About Us

The Filipino American Festival, Inc. is organized for the purpose of advancing and strengthening our community by providing opportunities to the one of the fastest growing populations in New Jersey and in the United States, the Filipino Americans. 

FAFI organizes and host the most awaited celebration by bringing together the community in celebrates cultural heritage and bring together business leaders, philanthropic leaders, community leaders and young generation leaders that bring all together into one common goal. FAFI’s  mission is to create more community participation specially the next generation Filipinos. FAFI have finally reached an ongoing relationships by bringing awareness on advocacy, educational importance, preserving our culture, value the importance of heritage integral in making awareness in the community as part of the mainstream America.FAFI celebrates its ten years of uninterrupted service to the community, helped tackled those who were affected by the pandemic specially our Senior Citizens through Covid-19 Food Drives and helped the people in need by extending Typhoon Disaster Fund to those who were affected by the disastrous calamity and spearheaded the “Stop Asian Hate” March together with 30 Asian American organizations and gathered 2000 marchers and many media presence that covered the event.

Mission Statement:

 

THE FILIPINO AMERICAN FESTIVAL, INC. is a non-for-profit, non-partisan organization that promotes the integration and unification of Filipino American through cultural venues, to celebrate our ancestral diversity, organize and host an annual cultural heritage celebration and bring together business and philanthropic leaders within  the Filipino American community that we hope to develop a corporate citizenry that honors the unique and beneficial partnership within our residents. More importantly, our mission of educating our next generation of Filipino Americans in the long tradition of community partnership, we will develop an ongoing working relationship with our leaders.

 

Get to Know FAFI:  Highlights of the 2021 Annual Filipino American Festival:

· Social media promotions are the heart of FAFI’s marketing campaign. We are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We also have email blasts to everyone. We are also at the New Jersey State’s list of events visitnj.com where some people found FAFI for an event. Through the Live Streaming, we were able to promote and direct people to see our website. Through our website they were able to see all prominent sponsors.  www.filipiniamericanfestival.com

· Food Drive – Last May, FAFI spearheaded the Asian American Food Drive in partnership with 12 Asian American organizations: Chinese, Koreans, Indians, Malaysian, Pakistani, Filipinos. Sponsored by Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall, Westfield trusted FAFI for the funds to head the Food Drive focusing on the Asian American Senior citizens and those affected by the pandemic. We gave foods to those who were confirmed to have Covid-19 and could not be able to work or those who lost their jobs because of pandemic. We had more than 100 volunteers like high school students, nurses and community leaders. It was also supported by dignitaries like Ambassador of Japan, Consul Generals and Consuls. Those attended were also elected officials. They were all in support of FAFI’s Food Drive. Japanese Restaurant Association in NY also participated gave out over 200 packages of foods.

· Our Signature Fashion Show featured our Filipino American men and women, teenagers and young children wearing our cultural dresses. 2021 Fashion Show featured Central Mindanao Indigenous People’s handwoven fabrics. Socksargen USA continuously supports the promotion of its homegrown artisans and the craftsmanship of talented designers like Ador Feliciano (Manny Pacquiao’s wife designer) and the handwoven fabrics of our Indigenous people in Mindanao.

 

· FAFI has a very unique festival compared to other Filipino Festivals and this is why:

We made it a practice that our festival will be inclusive to everyone. We are open to anybody who can share with us talents that Filipinos can learn and open to a mainstream. Hosted by Scott Siegel, the creator of the famous Broadway Ballyhoo on Broadway orbit. Scott Siegel, the creator/writer/director and host of the critically acclaimed Broadway by the Year Series at Town Hall. Many stars on Broadway performed at Scott Siegel’s Broadway Ballyhoo and now 54 Below performances. Scott is known on Broadway by many. One of the best pianists on Broadway, Eugene Gwozdz-Musical Director and Accompanist for Broadway Memories also played the piano for the Broadway artists. Our Broadway artists performed were:  John Easterlin-a 4x Grammy recipient, Lianne Marie Dobbs- performed iconic Broadway roles like Fantine in Les Miserables, Aldonza in man of La Mancha and Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde all over the country, Orville Mendoza is an award winning Filipino American actor, singer, musician who appeared on Broadway in Peter & the Starcatcher & Pacific Overtures, Tiffany Tatreau- originated the role of Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg in new musical Ride the Cyclone at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and lastly Rona Figueroa – made her Broadway debut as Kim in 1992 and many more Boradway shows. FAFI is lucky to have know Scott and Eugene. And the rest of the artists who are successful on Broadway. For them to get involve with FAFI’s festival was a blessing.

· 2021was a great year for 2021. It was the 9th Annual Filipino American Festival. We are heading to our 10th year. We focused on Cultural Shows. Many Filipino groups as many as 30 performers in one performance deserved to be recognized. Many performers even the Philippine nurses, our frontliners performed. It was a different settings for them as they struggled throughout the pandemic. Many cultural performances gave the best they can, best costumes, best performances as all of us live in uncertainty. It was a festival that everyone is longing for.

 

· FAFI cannot continue to give a free event without the help of our Major Sponsor like AT&T. Our Silver Sponsors Hackensack Meridian Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ, Westfield Garden State Plaza, 1st 2nd Mortgage Company, and Bergen County. We also recognized our Food and Non-Food Vendors for participating. But most of all, we also recognize the hardworking Board Members: Rowena Aquino, Jessica Herb, Cristy Gania, Mert Lezaron, Madeline Bansil and Abe Aquino and Committee Members for unselfish dedication to volunteering their time year after year we are in existence. You can also visit our website: www.filipinoamericanfestival.com, Facebook Page: Filipino American Festival, Instagram: Filipino American Festival, Twitter: @fafi810; visitnj.org. See you all!!!