Filipino Americans who were born and grew up in the United States, had little opportunity of experiencing firsthand, the richness and diversity of Philippines’ culture and traditions. The opening of Iskwelahang Pilipino, Inc. (IP) has changed the picture.
An exemplar among the multitude of Filipino American organizations, Iskwelahang Pilipino has been registered by the Filipino American National Historical Society as the first and longest-running Philippine cultural school in the US. A place one can call home, IP boasts of its many graduates who are now successful professionals who still come back to the school to express their gratitude for developing in them pride and love for the Filipino culture, and better appreciation of multicultural communities. For 30 years now, IP has remarkably served the social, cultural and education needs of the Filipino community within the Boston area.
Founded in 1976 by a group of parents led by Cristina Castro, who wanted to create an environment where their children can develop a strong positive ethnic identity and have the chance to learn about their Filipino heritage, Iskwelahang Pilipino began operating nearby a church in Newton. Now, IP holds classes on four major programs namely music, folk dance, language and culture, and arts and craft at Bedford Center in Massachusetts. Many of its students have the chance to learn Filipino folk songs and dances, play indigenous string and percussion instruments, cook authentic Filipino dishes, and create native handicrafts. In order for them to appreciate their parents’ upbringing and cultural background, Filipino language, history and culture are taught with emphasis. They were also taught about the similarities and differences between American and Philippine cultures, making them fortunate because they get to appreciate and choose the best of both worlds. Moreover, IP is open to interested foreign students who want to learn more about Philippine history and culture. IP accepts college students who work as volunteers and interns, interacting with the students for at least a semester.
Iskwelahang Pilipino is also proud to share Philippine culture and traditions with mainstream society. Since 1988, IP participated every year in Lowell International Folk Festival, the largest free folk festival in the US attended by around 150,000 participants. IP’s involvement in the event has evolved into the school’s largest annual fund-raiser, attracting year after year a long queue purchasing delicious native dishes, all made onsite. During the Philippine Centennial Celebration in 1998, IP participated in the first ever Philippine Independence Day Parade together with various Filipino American organizations in the Greater Boston area.
In 1986, the Iskwelahang Pilipino Rondalla Ensemble which grew out of the music program and developed into the performing arm of the school, was established. Composed of talented student musicians, the ensemble’s varied repertoire is drawn from the rich folk music heritage, contemporary arrangements of traditional folk songs and original compositions reflecting the influence of Filipino American cultural identity. The ensemble has performed in important state-sponsored cultural events and international festivals such as New England Folk Festival, Newton Asian Festival, Asian American Heritage Month, Philippine Festival Week, and Rondalla International Festival. It has also organized musical tours in the Philippines, The Netherlands, Belgium, England, Germany and Austria. The ensemble has performed very well in several concerts, and most of the proceeds were donated to charitable causes in the US and the Philippines. In 1995 and 2002, the ensemble released full length CDs, “Crossing Over” and “Pasko sa Amerika”, respectively.
Indeed, Iskwelahang Pilipino has succeeded in its mission in bringing up children who value and share with others the Philippines’ rich cultural traditions. The spirit of togetherness is perhaps the most wonderful of IP’s many benefits, for it has served as a bridge in promoting better relationships not only between the children and their Filipino American parents but also among students, teachers and volunteers of different nationalities. Home to countless happy memories, the existence of IP in the East Coast is priceless.
In conferring the Banaag Award to Iskwelahang Pilipino, Inc., the President recognizes its outstanding contribution to enriching young Filipino Americans’ appreciation of their Filipino heritage, and the celebration and promotion of Philippine culture in the Boston area.
