To celebrate Filipino Heritage Month, Club Filipino has planned a series of events and outings to entertain and inform the community. Their next effort is to bring President of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (SFS ’68) to speak in Gaston Hall.

To kick off the month, the club hosted the Barrio Fiesta in the ICC Galleria. For a small entrance fee, they served traditional Filipino cuisine. They also set up a table in Red Square to inform passers-by about Filipino culture and history. For example, an unusual Filipino invention is the yo-yo.

“Something that was an American tradition was actually started by a Filipino-American. Most people don’t know that,” Club Filipino member Aldrin Labadlabad (SFS ’03) said. Yo-yos were a tradition in the Philippines, and Filipino-American Pedro Flores started the company that was to become Duncan, the largest yo-yo producer.

The club also carried over a successful project from last year. Club Filipino members had made fliers that spotlighted famous Filipinos such as Rob Schneider and Tia Carrere.

“A lot of the club members were excited about sharing this information,” Labadlabad said. Since the rest of the campus had seen the fliers last year, Club Filipino concentrated on placing themin freshman dormitories.

The club also planned outings to experience Filipino culture. There were two trips to see Filipino-American movies that kicked-off and concluded The Asian Pacific American Festival. Some also traveled to see Filipino-American comedian Rex Navarrete.

As a part of Filipino Heritage Month, representatives from Club Filipino traveled to SUNY Stony Brook to participate in the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue.

Club Filipino is currently working to bring Macapagal-Arroyo to Georgetown on November 19. But, according to Labadlabad, “It’s still in the works.” Club Filipino is working with the Office of the President, the Asian Studies Department and the School of Foreign Service to realize what he says is a “best casescenario.”

Labadlabad said this is the most active Club Filipino has been in recent years. And with the flurry of all their recent endeavors this is a “renaissance year,” Labadlabad said.