Filipino Hall in Wapato, Washington, marks 62nd anniversary

FACYV President Rey Pascua (fourth from left) pushed for the passage of the Washington State Proclamation dedicating October 2014 as Filipino American History Month. Consul Leah Rodriguez (4th from right) was joined (from left) by Jaime Bilar, Juancho Rillo, Ramon Lopez, Elisea Sarion, Jessele San Jose and Herminigilda Cariño, who provided consular services to kababayans during the visit to Wapato. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

WAPATO, Washington – Filipinos celebrated the 62^nd anniversary of the historic Filipino Community Hall on 211 West 2^nd Street on March 22.

The Filipino Hall was built “from the ground up” in honor of the youth in March 1952.

Washington State Senator Jim Honeyford, State Representative Bruce Chandler and officials of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco attended the celebration.

Filipino American Community of Yakima Valley (FACYV) President Rey Pascua announced the state of Washington proclamation of October as Filipino American History Month.  Washington is the third state after California and Hawaii to dedicate the month to the Filipino American community.

Guests witnessed the installation of the officers and board members of FACYV, who took their oath of office before Consul Leah Victoria Rodriguez.

During her keynote remarks, Consul Rodriguez updated the community on the positive developments in the Philippines and encouraged Filipinos to be actively involved in the political, economic and social affairs of their environs, both in the US and the Philippines.  She also informed them of the upcoming overseas voter registration, which will start in May.

The next day, consular services were provided to residents from the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  A total of 189 consular services were provided during the outreach activity.

This was the first consular outreach activity since 2006 in Wapato, a city in Yakima County, where approximately 1,700 Filipinos reside.  Wapato’s primary industries are farming and ranching.

The consular team was composed of Jaime Bilar, Juancho Rillo, Herminigilda Cariño, Jessele San Jose, Elisea Sarion and Ramon Lopez.

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL: SCHEDULE FOR APRIL 2014

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco wishes to announce that in commemoration of the contributions of our war veterans, as well as of Holy Week, its office will be closed on the following dates:

April 9, Wednesday (Araw ng Kagitingan / Day of Valor)

April 17, Thursday (Maundy Thursday)

April 18, Friday (Good Friday)

The Philippine Consulate General will resume regular operating hours on the working day following each holiday.

For emergencies requiring consular assistance, clients may contact the Duty Officer at 415-269-2090.

Kababayans who require consular services may also visit the following venues, which will be visited by the Consulate-on-Wheels in April:

Stockton, CA (Saturday, April 12)

Milpitas, CA (Sunday, April 20)

Tacoma, WA (Friday – Sunday, April 25-27)

Due to the nature and set-up of the Consulate-on-Wheels, slots for services at the above venues are limited and by appointment only.

For information on how to schedule an appointment, requirements for consular services, or where the Consulate-on-Wheels will be traveling for 2014, visit https://philippinessanfrancisco.org/philippines-sf/consular-outreach-sf!

For monthly updates on the Consulate’s schedule of services, like our page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PCGSF.