San Francisco State Hosts Their 37th Annual Pilipino Cultural Night

It seemed that Martial Law wasn’t the only thing that Isa, Gusto, and their family had to worry about. The 60s not only brought the groovy sounds to the scene, but magic and hope that came with the era. With almost two weeks passed, people are still talking about Mahalaya, which is a combinations of tagalog words love and freedom. On Saturday, May 9^th, SF State’s Pilipino American Collegiate Endeavor (PACE) hosted the 37^th Annual Pilipino Cultural Night at the Scottish Rite Audiotorium in San Francisco.

SFPCN dates back to spring of 1972 on the SF State campus with a group of students from PACE who called themselves “Ating Tao”. The students decided to create a small production entitled “Coconut” which showcased a variety of music, dance, and skits that celebrated the Pilipino experience in America. Over 37 years have passed and PCN has continued to become a tradition and a “cultural rite of passage” for many students on various universities across the US. Each year draws a new story with a new cast from returning PCN veterans to “newbies” who for the first time will experience culture first hand.

The Mahalaya cast, whose participants were mostly new to PCN, brought the 60s to life in the Philippines with spell binding characters such as the well off teen named Gusto, an evil witch named Bruja, and even Ferdie the talking bat. The show was also supported with wicked cool musical numbers like “New Day”, “Help”, and “Mahalaya” with accompaniment of dance ensembles – think of a Pilipino version of Hairspray. The stage was also graced with cultural dance pieces such as the famous cup dance “Binasuan”, “Sayaw Sa Banko” where dancers showcase their talents by dancing on benches, and the always anticipated bahag dance “Lumagen”.

Having been a part of three PCNs in the past, I was definitely astonished with the caliber of this year’s cast. I must say this has to be one of the best PCNs I’ve watched in a long time. Mahalaya brought the almost 800 friends and family members to the edge of their seats as they screamed at Isa, one of the main characters, not to drink the magically poisoned cup of water.

True to its name, Mahalaya has not only given us hope for love and freedom, but has helped the San Francisco community connect to our rich Pilipino heritage through PCN. 

Congratulations SFSU PACE for another successful PCN.