PH Consulate Showcases Filipino Culture during the 5th Silicon Valley Lunar New Year Together & Night Market in Santa Clara
Deputy Consul General Maria Paz Cortes (6th from left) with the representatives from the consular corps, state and county officials, as well as organizers of the event being recognized during the opening ceremony of the Silicon Valley Lunar New Year celebration (San Francisco PCG photo)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, together with the the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Silicon Valley and the Philippine Department of Tourism, showcased Philippine culture, products and destinations during the annual Silicon Valley Lunar New Year Together & Night Market, held from 31 January to 1 February 2026 in Santa Clara, California.
The multi-cultural event was created by Ding Ding TV, a Chinese American technology news media outlet in Silicon Valley, in partnership with the City of Santa Clara and Vietnamese in San Jose, and co-organized with OMG Entertainment.
The event, with the theme “One Valley, Many Cultures, Together We Celebrate!”, brought together a diverse community, celebrating and sharing their culture and showcasing community pride. Deputy Consul General Maria Paz G. Cortes led the Consulate in the festivities and delivered a brief message conveying the milestone celebration this year of the 80th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Relations of the Philippines and the United States and reaffirming the Consulate’s continued commitment in cultivating partnerships with state and local officials in various fields. The Consulate’s participation in the event manifested its commitment to further strengthen these ties and reinforce shared values.
The Philippine booth featured Philippine products, business opportunities in the Philippines, and tourism destinations, with particular emphasis on the 2026 Very Important Pinoy (VIP) tour. Consulate representatives also shared information on consular and overseas voting registration to Filipinos and Filipino-Americans who visited the booth. The Consulate’s booth also showcased a “Love the Philippines” photo frame, which visitors used to take photos for sharing on social media.
Other cultural booths representing Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Jewish, and Korean cultures were present, situated alongside interactive booths of the host city of Santa Clara and Ding Ding TV. During the cultural performances, the Philippines was represented in the cultural program by Ms. Yoliesil Pontino, a Filipino American producer and entrepreneur, who sang “Isang Lahi,” while the FilCal Heritage Dancers of San Jose performed “Cariñosa”. The Consulate remains committed to promoting Filipino culture, arts, fashion, and food, and to highlighting the unique talents and contributions of Filipinos and Filipino Americans across its jurisdiction. END
Deputy Consul General Maria Paz G. Cortes delivers her remarks during the opening ceremony of the event (San Francisco PCG photo)
Left: Deputy Consul General Maria Paz Cortes hands popular Filipino goodies to young visitors of the PHL booth, Right: Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil answers queries on the 2026 VIP Tour (San Francisco PCG photos)
Stalls during the event offering various Filipino treats such as empanadas, ube pastries and famous Filipino street food.
(San Francisco PCG photo)
(Left photo) L-R: Philippine Department of Tourism Administrative Officer Stalingrad Samson, PTIC-SV Trade Assistant Mylene Juan, Cultural Officer Anne Estoya, PTIC-SV Trade Assistant Rosalie Say, PTIC-SV Assistant Cyra Lepiten, PTIC-SV Trade Commissioner Anne Marie Kristine Umali, and Tourism Assistant Theresa Bautista pose with the Love the Philippines photo frame; (Right photo) Tourism Representative Stalingrad Samson providing visitors with information on Philippine tourist destinations(San Francisco PCG photo)
Deputy Consul General Maria Paz Cortes (fourth from the left), Consul Marc Benigno (rightmost), Vice Consul Hannah Go (8th from left), PTIC-SV Trade Commissioner Anne Marie Kristine Umali (2nd from right), Mr. Don Orozco, Chairman of the Global Maharlika Foundation (fifth from the left), Santa Clara Councilmember Mr. Kevin Park (6th from left), Ms. Yoliesil Pontino of Luxury Closet (leftmost), and other members of the FilAm community pose in front of the Philippine Consulate’s booth (San Francisco PCG photo)
FilCal Heritage Dancers of San Jose visited the Philippine booth (left) and performed “Cariñosa” folk dance during the afternoon program
(San Francisco PCG photos)
Dragon and Lion dance performed during the parade (San Francisco PCG photos)
Left: Children enjoy coloring activities at the Santa Clara Library’s booth
Right: Vietnamese community’s booth offering hand-written calligraphy of visitors’ names
(San Francisco PCG photos)
Visitors join the painting activity at the “Everybody Can Paint” booth (San Francisco PCG photos)