PH CONSULATE JOINS SAN MATEO COUNTY’S 169TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AND INAUGURATION OF LANDMARK CIVIC BUILDING
Redwood City, CA — The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, represented by Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil and Cultural Officer Anne Maris Estoya, participated in the 169th Anniversary celebration of San Mateo County and the inauguration of its newest civic building, 500 County Center, on 15 May 2025 in Redwood City, San Mateo County.
Founded on 12 May 1856, San Mateo County marked its 169th year with a vibrant public event led by San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President David Canepa. The celebration commenced at the San Mateo County History Museum with a historical reenactment of the county’s founding, including a portrayal of Horace Hawes, considered the county’s founder. The program drew participation from local officials, diplomatic representatives, and community members.
Following the program, attendees gathered for the official inauguration of the newly constructed 500 County Center. Hailed as the “greenest civic building in the United States,” the structure was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) and is the first net-zero-energy civic building in the country constructed with mass timber. The building achieves an 85 percent reduction in structural embodied carbon, setting a new standard in sustainable civic architecture. It will house several key departments of the San Mateo County government.
The Consulate’s participation underscored its ongoing commitment to strengthening ties between the Philippine Government and local authorities in Northern California. It also highlighted the Consulate’s engagement with the vibrant Filipino American community in San Mateo County, home to an estimated 80,000 Filipino residents, according to the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS).
The event served as a meaningful platform to reinforce Philippine-U.S. relations at the local level and to showcase the enduring contributions of the Filipino American community in the Bay Area. END
Board of Supervisors President David Canepa at the San Mateo County Museum.
Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil with Daly City Councilmember Juslyn Manalo (San Francisco PCG photo)
The reenactor of Horace Hawes, father of San Mateo County (San Francisco PCG photo)
The newly-inaugurated 500 Center Building (San Francisco PCG photo)