citing the progress that the country has attained in terms of governance, economic growth and social development. He as well underscored all the positive trends in Filipino-Americans that point to a “coming of age” of the community in the US.

The following day, the Philippine flag was hoisted up again at the Bergen County Administration Building, hosted by County Executive James Tedesco III and the Board of Chosen Freeholders, organized by the Asian-American Advisory Board. County Executive Tedesco presented a Proclamation on the celebration of Philippine Day in Bergen to the community. Consul General De Leon graced the event and acknowledged the sizeable population of Filipinos in Bergen County, with about 20,000 contributing to its diversity.

To honor exemplary members of the Filipino community, the Foundations of Filipino Artists, United Staffing Registry and Kinding Sindaw, in cooperation with Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, hosted an award-giving ceremony last June 09 at the Queens Borough Hall. Deputy Consul General Kira Azucena was present to help award the honorees.

On Independence Day itself last June 12, the Philippine Consulate General in New York led the centerpiece celebrations, beginning with a flag raising ceremony for Philippine government officials in front of the Philippine Center. In the evening, a formal reception was hosted by Consul General and Madame De Leon for members of the diplomatic and consular corps, family, and friends from the community.

Also on June 12, the Connecticut Association of Filipino-American Families honored the day with a flag raising ceremony at the Greenwich Town Hall, where Consul Kerwin Tate represented the Consul General and echoed the same message of pride and confidence in the community’s efforts in nation-building.

The community of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey gathered the day after on June 13 for a fiesta and picnic – a fun-filled day of games, performances and Filipino fare at the Cooper River Park in Camden County. Consul General De Leon and Madame Eleanor joined in the festivities organized by the Filipino Executive Council of Greater Philadelphia.  

On June 14, the officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General led by Consul General De Leon trooped to Passaic City Hall to join the community in commemorating the 28^th Annual Philippine Day Parade and Festival organized by the Philippine Day Organizing Council.

Honoring Philippine-US relations, Philippine American Friendship Committee (PAFCOM) worked to obtain a Proclamation from Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop on June 15 to celebrate Filipino-American Friendship Month and recognize the Filipinos in Jersey City as productive members of the City. In behalf of the Mayor, Filipino-American Council President Rolando Lavarro handed the Proclamation to officers and members of PAFCOM and Vice Consul Khrys Corpuz, who spoke in behalf of the Consul General on the role of the community in further enhancing the image of Filipinos in Jersey City. To honor the event, the Philippine flag was raised at the Chambers of the City Hall and remained in full staff alongside the American flag until the end of June.

For the first time last June 20, Consul General and Madame De Leon observed Independence Day with the community in Massachusetts, home to about 10,000 Filipinos and Filipino-Americans, for the Boston’s Philippine Independence Day celebrations. The community and local officials marched around the Government Center Plaza in downtown Boston and concluded the event with a Philippine flag-raising ceremony at the town flagpole. 

The penultimate event was held in Union Township last June 27, where Mayor Manuel Figuereido issued a Proclamation to honor Philippine Independence Day in June. Consul General De Leon was present to witness the awarding of the Proclamation, received by the officers and members of the Bayanihan Club of Union and Bayanihan Singers.

Bridging the Independence celebrations of their homeland the Philippines, and their new home the US, the Philippine-American Friendship Committee rounded up community commemorations with the PAFCOM Parade last June 28 in Jersey City. Mayor Steven Fulop and Council President Rolando Lavarro were present along with the Filipino-American Councilmen from New Jersey State – Arvin Amatorio from Bergen, Jonathan Wong of Mahwah and Peter Mendonez of West Windsor to grace the whole day affair. The day started with a celebratory mass at the Our Lady of Victories, followed by a parade along Westside Avenue, host to a variety of Filipino stores and restaurants, and a cultural festival at Lincoln Park with performances by Filipino-American talents and visiting artists from the Philippines.

Consul General De Leon summed up the sentiments of the Independence Day celebrations in his remarks, saying that the Filipinos have definitely arrived in America, are welcomed by mainstream US society, and are thriving members of their local communities.