Youth group in California hopes to spark more interest in Filipino culture

MANILA, Philippines - A group in California has high hopes of sparking more interest in the youth, especially Filipino children who have not been to the Philippines, to want to learn more about their homeland, its people, and its culture. The organization with such an aim is recognized as Vallejo’s Pilipino Youth Coalition (PYC), the youth arm of Filipino-American Social Services that was formalized in 1996. “The purpose (of PYC) is to network all these young people in Vallejo [California] so we don’t repeat another generation of young people not knowing about their culture and their heritage," Mel Orpilla, one of the advisers of the group, told the Herald Times on Monday. PYC is modeled after other Filipino youth coalitions throughout California and its members can be often found volunteering throughout the community. Its meetings reportedly often revolve around a particular slice of Filipino or Filipino-American history and culture. “They (the advisers) are always pushing us to know where we’re from," said 22-year old Rock Amagan in the report, adding that Filipino-American history and culture is also explored. However, its membership has recently begun to falter, and so has its movement. “When I’ve seen it go from a lot of people to how it is now, it’s sad ... to see it low in numbers," said 19-year-old member Richard Hilario, who now attends Diablo Valley College in Concord. He said that the organization was “thriving" in 2004 when he signed on as a freshman at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School. Moreover, Orpilla said that although as many as 40 members can show during their meetings, it has a core group of only 10 members. They hope that their event on Friday, Show C-Log, will increase interest and maybe membership in PYC. Show C-Log – an acronym for “Show Change, Lead Our Generation" – will reportedly feature a variety of local performing artists at the Fetterly Playhouse at 3467 Sonoma Blvd in Vallejo. The show will start at 7 p.m. but doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Know Your Roots, a Filipino-American apparel company, will also be there to sell clothing and paintings. Tickets are at $8, or $5 for active PYC volunteers, and are on pre-sale or can be bought at the door. For more details, visit www.myspace.com/pycvallejo or contact Richard Hilario at ShowClog@gmail.com or (707) 246-0349. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV