FILIPINO AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION AWARDS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024

5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

SF City Hall Rotunda, San Francisco

Program highlights include:

» Proclamation from Mayor London N. Breed

» Remarks by the Philippine Consul General Neil Ferrer

» Keynote by Marjan Philhour, small business and community advocate

» Ginger Conejero-Saab and Franco Finn, emcees » U.S. National Anthem by Madison Lauren » Philippine National Anthem by Jeovani Abenoja » Performances by Parangal Dance Company, St Augustine Children’s Choir, Tiger Palm Shaolin Kenpo and Jericho Tabirao » Poetry by Oscar Peñaranda, SOMA Pilipinas Poet Laureate » Presentation of the Filipino American History Month Awards: — Emerging Leader: Neil Torrefiel, Executive Director, Filipino Arts and Cinema (FACINE) — Community Champion: Jason Chan, Director of External Affairs, AT&T — Trailblazer: Gayle Romasanta, Executive Director, Filipino American Development Foundation » Community Milestones: — 80th Anniversary of the WWII Leyte Landing in the Philippines — 10th Anniversary of the certification of Tagalog as one of San Francisco’s official languages » Pop-Up Marketplace and Community Reception » Lighting of San Francisco City Hall with Philippine flag colors, and more.

“We are honored by Mayor London Breed’s continued support of our Filipino American community, as reflected in San Francisco’s 20th Annual Filipino American History Month celebration at City Hall,” said Al Perez, President of the Filipino American Arts Exposition. “This year’s theme, ‘Pride in the Past, Promise of the Future,’ is a powerful reflection of our shared journey – from the resilience of our ancestors to the ongoing contributions Filipinos continue to make in shaping the City’s diverse cultural landscape. We look forward to celebrating this milestone, honoring our rich history, and embracing the vibrant future of Filipino Americans in our City and beyond."

“As we officially kick off October as Filipino American History Month, I want to thank our Filipino community for their contributions and accomplishments that shape who we are as a City,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “I look forward to joining our community in honoring our past and moving forward with a better and brighter future. I offer my sincerest appreciation to President Al Perez and the entire committee for their partnership in making this year’s official event and all of the festivities a reality.”

We celebrate Filipino American History Month  in October to recognize the history, culture, and many contributions of Filipino Americans to the United States. Established in 1992 by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), FAHM commemorates the first recorded arrival of Filipinos in what is now Morro Bay, California on October 18, 1587.

LAMON: THE FIRST ZERO-WASTE FILIPINX FOOD AND WINE SUMMIT

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2024

12 PM – 5PM — Lamon Summit

7 PM – 9 PM — Kamayan in the Field

Southeast Community Center

1550 Evans Ave, San Francisco, CA

FEATURING:

GRAND PALENGKE, with 40+ Filipinx/a/o-American food and food-adjacent vendors, with intergenerational activations, culinary demos, panels and artist performances.

INUMAN PAVILION, with 20+ Filipinx/a/o-owned wineries, breweries, distilleries and non-alcoholic brands.

BUKAMBIBIG SYMPOSIUM, with 8 tracks featuring panels and talks with leaders and experts in the fields of history, education, sustainability, agriculture, food and beverage, womxn entrepreneurship and Filipinx mental health.

KAMAYAN IN THE FIELD, with the longest kamayan table to date: 500+ folks dining, hands-only, on a 6-course, plant-forward menu featuring dishes from Abaca, FOB Kitchen, Sarap Shop, Ox and Tiger, Mestiza, Chef Reina, Lumpia Company, Eats by E, and chef Monique from Tarts De Feybesse, with a 6-beverage pairing from filipinx/a/o-owned wineries, breweries, n/a brands and local SF bars. Kulintang music will accompany the dinner the entire night.

LAMON aims to bring a holistic view of our Filipinx food system, through educational talks, panels, workshops, culinary demos, and intergenerational activities, followed by a 500-person Kamayan dinner to culminate the event. It also seeks to celebrate the impact Filipina/o/x-Americans have had in shaping California’s agricultural and hospitality landscape through the decades and invites us to shift the spotlight from chefs and somms to the farmers, growers, producers and vintners aka the “invisible hands” that actually make up our food & wine industry, because without them, we wouldn’t have any. We want to bridge the gaps in our Filipinx/a/o-American F&B industry — connecting all of us to create a closed loop system, where we help each other by supporting one another.

LAMON is designed to be a zero-waste event, with an emphasis on REUSABLES. Leaning into our “Filipino-ness”, we’re encouraging folks to BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag and Baon), to help us mitigate unnecessary food waste and single-use waste. At LAMON, we are channeling abundance through the indigenous lens: doing our part to ensure that future generations will still have access to our Mother Earth.

LAMON is a pioneering event dedicated to celebrating Filipino cuisine and promoting sustainable practices. By bringing together farmers, fishers, food purveyors, chefs, winemakers, and community leaders, LAMON aims to inspire a movement towards a greener and more equitable food system.

LAMON is symbolized by the mythical Filipino sea serpent, a bakunawa, who ate the seven moons (hence we were left with one), but shaped as an ouroboros, a serpent eating its own tail. To us it means: a community that continually feeds and supports itself. Tangkilikin ang sariling atin. Support each other, support our own.

SAVE THE DATE:

32ND ANNUAL PISTAHAN PARADE AND FESTIVAL

AUGUST 9 – 10, 2025

The Filipino American Arts Exposition (FAAE) is a vital part of the rich tapestry of cultures and ethnic communities of the San Francisco Bay Area through its promotion of Filipino American art, music, film, dance, cuisine, history, and more. FAAE celebrates its ancestral heritage and contemporary traditions, broadening awareness and deepening the understanding of Filipino history, achievements, and culture. 

The Pistahan Parade and Festival was founded by FAAE in 1994 after more than 4,000 Filipino families were displaced to accommodate the redevelopment of the Moscone Convention Center, the Metreon and the Yerba Buena Gardens Complex. The Pistahan was born out of the community's activism to honor and preserve the enduring legacy of the Filipino American community's struggles, triumphs and deep roots in SOMA Pilipinas: Filipino Cultural Heritage District. The Pistahan was the first outdoor event at the Yerba Buena Gardens and after 31 years, it continues to be a beacon of cultural preservation and celebration.

Follow FAAE at www.pistahan.net and on Facebook and Instagram (pistahanSF).