NorCal Filipino/Americans celebrate June 12

Gabe Velanciano pleased his fans during the free concert last year.

FILIPINO/AMERICANS will take over San Francisco's Union Square this Sunday (June 12) to par - tee!

The fiesta in the middle of the city's high end retail district will start at noon in celebration of the Philippines' Independence Day - June 12 - will culminate with a free concert featuring Philippine singing stars Martin Nievera and Lani Misalucha!

Spread throughout all corners of Union Square, colorful dance troupes, Filipino-Eskrima martial artists, painters, singing groups and musicians will be performing simultaneously throughout the day planned by KalayaanSF.

The event will feature performances from local Filipino/American cultural and performing arts groups, which highlight the unique and vibrant cultures of the different regional and tribal groups of the Philippines. Performances, which will be held throughout the day within Union Square, will reflect the evolution of Philippine cultural expression, from the traditional to the contemporary.

The festival grounds will be home to various exhibitors and organizations, as well as food and craft vendors offering Filipino-themed cuisine and wares to the fiesta-goers and the general public.

In keeping with previous years’ traditions, The KalayaanSF outdoor celebration will culminate in a free, full-length concert headlined by nationally and internationally known recording artists. This year’s concert, produced by ABS-CBN/TFC (The Filipino Channel), will be held in the main stage of Union Square.

At the base of Victoria monument is a tribute to the
Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish American War

Amidst all the hoopla, in the middle of Union Square is the towering Victoria obelisk topped by a statue of Victory. At its base is a tribute to Commodore Dewey, who led the American fleet in the destruction of the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. The Spanish were trapped in Manila between the American ships in the bay and the the Filipino revolutionaries on land.

RELATED: The true story of June 12, 1898 is a story of betrayal

Filipino nationalists declared their independence on June 12, 1898 that in six months, while negotiating the Treaty of Paris, the Spanish made a secret deal with the Americans that for $20 million, the Spanish would turn the Philippines over to the United States. Little did the Filipino revolutionaries know that they had traded one colonial master for another. 

That betrayal by the U.S. against the Filipinos  would result in another bloody war for the Filipinos. In the U.S., it became known as the Philippine Insurrection. In the Philippines, it was a war for freedom and independence.

The celebration will continue on June 24th with a piano concert and formal gala at the historic Herbst Theater and Green Room at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center. 

This year’s event will feature a full-length concert at the Herbst Theater featuring world renowned, virtuoso pianist Cecile Licad.

The concert will be followed immediately with the formal gal that includes a dinner prepared by top Fil/American chefs. Guests will be entertained by classical phenom Matthew John Ignacio and other artists.

For tickets to the July 24th event, click here.

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For more news about Asian/Americans and Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.