“CAPITAL OF SILICON VALLEY” HOSTS PH FLAG RAISING, CITY HALL LIGHTING FOR FIL-AM HISTORY MONTH
SAN JOSE, USA – The “Capital of Silicon Valley” capped off the celebration of Filipino American History Month on 28 October 2021 with a Philippine flag raising ceremony and city hall lighting with the national colors of the Philippines.
The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, led by Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer, joined the occasion at the San Jose City Hall, which marks the very first time the city’s main government center was illuminated with the Philippine national colors.
In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer noted that this year’s Filipino American History Month commemoration coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties between the Philippines and the United States.
“I am confident that our relations with the United States will endure even in the next 75 years because of our strong people-to-people ties that are based upon our shared history and aspirations. And it is you, our four million Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the United States, who are the nut and bolt in this special relationship,” Consul General Ferrer said.
The Philippine Consul General also hailed the San Jose City Government for its recognition of the contributions of Filipinos and Filipino Americans to the city’s “vibrant and diverse community.”
“Earlier this year, the San Jose City Council unanimously approved the renaming of a public space in East San Jose as the Delano Manongs Park, to pay homage to the Filipino farmworkers movement of the 1960s,” Consul General Ferrer said, in reference to the grape workers’ strike led by Filipino American labor leaders Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz in Delano, California.
San Jose Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, who represents the district where most Filipinos and Filipino Americans live in the city, recognized the impact of the Filipino American community in the history and progress of San Jose, and the contributions of Filipino and Filipino American essential workers over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re bonded by our history and faith, by our dedication to our families and to our community… Truly, your contributions have allowed San Jose, the 10th largest city in the U.S., to have a platform that we can be very proud of. It’s because of you that also California is among the largest economic powerhouses in the world,” Councilmember Carrasco said.
Consul General Ferrer and Councilmember Carrasco then led the raising of the Philippine national flag at the San Jose City Hall grounds. For one day, the Philippine flag flew proudly in San Jose alongside the flags of the U.S. and California.
This year’s Filipino American History Month celebration in San Jose was organized by the Office of City Councilmember Carrasco and Leadership, Education, Activism and Dialogue (L.E.A.D.) Filipino, an organization of young Filipino Americans that advocates for cultural education, civic participation and community empowerment among Filipino Americans in San Jose and the greater Santa Clara County. END
