Alameda, Calif. to fete PH freedom, ties with Dumaguete

ALAMEDA, California – City of Alameda residents will celebrate Philippine Independence Day on the steps of Alameda City Hall with cultural performances, Filipino food, information tables and speeches on Saturday, June 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This year’s celebration — the fourth for Alameda — has a special significance since it will also mark the one-year anniversary since Alameda and its newest sister city of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental signed their memorandum of understanding.

Dumaguete city officials attended Philippine Independence Day festivities in 2015 at Alameda City Hall. From left to right (back row) Atty. Neil Ray Lagahit, Woodrow Maquiling, Jr., Edward Du, Dan Leon; (middle) Mayor Manuel T. Sagarbarria, Maria Isabel Sagarbarria, Elsie Lee, Ed Lee; (front row) Alameda Sister City Dumaguete Committee members Virgina Savella Harper and Flor Ventanilla. CONTRIBUTED

Organized by Alameda Sister City Association (ASCA) Vice President Cynthia Arnaldo Bonta, the Independence Day program will include Polynesian dancers, martial arts performances and the Araw Ng Kalayaan Flag Ceremony.  Alameda Mayor Trish Hererra Spencer will greet the attendees and Philippine Consul General to San Francisco Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. will deliver an Independence Day message.

Sister cities activities

Alameda led by Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Teves Sagarbarria in June 2015, followed by a 17-member Alameda delegation led by Mayor Trish Spencer to Dumaguete in late November to participate in that city’s charter day festivities and to sign a memorandum of agreement.

• In January, ASCA partnered with Dumaguete business and civic leaders to launch an InstaScram Mobile Appcontest to encourage, support and increase the number of app developers in Dumaguete.

• In March, the Bay Area-based Philippine Medical Society of Northern California selected Dumaguete to be the location of its 2017 medical mission, which will bring much needed American health care professionals and resources to the underserved populations in the area.

• A partnership between Alameda’s Tucker Ice Cream and Dumaguete will be launching a brand new ice cream flavor to commemorate the sister city relationship is near launch — Sister City Mango Buko (young coconut) in the near future.

• Most recently, ASCA has begun a collaborative relationship with a program in Dumaguete that works with homeless and at risk youth including providing a shelter — gampanan– for young girls who have been rescued from human trafficking.

The United Church of Christ in the Philippines sponsors this program which also has a performing arts program for youth called Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts (YATTA) that seeks to develop the creative potentials of young people and produce socially-relevant artistic products to raise people’s awareness and challenge them towards action).

Over 440,000 Filipinos live in the greater Bay Area with 82,000 in Alameda County. A total of 5,419 Filipinos called Alameda home in 2010.  Close to half of all the students enrolled in Alameda public schools are of Asian ancestry, and Filipinos represent over 10 percent of the total student population.

In the past 16 years, three Alameda city council members have been of Filipino ancestry — Tony Daysog, Rob Bonta,and Stewart Chen.  Mr. Bonta left the council in 2010 after he won election to serve in the state assembly where he became the first Filipino American to serve in the Legislature.

Filipino American communities in San Francisco, Sacramento,and throughout the US will be celebrating Philippine Independence Day.

PIDC Organizing Committee is sponsoring the event; co-sponsors are Filipino Advocates for Justice, American Center for Philippine Arts, and Alameda Sister City Association

Community Partners: Bayanihan Youth Group of Encinal HS, Pilipino American Cultural Club of Encinal HS, Filipino Women’s Club of the East Bay, Bohol Circle, Inc.

Alameda Sister City Website: https://alamedasistercity.weebly.com/

Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/Alameda-Sister-City-Association-1640170049589165/