By Cesar Antonio Nucum Jr.

SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco held flag-raising ceremonies at the Consulate’s San Francisco office and also in City Halls in San Francisco, Daly City, Colma, and attended what was billed as the largest 127^th Anniversary of Philippine Independence Day celebration at the Pista sa Nayon in Vallejo. California.  

San Francisco City Mayor Daniel Lurie led the celebration at City Hall as he welcomed the participants. 

This year’s commemoration has for its multi-year theme: “Kalayaan 2025: Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan.”

Video messages from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo, Secretary Christina G. Frasco of the Department of Tourism, and First Lady Liza A. Marcos were featured during the program at the San Francisco Consulate that remained open on that day to the public to provide consular services to its clients.

At San Francisco City Hall, a flag-raising ceremony in celebration of the 127th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence Day and the Filipino American Friendship and Heritage Day on June 12 were co-organized by the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco and the San Francisco City HalI.

San Francisco  Mayor Lurie welcomed all the attendees and recognized the efforts of Consul General Ferrer and the Consulate in promoting cooperation between San Francisco and the Philippines. 

The mayor thanked “all of your partnerships and all the work that you do, to strengthen the ties between San Francisco and the Philippines. We are grateful for your leadership and friendship.”

“San Francisco, as we all know, is proud to call Manila our sister city since 1961, 64 years strong and San Francisco’s second longest standing [partnership] which is the sign of deep connections between our two cities,” Laurie added while also commending Ms. Carmen Colet, Chairperson of the San Francisco-Manila Sister City Committee, for keeping the sister-city relations strong and growing.

Lurie also handed over to Consul General Ferrer the proclamation he signed which recognizes and honors Philippine Independence Day and declaring 12 June 2025 as Filipino-American Friendship and Heritage Day.

After the brief program and small reception, the Philippine flag was raised in the balcony of the San Francisco City Hall, led by Consul General Ferrer and Mayor Lurie.

 At the 39^th annual Pista sa Nayon in Vallejo, Ferrer lauded the Bay Area’s biggest Philippine Independence Day celebration organized by the community-run Philippine Cultural Committee, the Vallejo Pista sa Nayon returned to the Mare Island Coal Sheds and assembled Filipino American cultural performers, martial artists, food stalls and trucks, and apparel and handicraft pop-ups. 

In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer congratulated the Philippine Cultural Committee and the Filipino Community of Solano County for spearheading the Vallejo Pista sa Nayon on its 39th year also thanked the Solano County Board of Supervisors and the Vallejo City Council for their respective resolutions, proclaiming June 2025 as “Philippine Cultural Month” in Solano County and Vallejo.

Filipino American government officials present included: California State Senator Christopher Cabaldon; Vallejo Councilmembers Diosdado JR Matulac and Charles Palmares; and Vallejo Board of Education Member Glenn Amboy. Other top government officials in attendance included California State Assemblymember Lori Wilson, and Vallejo Mayor Andrea Sorce.

Among the headline artists were Bay Area-based Fil-Am rapper Ruby Ibarra, and “King of OPM” Ogie Alcasid who performed during the “The Filipino Channel Hour.” One notable Fil-Am personality from Vallejo is award-winning singer and songwriter H.E.R., born Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson.  

In Daly City, the Philippine flag was raised for the 11th time at the City Hall of Daly City in celebration of the 127th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on 11 June 2025. Daly City is home to the highest concentration of Filipinos in the United States.

Ferrer graced the special flag raising ceremony hosted by the Daly City Government and the Filipino community group Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center (PBRC) and express his “deepest appreciation to the officials of Daly City, led by Mayor Dr. Rod Daus-Magbual, and the city’s various government offices, and of course the Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center or PBRC, most especially Tita Perla Ibarrientos, for making this Philippine flag-raising ceremony possible”.

Consul General Ferrer also expressed his support to promote and strengthen relations between the Philippines and the United States, particularly the sister-city arrangements between Quezon City and Daly City.

A proclamation signed by members of the Daly City Council declaring 12 June 2025 as “Philippine Independence Day” in the city was turned over to Consul General Ferrer. A Certificate of Recognition was also bestowed by the Office of Senator Wiener to the Consulate on the special occasion.

Around 100 attendees joined the celebration at the Daly City Hall. Also present during the occasion were representatives from the Office of Senator Scott Wiener, Office of Attorney-General Rob Bonta, Office of Congressman Kevin Mullin, Office of Assemblymember Catherine Stefani and Office of Supervisor David Canepa. The PBRC hosted a luncheon featuring Filipino fare inside the City Hall.

And at Colma Community Center, Ferrer joined the Colma officials and the Filipino-American community in commemorating the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence as part of the special meeting of the Town of Colma City Council.

Consul General Ferrer expressed his gratitude to Colma Mayor Ken Gonzalez, Councilmember and former Mayor Joanne F. del Rosario, and officials of the town of Colma for hosting the Philippine flag-raising ceremony.   

Consul General Ferrer lauded Councilmember Del Rosario noting that “her service as a longtime councilmember and four-time mayor of Colma, reflects the values shared by so many Filipino Americans: hard work, compassion, and a deep commitment to community.”

A signed proclamation with the Town of Colma recognizing the town as having the first-ever Filipino American mayor of any city in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as being the first municipality in the U.S. to have two Filipino American women serving together as its Mayor and Vice Mayor was presented to Consul General Ferrer by Councilmember Del Rosario aside from declaring “Philippine Independence Day” in Colma.

The strong representation of the Filipino-American Community in Colma’s business and civic life was also recognized, with the special mention of various enterprises as well as the Pilipino Bayanihan Resource Center and ALLICE Kumares and Kumpares, which promote health, wellness, and community empowerment.