SAN FRANCISCO- The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco attended the Congressional Gold Medal Award Ceremony honoring the bravery and sacrifice of the Filipino Veterans of World War II held on 9 November 2022 at the Herbst Theatre of the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Centre.
The event, organized by the Bayanihan Equity Center, in collaboration with the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Program (FilVetRep), was graced by Deputy Consul General Raquel Solano and Consul Rowena Pangilinan-Daquipil.
During the ceremony, 27 were awarded the bronze replica of the Congressional Gold Medal, including four living veterans, whereas the medals of the rest of the recipients were received by their next-of-kins.
In her remarks, Ms. Luisa Antonio, the Executive Director of the Bayanihan Equity Center, stated that the Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award in the United States, and bestowing this to Filipino Veterans of World War II was made possible by the successful advocacy of the Filipino community, particularly the FilVetREP under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba.
Mr. Kory Powell-McCoy, Operations Manager at the Office of Congresswoman and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, delivered the message of the Speaker during the event. In her message, Speaker Pelosi congratulated the recipients of the medal and said that the members of the US Congress “honor the Filipino soldiers who fought alongside the American troops to keep the flame of democracy alive in the Pacific and throughout the world.” She also conveyed that “the Medal serves as an expression of our nation’s deepest gratitude and respect” and that “we celebrate our Filipino heroes not only for their bravery in defending freedom and democracy, but also as a cherished thread in the fabric of our community and country.”
Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs