Echo Park Library to launch the Philippine Heritage Collection

LOS ANGELES — October has been designated as Filipino American History Month. In celebration of this event, the Echo Park Community Group (EPCoG) in collaboration with the Los Angeles City Public Library is launching the Philippine Heritage Collection at the Echo Park Public Library. This collection will be the foundation of the literary, historical, and cultural documentation of the Filipino-American and Philippine experience. The “story” or “experience” will also highlight the contributions and sacrifices made by Filipino Americans as immigrants to this land and will showcase literary works of local Filipino authors especially those writing about their Filipino American experiences and the development of Historic Filipino Town. Future programs will include book talks and signings, lectures and cultural presentations.

An open house open to the public will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on October 27, 2012. The program will feature two Keynote speakers  – Cathy Serafica Deleon and Greg Villanueva. Cathy Serafica Deleon is the Branch Manager of the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library of the Orange County Public Libraries. She will speak about the importance of libraries to our community and what a historic phenomenal event this is – the establishment of Philippine Heritage Collection in the Los Angeles Public Library. Greg Villanueva is an Echo Park native and successful architect, and who brought up the idea of a Philippine Heritage Collection as part of the Echo Park Library. He will share the reasons that sparked the creation of the collection. Michelle Magalong of the MyHiFi group will present a Filipino-American Historical Perspective. A number of local Filipino American authors will also be attending. Linda Nietes of Philippine Expressions Bookshop, a mail order bookshop in Palos Verdes, https://[email protected] (310) 514-9139 will be on hand with books for purchase or donation to the collection. The Echo Park Library is located at 1410 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, 90026.

Co-chairs of this event are EPLCoG Board members Caroline Lorenzo and Jose Sigala. Also on the EPLCoG Board are

Joselyn Geaga-Rosenthal, President; Lisa Baca-Sigala, Treasurer; Carlene Bonnivier, Secretary; Dr. Marc Caratao; Cora Marte; Isa Meksin and Ramona Souza.