I am also social media manager this year (yehey!), so if you would like to join my team, let me know! I currently am managing Pistahan's official Instagram account, which you can go to here: www.instagram.com/pistahansf. If you visit, you will see that I am doing a countdown of the "25 Reasons Why You Should Go to Pistahan." Next month, I will be posting old school Pistahan pix as this year is the 25th anniversary! So it is a very special occasion.

I remember coming to Pisatahan when I was younger and it was always an amazing thing to see our culture and our people all in one place. It's empowering.

See you there, friends!

xoxo,
Jo

I like June because 1) it is the month when summer arrives and 2) it's Kalayaan. This month is special because it is the 120th Year of Independence from Spain. Truly, and important and monumental time in Philippine history.

For the Gala Reception, I assisted with the food and beverage portion in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General team. I was lucky enough to be able to eat majority of the wonderful dishes, such as lechon and garlic noodles! Our Filipino food community is so amazing. Some people rolled out of the venue because they were so full.

The second event of Kalayaan SF is the outdoor festival which is held at Union Square in Downtown San Francisco. Every year, I assist with crowd control. Essentially, I am the bouncer for the stage during the special entertainment hour produced by TFC. Let's just say it is definitely a learning experience every year. You would be surprised how many people try to sneak into the stage area. It's so funny.

Check out pictures from Kalayaan on my Instagram: @JBKollaborations

I enjoy participating in these types of events because it really does keep in my touch with my Filipino roots. Looking forward to next year! Mabuhay! Happy Philippine Independence Month!
xoxo,
Jo