The Philippine Independence Parade in NYC 2022
A parade and cultural festival marches through Madison Avenue in honor of Philippine Independence day; plus more events!
June 12 marks the day that General Emilio Aguinaldo declares the Philippines as an independent nation, free from the Spanish colonial rule. Although some may argue that July 4, the same day as American Independence Day, is the national day as the USA helped recapture Manila from the Japanese, June 12 is widely recognized as the official Philippine Independence day when it became a public holiday in Diosdado Macapagal’s presidential proclamation in 1962.
As part of the early celebrations of Independence Day, Filipino New Yorkers took the streets in Madison Avenue with a wide range of festivities, a parade to show off the bright blue, yellow, and white colors of the flag and our pride as Pinoys, and after-parties and post-parade activities to keep the momentum going! I was sadly unable to attend the parade, but I went to the post-parade activities that were organized by local grassroots organizations like GABRIELA and Malaya who had speakers, musicians and speakers, and to wrap up the event, an educational discussion about the labor export policy introduced by Marcos and the its impacts on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
GABRIELA is a grassroots organization based in the Philippines and is internationally recognized as a women-led alliance that advocates for, empowers, and educates women from lower or working class background with a socialist perspective. Malaya Movement is another grassroots organization that aims to fight against fascism, oligarchs, and corruption in the Philippines, focusing on a number of issues such as disinformation, fighting against extrajudicial killings in the midst of Duterte’s “war on drugs”, and the “de facto martial law”.
Other than this program, which was designed mostly to share and advocate for genuine democracy in light of the recent presidential elections, there was also a cultural festival and street fair on 26th and Madison Avenue, with a stage erected in the middle of the street for musicians and performers and where Filipino songs echoed throughout midtown. It was a fun and warm day as the sun shone as golden as the sun on the Philippine flag and there was a strong sense of community and empowerment.
Future events to attend as the festivities continue!
Barkada Market Market, NYC
Barkada Market is a marketplace for independent businesses and vendors to sell their products, food, or other services. Started in the middle of the pandemic as a way to bring together Filipinos in New York City and support small businesses as COVID-19 worsened and impacted everyone’s lives.
The project was founded by Deirdre Levy, a special education teacher in Brooklyn who ran for City Council in the 35th race; Joey Golja, a businessman and events coordinator for MTV; and Lugao Kasberg, an artist. This year’s Barkada will be a big event, as production crews from TFC will be attending, as well as 49 businesses - from bakeries selling sweet treats and beloved local Filipino restaurants to stationary, prints, and merch!
Date: Sunday June 12, 10am - 6pm
Location: 2 Noble Street, Brooklyn, 11222 / Greenpoint Terminal
Street sign installation
Jackson Heights, Queens is well known for having a rich Filipino population with Roosevelt Avenue lined up with local Filipino restaurants and businesses. To the community in Queens, this street is already known as “Little Manila”. In celebration of Filipinx pride and to honor these businesses, a ceremony will be hosted to reveal the installation of the street sign that will rename the corner of 70th and Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, “Little Manila Avenue”.
According to Long Island City Post, a petition was distributed asking for the sign and was voted 15-0 in favor of its installation by the NYC Council Parks and Recreation committee. After over 3,000 signatures and 18 months, the vote for co-naming 70th / Roosevelt to “Little Manila Avenue” came.
Date: Sunday June 12, 12pm
Location: The corner of 70th St and Roosevelt Avenue, Queens 11377