
Photo Caption: (* = BOD Members) (Standing L-R) Rizalina Velasco-Richmond*, Norberto Luna*, Jerry Clarito*, Singing Group Contest Judges (Joannah Torre-Weingart, Ella Agustin, Ester Hana, & Lutgardo Labad), Malou Tabo*, Carmen Estacio*, Cora Sopena*, Willi Buhay*, Ella Basilio (Kneeling L-R) Larry Leopoldo, RJ Silva, Alpha Nicolasin, Angela Mascarenas, Emil Nicolasin, Mae Lant*
Happy New Year to our beloved Filipino American community here in Chicago! As we welcome the new year, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and active participation in the programs and advocacies of the Rizal Center.
In 2024, we proudly demonstrated the spirit of our guiding values of ABKD – Aksyon (Action), Bayanihan (people working together), Kapitbahayan (neighborly concern), and Damayan (compassionate mutual aid) through our projects and achievements, including but not limited to:
- Celebrating our culture with Paskuhan, art exhibits, and the Asian American Heritage Month celebration;
- Promoting health through education, flu vaccinations, and screenings for hepatitis, (cbc) cervical and breast cancer, and kidney diseases;
- Promoting wellness through physical activities (Martial Arts and Dancing)
- Bringing our seniors to Springfield to advocate for language access and immigration services.
- Strengthening our elders’ social connections through our regular Kapihan (coffee talk);
- And strengthening the Rizal Center’s capacity through funding support from Cook County, Asian Giving Circle, and Asian Health Coalition, creative fundraising, and community participation.
We also extend our deepest appreciation to our regular contributors to the Bayanihan Newsletter, our dedicated partners, tireless volunteers, and generous donors—including those who have supported the Bayanihan Donors’ Wall—for keeping our lights on and our mission alive. Your contributions, both big and small, make all the difference in sustaining the Rizal Center as the hub of Filipino American unity and pride.
As we move forward into the new year, we invite you to continue being part of this meaningful journey. You can send your check payable to FACGC to Rizal Center at 1332 W Irving Park Road or donate online through Zeffy
Together, let us carry forward the spirit of bayanihan to face the challenges and opportunities ahead. Long live our community, and let us celebrate our culture, history, and identity with pride and purpose.
Happy New Year, Rizal Center and Filipino American Chicago!

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