Jersey City (June 14, 2019). A Philippine Flag Raising was held on June 7th at Jersey City Chamber Hall to commemorate the 121st Philippine Independence Day. The Philippine flag was proudly raised and waved with the American flag to kick off the celebration festivities of PAFCOM FRIENDSHIP PARADE & FESTIVAL 2019 on Sunday June 23 in honor of the Philippine American Friendship Day - a day that pays tribute to the long partnership between the two countries in history.
The annual parade and festival organized by Philippine American Friendship Community Inc. (PAFCOM) will start with a Sunday mass service at Our Lady of Victory at 10 am and the Friendship Parade at 11:30 through Westside Avenue starting at Claremont Ave ending at Lincoln Park with festivities and show until 6pm. This annual event is one of New Jersey’s largest free outdoor festivals that draws all in wanting to sample Philippine cuisine, soak up Filipino hospitality, and enjoy entertainment that crosses all ages, cultures and ethnicities. As the only Philippine American Friendship parade in New Jersey, the Friendship Parade is a display of Filipino relationship community pride. Beautifully decorated float of Muses, TFC celebrity and the colorful entertaining contingents representing many different ethnic communities and groups. Experience the best of Filipino art, dance, music and food at the Festival following the Parade.
The Parade will be leading by Engr. Romulo M. Luz as the 2019 Grand Marshal and will be followed by this year’s Honorary Grand Marshal US Senator Robert (Bob) Menendez, a firm advocate of Fil-Amveterans’ equity bill, with certain benefits eventually won and restored under President Barack Obama and had pushed for U.S. aid to the Philippines in the wake of the devastating typhoon Haiyan. “It’s befitting to honor Senator Menendez in this way, as he has stood by and fought for the Filipino community,” said JerseyCity Council President Rolando Lavarro, last year’s PAFCOM Grand Marshal. A real remembrance of thehonorablelongrelationshipbetweentheFilipinosandAmericans. Engr.RomuloandSenatorMenendez will be joined by PAFCOM President Rosalinda Rupel, Officers and Members, as well as the 2019 PAFCOM Muses -- Miss PAFCOM Patricia Fernandez, Mrs. PAFCOM Elsa Lambert, Miss Teen PAFCOM Krismarie Taino, Little Miss PAFCOM Jasmine-Nicole Octaviano, Bb. Pilipinas PAFCOM Aileen Aormin, Miss Liberty PAFCOM Kyra Ibok and Miss LBTQ PAFCOM Isabela Acuna. The TFC hour by exclusive media partnership with The Filipino Channel TFC will be a performance by one of the Philippines movie idol actor and singer Sam Milby. This year’s parade PAFCOM partners are: SendFriend, CarePoint Health, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Quontic Bank, RML Construction Inc., Bayonne Community Bank, RWJ Barnabas Health, Jersey City Medical Center, Liberty Savings Credit Union, Rosalinda Medina-Rupel Family with City of Jersey City and Hudson County of New Jersey.
Come, celebrate, remember and honor the history of the great side by side relationship of the Philippines and the United States. This will be an enjoyable event for all as it has been for the past years!
For more information/inquiries about the PAFCOM 2019 Parade and Festival: Parade Chair Mike Florendo: 201 912-1997, Lito Pernia: 646 630-5354 Festival Co-Chair: Rose Javier 908 358-6812
For more updates and information about PAFCOM’s Community Programs and Events, log on to www.pafcomnj.org; Facebook (@pafcomnj); Twitter and Instagram (@pafcom_nj).