ANNOUNCEMENT
1. Annual Filipino Cultural Celebration – biggest event every year which started in 2001; now held every Saturday before the 12th of June at the Oceanside Civic Center from 10 AM to 4:30 pm. This is in commemoration of the June 12th Philippine Independence Day (see attached posters).
Mission: to promote the culture and arts of the Philippines to the public for free.
Preparation: 4-5 months
Open to public, FREE. Expected attendance: at least 1,000
Variety of vendors participate, from vendors of Filipino food and handicrafts to all kinds of services and products. Everyone can participate in the event. The celebration has various events:
- Traditional Costume Show – (started in 2002) models, young and old, kids and adults, wear different Philippine costumes representing the different regions of the Philippines. The costumes of the models depict the history and way of life of the Filipino people.
Preparation time: one month.
- Mrs. Fil-Am – coronation of Mrs. Fil-Am, started in 2005. This is a fund-raising activity where the candidates sell tickets at one dollar each and the candidate who had sold the greatest number of tickets won. The Philippines is known for its beautiful and gracious women whereby beauty pageants are common in every Philippine town. Beauty pageants are part of the Philippine culture.
Preparation time: 3-4 months
- Mrs. Fil-Am Senior – coronation of Mrs. Fil-Am Senior, initiated 2012. Another fund-raising activity where candidates who are 55 years and above, can sell tickets at one dollar each and the candidate who had sold the greatest number of tickets won.
Preparation time: 2-3 months
- Little Miss and Pre-Teen Fil-Am Pageants – participated by girls of Filipino descent as young as 4 years old to 8 years old for Little Miss, and for Miss Pre-Teen from 9 to 13 years old. The purpose is to help these girls develop their self-confidence, sportsmanship and talents and teach them to appreciate their Filipino culture. They are taught Philippine greetings and dances. It also a venue for them to meet their fellow Filipino Americans and develop friendships and camaraderie. Little Miss Pageant started in 2004, while Pre-Teen started in 2007.
Preparation time: 4-5 months
- Little Mr. Pogi and Mr. Pre-Teen Pogi – (started in 2019) participated by boys of Filipino descent between the ages of 4 years old to 8 years old for Little Mr. Pogi and 9 to 13 years old for Mr. Pre-Teen Pogi. The purpose is to help these boys develop their self-confidence, sportsmanship and talents and teach them to appreciate their Filipino culture. They are taught Philippine greetings and dances. It is also a venue for them to meet their fellow Filipino Americans and develop friendships and camaraderie.
Preparation time: 4-5 months
- Talent Showcase – (started in 2008) Fil-Am’s exhibit their talents in singing, dancing, rap, playing musical instruments and others. Each participant receives a trophy. The participants are encouraged to sing and compose Philippine songs and perform Philippine dances.
Preparation time: 3 months
- Cultural Dance Presentation – (started in early ’80’s and was revived in 2008) a variety of Philippine cultural dancers are performed by the cultural dance group composed of adults. The dancers are given free costumes and are taught all year round. The history of the dances is also emphasized for better appreciation of the dance.
Preparation time: 4-5 months
- Scholarship Presentation – initiated in 2006, FACO awards scholarships to FIL-AM high school students through its FIL-AM Scholarship Program (details below).
2. FIL-AM Scholarship Program – each year, FACO awards five (5) FIL-AM high school students from North San Diego County to help them pursue their college education. Cash awards are given. The awardees are chosen based on their scholastic achievements, leadership, extracurricular activities in school and community.
Preparation: 5 months (promotion and acceptance of application starts in January)
Project started in 2006.
Scholarship fund-raising projects that were held were car wash, bowl-a-thon, and garage sales. (More details on separate sheet for scholarship program)
HELP PROVIDE GOOD EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES: FACO through the ADOPT-A-ROOM project of the University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS) sponsored to furnish a classroom in one of the public elementary schools in the Philippines. Through its donation, the classroom is furnished with modern equipment like TV and computers and new chairs, tables, and cabinets.
3. FIL-AM supports Oceanside Public Library – each year, the FACO make a cash donation to the Oceanside Public Library. Donation is usually given during the June Annual Filipino Cultural Day celebration. FACO also donates books and literature from the Philippines, even children’s books in bilingual form – Tagalog and English. This project started in 2002.
4. FIL-AM Hospitality Program – for many years, FACO helps its members who are sick through its hospitality program. The committee visits the sick, sends cards and pray the novena for them as customarily done in the Philippines. Donation are given to its members and its families in praying for the deceased and during funeral services.
5. FIL-AM Cultural Dance Group – all year round, the FACO accepts members/volunteers to join the cultural dance group and provide free cultural dance lessons all year round to adult and youth who would like to learn the different Philippine folkdances. The association provides free costumes and training to the dancers. The cultural dance group performs to different occasions upon invitation and accepts donation. The group was formed in early 90’s and then revived in 2010.
Mission: to promote the Filipino culture through dance and to teach everyone, especially the young about their cultural heritage.
6. FIL-AM YCDP – Youth Cultural Development Program
Mission: For the youth to learn and appreciate the Philippine, American, Oceanside history and Philippine culture in an enjoyable way.
Preparation time: 2 months
FACO’s another program is the youth has its own cultural dance group where they perform in various events of the association. Aside from dancing, they have a choral group as well. To develop the youth to better citizens of the community, they were involved in Feed the Homeless project of the Solutions for Change and help at the Women’s Resource Center Program.
7. Donation to senior centers, emergency needs and Filipinos abroad
FACO regularly donates to senior centers in Oceanside and other nearby communities. In times of emergency, the organization donates as well like the tsunami victims from Japan who were sent back in San Diego, the families in the Philippines who were affected by the Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) that devastated Manila in 2009.
FACO also helped the families devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. A Learning Center was built to use for training and education to young kids in one of the affected areas of the strongest typhoon in the world that hit the Philippines.
8. Miss Fil-Am/Miss Teen Fil-Am -(started in 1979) young and single ladies of Filipino descent, from 16-21 years old, join the search for Miss Fil-Am. The candidates get some sponsorship and compete based on their beauty, talent, and charm. The winners are given cash awards, aside from crown, trophy, and sash. The winner serves as ambassador of goodwill whenever the association needs some representation.
The project started in 1979 and is held every two years or more.
Preparation time: 4 months
9. Annual Summer Picnic – every year FACO hosts a picnic for all members to get acquainted with each other and develop new members. It is also a time when members bring Philippine food as potluck.
Preparation time: one month
10. July 4th Freedom Day Parade – FACO joins the Freedom Day parade annually to make the community aware of the organization and its goals.
Preparation time: one day
11. Fund-raising and social events
In pursuit of the association to provide its senior members an affordable means of enjoying social events and for members and their families to get acquainted with other members, FACO holds the following celebration where tickets are sold at minimal amount. Buffet food, entertainment, deejay music, dancing, and opportunity drawings are provided. Venues differ from time to time depending on the budget and availability.
a. Valentine’s Annual Ball – started in 2009
b. Mother’s Day Delight – started in 2007
c. Halloween Disco Rama
d. Annual Children’s Party
e. Annual Holiday Ball – usually held in hotel or restaurant
12. Community Outreach:
a. In 2019, FACO donated $1000.00 to the “AGTA TRIBE of GENERAL NAKAR, Quezon City. They live very simple life, impossible of earning enough to buy food to eat.
b. In 2019, FACO donated $1,000.00 to Operation HELP for Peace Foundation, Inc.
The “Literay Project and Gift Giving” in Dumagat Community of Norzagara, Bulacan region 3. Beneficiaries: More than 100 children from Sitio, Sitio Basyo, and Sitio Anuling and their parents.
c. In 2020, FACO donated & $1,000.00 to the TAAL Vocation Victims (Talisay Refugee Camp for 129 families.
d. In 2020, FACO donated $1,000.00 to DAU SPED Center to help and provide the 126 pupils with Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Activity, Visual Impairment, and children with Autism some instructional, manipulative, and educational materials.
e. In 2018, FACO sponsors a project “Sustainability of Feeding Program” of Gorgon Heights Elementary School. Donation $5,000.00
f. In 2018, FACO donated $10,000.00 to Bulacan Library Project and to LOOC Elementary School.
13. Executive Board monthly meeting and membership meeting – all officers and directors meet every first Monday of the month. Special Board meetings and committee meetings are held from time to time when deemed necessary. Members are welcome to attend every other month’s general membership meeting.
Details of the above activities can be seen at our website, www.filamcultural.org
FILPINO-AMERICAN CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
formerly Fil-Am Cultural Association of North San Diego County
P.O. Box 6276
Oceanside, CA 92052-6276
FUTURE ACTIVITIES TO FULFILL OUR MISSION:
1. To preserve and promote our cultural heritage and community understanding to combat prejudice:
a. We will continue to celebrate our ANNUAL FILIPINO CULTURAL DAY. This is the day that the public can see for free the different food, handicraft, traditional Filipino costumes, cultural dances, talents of young Filipino Americans, beautiful pageants for ladies, young and old, to bring to the audience, especially the Filipinos, a taste of their homeland. With bigger funding, we hope to bring this celebration to television across the nation, so people can see the culture and arts of the Filipinos and lead to a better understanding of the Filipino people.
b. We will continue to have our cultural dance groups. We envision these groups to travel to different parts of the country and even to other nations to promote the Filipino culture through its dance. The dance group will be provided with their costumes and allowance.
c. We will produce films or documentaries that will promote the history and culture of the Philippines. We hope to produce documentary films that will educate the public and lead them to better understanding of our history, culture, and arts.
2. To combat juvenile delinquency by providing activities for youth and by providing college scholarship to youth:
a. By educating the youth about their cultural heritage through our YOUTH CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS like cultural dance groups, tournament of knowledge about the Philippine history, culture, and arts.
b. By providing activities that will harness their talents like creating choir groups, plays, especially cultural plays, that develop their talents not only in acting and stage production but also show them to appreciate Philippine history, culture, and arts.
c. By helping them become better citizens of this country by engaging them in Feed the Homeless projects like that of Solutions for Change; recycling program so they can see the value of taking care of our environment.
d. By expanding our COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM through granting scholarships not only here in the United States but also in the Philippines or even in other parts of the world. The details of the college scholarships we give here in the US is described more in detail on separate page describing our COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. We hope that by being a 501C3, we will be able to build more funds, so we can give substantial amount of money to a larger number of deserving students that will sustain them not just for the first year but for at least 2 to 4 years of their college term.
As far as providing scholarships in the Philippines, we plan to give 4-year college scholarships to very bright but financially unstable students. This can be done through partnering with a university in the Philippines. The university will do the selection, but we set the criteria like the scholars should be financially poor (where their parents are exempted from paying income tax) and should be bright with an average of 2.0 or better. The recipient should maintain an average of 2.0 or better and should not receive any disciplinary action from the university; otherwise, the scholarship is cancelled. The grades and reports will be submitted to us every semester by the university to ensure the conditions are met.
Another educational program is by continuing and expanding adopting a room or a school in the Philippines where the organization can choose a public school that they can help build their rooms or provide books and equipment to impoverished communities in the Philippines.
3. Provide relief to the poor and distressed in the community as well as internationally
a) Because Filipinos are known worldwide for their hospitality as this is the Filipino way of life, we have our Hospitality Program where we provide comfort for the sick and dying in the community through visitation, offering prayer and donation. When a member or member’s family member passes away, there is a committee who helps the bereaved family by giving donation and by offering prayers to the family and assisting them in their funeral services.
b) By doing Feed the Homeless projects every year and to collaborate with other organization to help with their programs.
c) Because the Philippines lies in the typhoon belt, the country will be ravaged by numerous typhoons every year. FACO aims to provide help to the fellow countrymen in the Philippines in times of distress.
4. Will continue to provide help to DAU SPED Center for the 126 pupils for the next 3years.
5. FACO will launch “Lunch Distribution” for FIL-AM Seniors who are being assisted.
FILPINO-AMERICAN CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
formerly Fil-Am Cultural Association of North San Diego County
P.O. Box 6276
Oceanside, CA 92052-6276
FACO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
In congruence with the association’s mission to educate, develop and support the youth, the FILIPINO AMERICAN CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (FACO) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM was established. It aims to help the Fil-Am high school senior students to pursue college education.
Every year, five high school senior students who have Filipino ancestry, graduating from schools in North San Diego County will be given a one-time scholarship grant. Any field of study is acceptable. The amounts may vary depending on the budget allocated by FACO during its fiscal year. These scholarship’s funds come from the general funds of the organization. It can increase each year depending on the funds FACO has.
The scholarship is awarded in June during the Annual Filipino Cultural Day in celebration of June 12th Philippine Independence Day.
PROMOTION OF THE PROGRAM
The scholarship program is publicized through its website and Facebook. The posters (samples are attached) are put in the libraries, schools, stores, and groceries mostly visited by Fil-Am. Posters are usually distributed by January. The committee members go to the areas assigned to them and visit the schools to meet with the Career Guidance Counselors to give the application forms and posters to be posted on the school’s bulletin boards.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
Every year, at least three individuals comprise the selection committee for the program. The chairperson can be appointed by the President and chairperson can select his/her committee members. The committee is tasked to review the scholarship program policies and make recommendations. It will also implement its programs by visiting and contacting high schools in North San Diego County, promoting the program by putting fliers in public libraries and other public places in the area. The committee will also screen applications and select the awardees of the program. Qualifications of committee members are well-educated, professional, and respected in the community.
To protect the integrity of the program and to ensure unbiased selection, any committee member, officer, or director of the association should rescind their position during the period that an immediate family member applies for scholarship.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicant must be a Filipino-American student graduating in high school who has Filipino descent and plans to attend college. Any field of study is acceptable.
Applicant must come from any high school in North San Diego namely, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Carlsbad, Escondido, Encinitas, Fallbrook, and Bonsall.
The applicant cannot be an immediate family member of any officer, director, or scholarship committee member of FACO. The officer, director, or committee member should withdraw from their position should an immediate family member apply for scholarship.
AWARD CRITERIA
In order of importance, applicants will be judged on the following:
1. Academic excellence – a minimum of 3.0 GPA (grade point average) is required to apply. An official transcript of record should be submitted.
2. Essay – a topic is chosen each year whereby the applicant will write an essay to measure his/her prowess in writing, knowledge, opinion, and insights.
3. Leadership Record – quality and extent of involvement of the student in activities or organizations, both in school and community.
4. Community Involvement and Extra Curricular Activities – given the mission of FACNSD, high school applicants are expected to have participated in community service. Examples of community service include volunteering for Red Cross, or local church; participating in community projects like Clean up the Bay or Feed the Homeless; and any other qualifying activity. Applicants without community service experience must demonstrate a commitment to do so in the future. Those who begin their volunteer work immediately will illustrate such a commitment.
