Apl.d.Ap revving up the crowd at last year’s Kalayaan fete. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
SAN FRANCISCO, California — Filipino-American community leaders and the Philippine Consulate General of San Francisco are gearing up once again for a day-long celebration of the 116th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence.
“Kalayaan SF 2014” will be held on Saturday, June 21 from noon to 7:30 p.m., organizers announced, with the theme “Celebrating the Filipino Spirit: Resilience, Moving Forward, and Giving Back.”
Radi Calalang, chairman of the Kalayaan SF Committee, explained, “We look forward to bringing more attention to our nation’s incredible economic successes and continued momentum, but we also need to ensure that we honor and continue the valiant efforts being made to overcome adversity after Typhoon Haiyan.”
Kalayaan SF 2014 poster
Calalang added, “We hope to encourage everyone to continue fostering that great Filipino tradition of bayanihan, the community spirit that brings together the powers of selflessness, unity and cooperation to achieve amazing things.”
“Kalayaan SF 2014” will once again be held in the heart of the city, at San Francisco’s historic Union Square. Last year, more than 8,000 people gathered in the same venue in celebration of national pride and identity.
“Kalayaan SF provides a venue to spotlight our communities’ significant contributions and make known our positive presence in the Bay Area,” said Jaimon Ascalon, San Francisco Deputy Consul General.
UCSF Professor Jay Gonzales agreed: “The theme of giving back is definitely the most relevant to the Filipino experience this past year and a theme that must continue to be focused on.”
Business, Heroes and Entertainment
Before Saturday’s festivities there will be a one-day business seminar — “Latitude | Longitude Emerging Markets Conference,” featuring “Eye on Asia: Philippines 2.0” —
presented by the Science and Technology Advisory Council (STAC) on Friday, June 20 at the Philippine Center on Sutter Street in San Francisco.
Business Forum last year
The conference will focus on the Philippines as the rising economic tiger of Asia and the strategic importance of ASEAN, with topics ranging from how the diaspora is contributing to cross border opportunities, emerging industries, the rise of start-ups, Filipinas in business, an investor roundtable and presentations from the hottest new startups and innovative companies blazing trails in both Silicon Valley and in the Philippines.
Union Square
Starting at noon on Saturday, June 21, Union Square will be awash with sights and sounds from simultaneous live performances from the main stage as well as in every corner of the Square by traditional dancers, visual artists, musicians and other performers.
A Business Expo pavilion will feature local and overseas Filipino high-tech startups and business ventures. Visitors will experience the whole gamut of Filipino culture, industry, arts and gastronomic delights.
“This year, we hope to provide inspiration through our ‘Meet Your Heroes’ booths where exemplary representatives from politics, business, sports, arts, and entertainment will be interacting with event attendees at a personal level,” Calalang said. “There will also be local and overseas voter registration booths, and various non-profit organizations to encourage participation in the political process and boost involvement in community efforts both locally and in the Philippines.”
Kalayaan SF 2014 will culminate in a concert presented by ABS-CBN/TFC (The Filipino Channel), featuring “Philippine King of Pop” Eric Santos and other top Filipino talents to be announced.
For More Information
This community-led celebration is a collaborative effort by the Filipino American Community leaders from the San Francisco Bay Area in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate General. Opportunities for event sponsorships, volunteers, and rental of booths during the event are available. For more information email info@KalayaanSF.com or visit www.KalayaanSF.com, Kalayaan SF Facebook Page, Twitter