Approximately 32 conference delegates from Greater Seattle attended the FANHS National Conference in San Diego, CA. The 2014 conference theme is “KAPWA: Moving Forward in Unity.”  KAPWA: Moving Forward in Unity is meant to encourage Filipino Americans to develop a collective consciousness and work together on issues that benefit not only the Filipino community but the community at large. Seattle was also well represented in the FANHS program.


Video by Mary Joyce York Caballes highlighting the conference

Listed below are presenters from Seattle.

Barbara Bergano: “FANHS: An Organization or a Way of Life.” The focus of the round table was to discuss practices to honor Uncle Fred Cordova’s legacy in two ways: continuing the FANHS mission and doing so in the spirit of Kapuwa. During the discussion, Barbara showed the trailer for “Dorothy and Fred.”  The trailer was also presented during the opening program to conference attendees.

Maria Batayola, Robert Flor, Pio de Cano, and Fernando Argosino: “Using Art and Culture to Promote History and Community.” Presenters discussed how Pinoy Words Expressed Kultura Arts (PWEKA) came to be and their work to use the arts and culture to engage community and make history accessible to youth, non-historians, and the larger community.

Maria Batayola, Ador Yano, Julie Romero, and Lita Foster: “FANHS National Digital Pilot Project Workshop.” Presenters described their experience developing and implementing the pilot project to digital FANHS National oral histories.

Devin Israel Cabanilla: “1930s Revival: The Uncovered Mission of Filipino Christian Student.” Devin’s presentation showed recovered photos, census records, archive documents, and analysis of the first Filipino ministry students attending Northwest University in the 1930s.

Pio de Cano: “The General, Luviminda, & Pollcarpio via Illocos, Cebu, Yokohama, Sanata Marla, Illocos Sure, and Seattle.” Pio presented a brief historical overview of the intertwined lives of General Aretmio  Ricarte (El Vibora), his mother Remedios Luviminda Romero, her grandmother, and his father Pio DeCAno Sr.. General Ricarte was the only general who refused to take the oath of allegiance to the U.S. after the Philippine War For Independence and lived in exile in Yokohama.