Dear Filipino American Community, Donors, Funders, Volunteers, Community Partners, and Friends,
As I reflect on the last three years, I am filled with gratitude and pride for what we have accomplished together.
Through your support, trust, and belief in our mission, Rizal Center has continued its transformation into a vibrant community center, a trusted resource organization, a cultural hub, a health promotion partner, and an advocate for social justice. More importantly, it has become a true home away from home for Filipino Americans and a welcoming gathering place for the broader community.
Today, Rizal Center stands as a living example of Bayanihan in action.
Our journey has been guided by a commitment not only to service but also to openness, transparency, and community engagement. We believe that community members deserve to know how their organization is growing, what programs are being offered, what partnerships are being formed, and what impact is being achieved.
That commitment inspired the creation and continued publication of the Bayanihan Newsletter, which is distributed every month to inform, educate, and connect our community. Through stories, reports, photographs, and community updates, the newsletter has become more than a communication tool—it has become a platform for transparency, storytelling, inspiration, and shared learning.
Each issue documents the life of our community and preserves the stories of individuals, families, volunteers, partners, artists, advocates, and leaders whose contributions continue to shape Rizal Center’s growth. In doing so, the Bayanihan Newsletter helps ensure that our work is visible, accountable, and accessible to all.
Over the past three years, we have continued building a multigenerational community institution where children learn about their heritage through the Pamana Filipino American Children’s Library, youth explore Filipino and Filipino American history through book clubs and educational programs, families participate in parenting workshops, martial artists strengthen both body and discipline, and seniors find friendship, wellness, and purpose through Kapihan’s Lots of Love, line dancing, educational workshops, and community meals.
At the same time, we have strengthened our role as a center for culture, health, research, leadership development, and civic engagement. Through cultural celebrations, health initiatives, community-based research, advocacy efforts, and strategic partnerships, Rizal Center has continued to expand opportunities for learning, service, and empowerment.
The transformation of our facility reflects this growth. With significant investments in infrastructure and program spaces—including the Oblation Suite (Partner: University of the Philippines Alumni Association of the Greater Chicago), the Munting Tanghalan (Little Theater), and dedicated clinical research rooms supporting our Community Clinic pillar—the Center has become a dynamic community resource operating at nearly 90 percent utilization throughout the year.
We are equally proud of our commitment to becoming a data- and evidence-based organization. Research partnerships have helped us better understand the health, economic, and social conditions affecting Filipino Americans while strengthening our ability to advocate for meaningful change. Through our participation in initiatives like ChangeInSight, the University of Michigan School of Information, community health research studies, and statewide advocacy campaigns, we show how data combined with community voices can increase visibility, equity, and opportunity. Please email info@rizalcenter if you want to receive our special issue about the results of the surveys on Social Drivers of Health (SDOH) and our elders’ Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS), and an analysis of Census data on Filipino Americans in Cook County from 2010 to 2022.
As we begin Fiscal Year 2026-2027, we carry forward this momentum with renewed optimism and purpose. We remain committed to strengthening our pillars of community building, health and wellness, cultural preservation, research, leadership development, and advocacy.
Most importantly, we remain committed to serving our community with integrity, accountability, and transparency.
To our donors, funders, volunteers, community partners, staff, Board of Directors, and supporters, thank you for your generosity, dedication, and confidence in our mission. Every program, every improvement, every partnership, and every success reflected in this report is a result of your continued support.
Together, we are building more than programs and services. We are building a lasting community institution—one that preserves our heritage, promotes wellness, advances equity, inspires future leaders, and strengthens the collective voice of Filipino Americans.
At a time when community, connection, and belonging are needed more than ever, Rizal Center remains committed to serving as a beacon of hope, pride, opportunity, and service for generations to come.
Maraming salamat po for your continued partnership, trust, and support.
With gratitude,
Jerry Clarito
President
Board of Directors of Rizal Center
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