By Jun Nucum
DALY CITY – Filipinos and friends gathered in joyful atmosphere over the weekend at the Marchbank Park in Daly City as they celebrated Filipino-American History Month with the theme “Kasayahan sa Daly City.”
The celebration by the city dubbed as a Filipino town because it has the biggest population of Filipinos in the San Francisco Bay Area featured live entertainment, food vendors and trucks, a beer garden, local Filipino vendors, family fun zone, among others.
With over 90 local vendors, a wide array of both local and cultural performers like the Kariktan Dance Company entertained the attendees. The event thus emerged as one that may be remembered for many years due to big number of Filipinos and other participants who took it as an opportunity to engage with the community.
As a side feature in marking the 20th anniversary of Lumpia the movie, a double feature of Lumpia 2003 and Lumpia with a Vengeance 2022 was presented at Cinemark Century Daly City,
Philippine Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer joined the celebration with other dignitaries as guests. Ferrer lauded the Filipino vendors, artists and performers during the event for sharing with the community their creative take on the purple “ube” or the sizzling sisig, or are sharing with pride Filipino history and culture through music, dance and fashion. The Philippine official called them the present-day “citizen ambassadors” of the Philippines in the Bay Area.
“As we mark Filipino American History Month this October in recognition of the important role of our four million-strong Filipino Community in American history and society, and the vital contributions of Filipino Americans to Philippine progress, we remember the struggles and triumphs of the Filipino women and men who have come before us in the United States — from the Filipino World War II veterans who sacrificed everything for the cause of freedom, to the Delano grape farm manongs who led the call for fairer labor conditions for everyone,” Ferrer said
Ferrer also cited the achievements of younger generations of Filipino Americans, many of whom have broken the bamboo ceiling, including the Bay Area’s very own Sarina Bolden, who made history at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as the Philippines’ first-ever goal scorer, male or female, at a Soccer World Cup.
“I am grateful to the Daly City Government, under the leadership of Mayor Ray “Buenaventura, for its continued recognition of the significant contributions of close to 34,000 Filipinos and Filipino Americans in Daly City through initiatives such as the Kasayahan sa Daly City as well as the Philippine Independence Day flag-raising ceremony at the City Hall last June,” Ferrer said.
The Filipino Consul General also cited the leadership of Daly City in forging closer ties with the provincial government of Pangasinan last April, and the revival of sister city relations between Daly City and Quezon City last July.
San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa said he is proud to be with the Filipino community particularly in Daly City where he is “a proud resident,:
“I was reflecting on my career and one thing is certain. Without the Filipino American community, I would be zero. It is this community that supported me and that is why I am extraordinarily loyal,” admitted Canepa. ”I am hoping that in the future we will continue to do big things like today, an exciting extraordinary day. This is the spirit of the Filipino in America and it is awesome and I wish every day was a day like this.”
Kasayahan sa Daly City had as partners and sponsors the Philippine Bayanihan Resource Center (PBRC), NorCal Community Market, Mixsterious, Rencentersmc, Own Real Estate, Kidheroes, The Backyard Movement, Legacy Filipino Martial Arts, Duggan’s Mortuary, AHMC Seton Medical Center, Lakewood Dental Care, City Toyota, Republic Services, @serramontecenter, LBC, @classicbowling, Patelco, King Plaza, New York Insurance, ANX Home Health and Hospice Services, Nurse Builders Academy, Ling Nam | Starbread | Krispy Krunchy Chicken, Pampanga Cuisine, Filipino American Post, and the Philippine News Today, among others.
