NOV. 11, 2006 6TH VETERANS DAY PARADE IN HFT: A SUCCESS

Los Angeles With the slogan" “”Full Rights for All immigrants, Justice for Veterans, Now” , more than 2,000 people participated last Saturday’s PCORE/JFAV Annual Veterans Day Parade and Community Health Fair in Historic Filipinotown , Los Angeles.

The event started will the unveiling of the Filipino World War II Memorial Monument at the Lake Street Park. The memorial monument is a tribute of the City of Los Angeles to honor the contribution of Filipino Word War II veterans during the Second World War.

City Council President Eric Garcetti and Congressman Xavier Becerra with Filipino American community leaders and veterans unveiled the Filipino World War II Memorial Monument at the Lake Street Park around 9:45 in the morning.

The emotional and solemn unveiling was attended more than 1,000 people with more than 300 living veterans prominently seated at the site.

Both Garcetti and Becerra commended the tremendous unity that the Filipino community showed and acknowledged the presence of thousands of Filipino students who came all the way from San Diego and Santa Barbara county in Southern California. More than 30 students, youth and community organizations joined the activities that lasted up to 4;00 PM.

After the unveiling ceremonies, from Lake St.Park.,the parade led by the honor guards dressed in World War II uniforms with vintage jeeps and the Danza Azteca drummers and dancers went around Historic Filipinotown cheered on by the residents along the route

The one hour minute parade around HFT ended at FACLA where a cultural program and a community fair was held around 1:30 PM after the parade. Cultural numbers, bands and hip-hop music regaled the public. People’s CORE gave out 16 awards to veterans, students and community leaders.

Family Reunification and Full Rights for All Immigrants

The theme of this year’s celebration was “Family Reunification and Equity and Justice for Filipino World War II Veterans”

Filipino veterans leaders Pat Ganio and Guillermo Rumingan and Eric Lachica from Washington DC ACFV attended this affair. Faustino Baclig and Greg Villanueva of JFAV and ACFV, Eugene Mondok of UFAV, Franco Alcebar of ACFV/LAFV, Cmdr. Manuel Aquino and Jack Vergara of SGSI and Jose Samonte of the VFP-USA Chapter led their organization in the program.

The 6th Annual Veterans Day Organizing and the JFAV Steering Committee is led by People’s Community Organization for Reform and Empowerrment (People’s CORE), Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV), Kappa Psi Epsilon, the Office of Council Member Eric Garcetti District 13, , UCLA Samahang Pilipino, Pro People Youth (KmB), Filipino American Service Group Inc (FASGI), Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA), Echo Park Community Coalition (EPCC), Search to Involve the Filipino Americans (SIPA), T. H. E Clinic,United Filipino American Veterans (UFAV), Society of Guerillas and Scouts (SGSI), The Circulo Pampangueno of California-USA, SEIU- United Health Workers-West, Golden Kris Fraternal Society, Sons and Daughters of Filipino World War II Veterans, Pilipino Workers Center, of Southern California (PWC-SC) Association of Filipino Workers (AFW), YOUTH Unite, Knights of Rizal, Pilipino American Network for Advocacy (PANA), Hi-Fi Neighborhood Council and the Pilipino American Association of Professionals Seniors Inc (PAAPS)

More than 25 organizations participated in the annual event. They are the Parish Generation Choir of St. Columban, the Society of Guerillas and Scouts, the Kababayan Alliance (KABA), Golden Agers of Los Angeles (GALA), UCLA SPACE, UC Riverside Katipunan, Danza Azteca Cuahtemoc, UCI Alyansa ng mga Kababayan, San Fernando Veterans, Carson Veterans, Veterans Forum of Los Angeles, Veterans Federation (VFP)-Long Beach, AADAP Inc, San Diego COPAO, Andres Bonifaco Samahan SDSU, GEPENC District 5, Cerritos College, Loyola Marymount University, University of Southern California Troy Phil, PREP, PTSP, Pasadena Community College Tropa, Silverlake Adult Day Health Care, Pilipinos for Community Health, Santa Monica College, Bravo medical High School, Belmont High School, Marshall High School, YMAP- Miguel Contreras Learning Complex.

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For more information please address inquiries at 1610 Beverly Blvd Suite No.2, Los Angeles, and A 90026 or call (213) 241-0995.

Organizations and Individuals who are interested to volunteer or to join the parade and JFAV is also welcome donations both financial and material donations.

For more information please contact Al or Nica events coordinators at Peoples CORE @(213)241-0995 or 213-241-0906 or email@jfav_Causa@yahoo.com

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