Los Angeles, CA – The headquarters of Search to Involve Pilipino-Americans (SIPA), in the Historic Filipinotown district of Los Angeles, became the intimate setting for Kabataang maka-Bayan’s (KmB, Pro-People Youth) Love for the People event on the evening of Thursday, February 18th. This occasion, coming on the heels of Valentine’s Day just this past Sunday, strives to break down the commercialized idea of love that has been perpetuated around what is often cynically referred to as a “Hallmark” holiday.
Love for the People aimed to spread love by building up our Pilipino-American community - by bringing together a night of art and culture as a reminder that love is not limited to just one day out of the year, or only between one couple. Rather, love is best expressed in our everyday actions; towards many, and in service to the people.
The following artists performed at Love for the People:
Mary Rose
- Space Kid
- Vince Reyes (guitarist) with Mini Zabala, flute and Cecile Cruz, violin
- Soul.In.My.Fist (One Imagination)
- Queen HerStory
- Mary Rose
- The Fighting Cocks
The Fighting Cocks
Arturo Garcia, who was one of the organizers of and is the current National Coordinator of
Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV), was also in attendance to launch his book - Unrecognized American Veterans. In addition to being the date for Love for the People, February 18th 2010 also has the added significance of being the 64th Anniversary of the Rescission Act. Mr. Garcia explained that as a Commonwealth of the United States before and during World War II, Pilipinos were legally American Nationals, and were promised all the benefits afforded to those serving in the US Armed Forces. In 1946, several months before the Philippines was granted independence by the US, Congress passed the Rescission Act - which nullified the services of the Pilipinos and stripped them of the benefits they had been promised. Of the 66 countries allied with the United States during the war, only Pilipinos were denied military benefits.
Finally, KmB also delivered their report on the Sagip-Tulong Sa Pilipinas (STP) Emergency Relief Fund Campaign for the victims of the Philippine Typhoons last year. STP was organized in response to Typhoons Ondoy (International Code name Ketsana) & Pepeng (International Code name Parma), which battered the Philippines in the span of only several days. This relief effort was spearheaded by KmB, JFAV, People’s CORE, and Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, along with a number of Pilipino/Pil-Am Student Organizations across the country. Spurred by the Pilipino Bayanihan Spirit, this national effort that lasted from Sept 28th until Dec 31st of 2009 was able to collect and subsequently send out over $7,000 in cash, along with 174 Balikbayan boxes, to those who needed them the most.
In the end, Love for the People succeeded in drawing people together, and widened their hitherto narrow views of Valentine’s Day in particular and of love in general.
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