PRESS RELEASE
SFPCG-PR-089-2021
PH CONSUL GENERAL NEIL FRANK FERRER MEETS WITH THE FILIPINO BAYANIHAN CENTER BOARD
22 September 2021
Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer met on 10 September 2021 with the board members of the Portland-based Filipino Bayanihan Center (FBC), a newly sprung Fil-Am community organization in the Portland area which began operations in June 2020.
The FBC supported hundreds of Fil-Am families affected by the pandemic, in partnership with small business owners, community leaders, activists, youth, parents, caregivers and medical workers. Through its community pantry project, FBC provided affected families with free locally grown produce, bus passes, and bread on a weekly basis at the height of the pandemic last year. FBC’s mission includes “providing culturally relevant programs and health services and access to free and low-cost resources as well as connecting families to grassroots organizations and advocates.”
During the consular outreach, FBC officers and members provided volunteer work as well as free printing and photocopying services to applicants. Prior to the outreach, it helped elderly applicants who are tech-challenged secure consular appointments online. In its meeting with the Consul General, the FBC presented its recommendations concerning future consular outreach missions. –END