Daly
City – Daly
City, home of the largest Filipino-American
community in the United States, will
host the 10th Annual Filipino-American
(Fil-Am) Friendship celebration this
Saturday and Sunday, on June 19 and
20, at Westlake Shopping Center. City
officials will be joined by Philippine
dignitaries and invited guests at the
opening ceremonies, which start at noon
on Saturday.
“This two-day fiesta attracts
families and fun-seekers throughout
the Bay Area,” noted Daly City
Mayor Sal Torres. “It is an event
that commemorates the historical alliance
between two nations. It is also an opportune
time to enjoy the Filipino culture –
its colorful dances and music, great
delicacies, native arts and crafts.
As Mayor, I am particularly proud of
being part of the festival’s 10th
anniversary. This milestone further
proves that Daly City is a true center
of diversity, a community that embraces
and thrives on learning about new cultures,”
he added.
“Great entertainment plus fantastic
food, and yet after 10 years, still
no admission charge! The Daly City festival
remains to be the longest-running Fil-Am
event in the Bay Area that offers free
admission,” explained DCPD Capt.
John Warren. He currently serves as
the president of the Daly City-Quezon
City Sister City Committee (DCQCSCC),
the event organizers.
Entertainment
Headlining the long list of performers
this weekend are two Daly City Police
Officers, Robert Lira and Doug Wilson.
The two, who sang at last year’s
event for the first time, are making
an encore appearance. Lira, a 20-year
DCPD veteran and a karaoke enthusiast,
recently competed in a talent show
in
San Francisco. Since moving to the Bay
Area from Minnesota in 1995, Wilson
has performed at local theaters, including
the Peninsula’s Civic Light Opera
and Foothill College.
The program will also showcase popular
singers from the Bay Area, as well as
traditional Filipino music and dance
from various provinces throughout the
Philippines. Live entertainment will
be non-stop during festival hours, from
11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.
Vendors
and Exhibitors
The aroma of the famed Filipino barbeque
and other delicacies will fill the air
during the two-day event. “It
will be the perfect place to sample
an array of popular Filipino foods prepared
by local restaurants,” Capt. Warren
stated.
Shoppers will be able to purchase a
variety of arts and crafts depicting
the Filipino culture.
Attendees may also stop by the exhibit
booths of Kaiser and Seton Hospitals,
where they can get pertinent health
information from medical professionals.
Event
Sponsors
Major sponsors of this year’s
event are Safeway, Seton Medical Center,
Western Union, LBC, Lucky Chances Casino,
Comcast, Bank of America, Kaiser Permanente,
Pinoy Patok, Heald College, Mon Cargo
Services International, Wells Fargo,
KTSF-26, AIG-American General, Cache
Creek Casino Resort.
The DC-QC Sister City Committee also
recognizes the contribution and support
of the host site, Westlake Shopping
Center, and the City of Daly City.
Sister
City Committee
The DCQC Sister City Committee was founded
in 1994, under the auspices of the City
of Daly City’s Economic and Community
Development (ECD). Primary objectives
were to promote local Filipino-American
businesses and to encourage other commercial
ventures to bring additional business.
Daly City’s population in the
early 1990s also showed a sharp increase
of Filipino-Americans.
Subsequently, Daly City officials envisioned
potential trade and commercial ventures
across the Pacific Ocean, and sought
to become a Sister City for Quezon City,
the capital of the Philippines. In 2000,
Albuquerque, a town in the Bohol Province,
became a Friendship City. San Luis,
Pampanga, followed suit in 2004.
Held on the third weekend in June, the
festival coincides with the Philippine
independence from the Spanish rule,
and consequently, the country’s
declaration as a sovereign republic.
Scholarships and Charitable
Projects
Proceeds from the festival fund educational
scholarships to deserving students in
Daly City, its sister city of Quezon
City, as well as its Friendship City
of Albuquerque (Bohol Province). This
year’s scholarship winners will
be announced at the opening ceremony
on Saturday, June 19.
Additionally, the DCQC Sister City Committee
allocates monies for charitable projects
and awards them year-round. Past recipients
included the Philippine National Red
Cross, the Children’s Learning
Center in Bohol, the Library Exchange
Program, the Natural Disaster Fund,
the Daly City Emergency Food Pantry,
Bayshore District’s Futures program,
Daly City Police Explorers and the Daly
City Police Athletic League (PAL).
Capt. Warren, who is serving a second
year as committee president, acknowledged
“the hard work and countless hours
that are expended” by the Sister
City Committee towards the annual event.
“What makes it all worth the effort
is the fact that last year alone, we
connected with 10,000 people at the
event. The Fil-Am festival provides
Daly City the appropriate venue to celebrate
its diverse community. I am very fortunate
to be a part of its 10-year anniversary,”
he remarked.
For more information about the Daly
City Fil-Am Festival, call (650) 991-8188.
