PH Consulate Receives South San Francisco Proclamation Declaring Fil-Am History Month in Bay Area’s Biotech Hub

PH CONSULATE RECEIVES SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO PROCLAMATION DECLARING FIL-AM HISTORY MONTH IN BAY AREA’S BIOTECH HUB

Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer (center), with the proclamation declaring October 2024 as Filipino American History Month in South San Francisco, California. From left to right: Fil-Am Councilmember Flor Nicolas; Mayor James Coleman; Fil-Am Councilmember Mark Nagales; and Vice Mayor Eddie Flores. (San Francisco PCG photo)

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco took part in the official celebration of Filipino American History Month in South San Francisco, held at the City Council Chamber inside the Library | Parks and Recreation Center on 5 October 2024.

Consul General Neil Ferrer received from Mayor James Coleman a proclamation signed by all members of the South San Francisco City Council, declaring October as Filipino American History Month in the city.

“I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to the South San Francisco City Council for your continued recognition of the 16,000-strong Filipino Community in your city, through the proclamation of October as Filipino American History Month. I am immensely proud of the invaluable contributions of our community in South San Francisco, including in the fields of biotechnology, healthcare, and education,” Consul General Ferrer said.

Consul General Ferrer added that the celebration holds special significance, following the proclamation by the California State Assembly declaring Filipino American History Month in the State of California—co-authored by South San Francisco Assemblymember Phil Ting.

The Philippine Consul General also hopes “that the Consulate and the South San Francisco Government will work hand-in-hand in revitalizing the people-to-people exchanges between our two peoples through the longstanding sister relations between South San Francisco and Pasig City in the Philippines.”

After the formal proceedings, the documentary film “Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers” was screened through the initiative of the newly formed Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) San Mateo Chapter, headed in the interim by Fil-Am South San Francisco Councilmember Flor Nicolas. The film recounts the story of labor leader Larry Itliong and the Filipino American farmworker movement in California in the 1960s and 70s.

According to the latest U.S. census, around 16,000 Filipinos and Filipino Americans reside in South San Francisco, which is the Bay Area’s biotechnology and life sciences hub.

In addition, South San Francisco was the host city of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Filipino Community meeting in the Bay Area, on the sides of the 2023 APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in San Francisco. END

Consul General Neil Ferrer delivers his remarks at the official Filipino American History Month celebration in South San Francisco, California on 5 October 2024. (San Francisco PCG photo)

From left to right: Trade Commissioner Anne Marie Kristine Umali; Vice Consul Adrian Baccay; Councilmember Mark Nagales; Mayor James Coleman; Consul General Neil Ferrer; Councilmember Flor Nicolas; Vice Mayor Eddie Flores; Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil; and Vice Consul Hannah Go. (San Francisco PCG photo)

The City Council Chamber inside South San Francisco’s new Library | Parks and Recreation Center. (San Francisco PCG photo)

Fil-Am group “Praise and Glorify Choir” performs the Philippine and the U.S. National Anthems. (San Francisco PCG photo)