SF Filipino neighborhood disrupted by int'l dignitaries

Street banners throughout the Filipino Cultural Heritage District tout the neighborhood's residents.

Most likely the the political and economic leaders from Asia and the United States gathering later this week won't even know they're in the Filipino Cultural Heritage District of San Francisco and severely affecting the residents and businesses in the neighborhood.

Delegates to the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit  should feel at home in San Francisco where one-third of its residents are Asian. However, the attendees may be unaware that they are disrupting the lives and businesses of the Filipino American district, also called SOMA Pilipinas. A few blocks from their main meetings are the Bessie Carmichael School, home to the Filipino Education Center, and a park named after the neighborhood's most famous former resident, Victoria Draves, the first Filipino American Olympic gold medal winner.

“There’s a lot of concern,” Raquel Redondiez, the executive director of the cultural district SOMA Pilipinas told The Standard. “I was just in a meeting last night at the Children’s Creativity Museum, and a lot of residents in the area are hearing for the first time what’s happening.”

The APEC Summit will be the largest gathering of foreign leaders and dignitaries in San Francisco since the United Nations was founded in the city in 1945. Among the world leaders attending will be President Joe Biden, China's President Xi Jinping, Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the Philippines' President Bong Bong Marcos Jr. and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“The city and the Secret Service are telling people, ‘If you don’t have business here, stay away,’” Redondiez said. 

About 20,000 international visitors will be attending the APEC, Nov. 11-17.

San Francisco is expecting over 20,000 attendees, including state leaders, foreign press, security personnel, and global CEOs for APEC, that will be held Nov. 11-17.

Although APEC delegates will be meeting in San Francisco to discuss big-picture economics but at the same time, not seeing the plight of neighborhood small businesses being impacted by their presence.

Kristen Brillantes, who owns The Sarap Shop, told The Standard that Mayor “London Breed said APEC would return $53 million to the city. If so, how much goes to small businesses as opposed to corporations? ’Cause I’m sure they’re seeing things we’re not.”

FYI: More information regarding road closures, detours and checkpoints can be found on the SFMTA website.

The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service is charge of security. Streets near the conference will be closed to vehicles and bikes affecting businesses that depend on deliveries and catering. However, people who live, work or shop in the area will be allowed to pass with proper identification and a police search.

Several senior citizen housing projects are inside the security zone and getting around going to restaurants, buying groceries and seeking services catering to the elderly might be difficult for those with limited mobility and English skills.

Most of the APEC meetings will occur at San Francisco's Moscone Center that lies within the Filipino Cultural Heritage District.

The Salvation Army runs a senior center and food relief operation in the security zone that serves more than 200 people. Managers of the center said in a statement they're not sure if they'll be able to keep the center open through that week.

Nam Hoang, co-owner of Freshroll Vietnamese Rolls and Bowls located at the Metreon, said they will shut down the restaurant for five days. He told KTVU his restaurant relies on fresh product daily to operate.

Hoang said his business also utilizes delivery services like Doordash and Uber, which won’t be allowed to operate in the security zone.

The city assures that food delivery workers, like those delivering for companies like Uber Eats and Doordash, can enter the secure zone on foot, bicycle or non-motorized scooter. It will be a little more difficult who depend on cars for deliveries because there will no on-street parking and some streets will be closed to vehicle traffic.

Employees of businesses in the security zone will need to allot more time to get to work because of the additional security measures, and the closed streets will necessitate which will include bag checks at certain points near the Moscone Center.

Daily routines of the heritage district residents will definitely be affected by the summit.

Residents whose homes are in secure zones will have to go through a bag check upon entering. Postal services and trash pickup are scheduled to continue as usual. Street parking will not be available.

David Dalena said he's yet to hear about how Bessie Carmichael Elementary School on Seventh Street, where his wife works, will be affected.

"It ain't going to work out, just to get to his school," Delena told The Standard. "There's checkpoints, and I hear it's like airport screening. For me driving, I don't know what parking looks like. There's always conferences that go on here for Salesforce, and it's already packed for parking and dropping kids off. This would be even more challenging."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.