San Francisco Bay Area all set for PH Independence Day celebrations

San Francisco City Hall shines in Philippine national colors. FILE PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO – Various San Francisco Bay Area cities are set to celebrate the 126th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence by raising the Philippine flag in city halls and hosting festive events.

The city of San Francisco will raise the Philippine flag before noon on June 12, with Mayor London Breed and Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer expected to lead the event.

Also on June 12, at 4:30 p.m., the city of San Jose will hold a flag-raising ceremony to honor Philippine Independence Day. The Philippine flag will be raised at San Jose City Hall in Santa Clara County as part of the traditional joint efforts of Filipino community members and local government officials to honor Philippine history and heritage.

Daly City will be hoisting the Philippine flag on June 14 at 11 a.m., marking the city’s 10th anniversary of celebrating Philippine Independence Day. This event will be led by Daly City Mayor Juslyn Manalo, Vice Mayor Rod Daus-Magbual and other City Councilmembers, in partnership with the Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center.

Earlier, The Filipino American community held the annual “Pista sa Nayon” in the city of Vallejo to kick off the 126th Philippine Independence Day celebrations in the Bay Area.

Organized by the community-run Philippine Cultural Committee, “Pista sa Nayon” returned to the Mare Island Coal Sheds for the third consecutive year, gathering Filipino American cultural performers, fashion designers, martial artists, food stalls and trucks and handicraft pop-ups.

The Solano County Board of Supervisors and the Vallejo City Council have proclaimed June 2024 as “Philippine Cultural Month.”

In Colma, Consul General Ferrer joined Colma officials and residents – including Colma Councilmember and former Mayor Joanne del Rosario – in hosting the annual flag-raising ceremony.

Ferrer thanked Councilmember de Rosario and Mayor John Irish for hosting the flag-raising ceremony during a special year for Colma, which celebrates its 100th founding anniversary.