U.S. Sen. Menendez to lead Jersey City’s Fil-Am parade and festival

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez will be the Honorary Grand Marshal of 29th Annual Parade & Festival in Jersey City on Sunday, June 23,

the Philippine American Friendship Community, Inc. (PAFCOM) announced.

It will be the first time in PAFCOM history and perhaps any longstanding Filipino celebration in the East Coast that a sitting United States Senator has accepted the celebrated role

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey) will be the grand marshal of the PAFCOM Parade & Festival. US.GOV

“I’ve enjoyed the friendship of the Filipino American community, with close to 3 million in the United States, and estimated more than 115,000 calling New Jersey home,” said Senator Menendez.  “I look forward to joining the celebration and marching with the community on June 23.”

Menendez illustrious started out in politics as a member of the Union City Board of Education in Hudson County at age 19 and has become one of the most powerful of the 100 United States Senators.  He is a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a senior member on both the Senate Banking and Finance Committees.

Menendez is a staunch advocate of Fil-Am veterans’ equity, with certain benefits eventually won and restored under President Barack Obama. Menendez’s passionate speech on righting the injustice done to Fil-Am veterans can be found on his website (www.menendez.senate.gov).  Senator Menendez pushed for U.S. aid to the Philippines in the wake of the devastating typhoon Haiyan.

Jersey City Council President Rolando Lavarro, last year’s PAFCOM Grand Marshal, said, “Senator Menendez is a tireless public servant and champion of all people, and I’m proud to call him my Senator.”

PAFCOM will hold its 29th Grand Parade and Festival on Sunday, June 23, at Lincoln Park in Jersey City.  More information and updates about PAFCOM can be found on its website – www.pafcomnj.org – and on Facebook and Twitter @pafcomnj.