JPL Staff News: Filipino Pride Day Is Big Hit At Main Library

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Filipino Pride Day Is Big Hit At Main Library

JPL Director Barbara Gubbin formally welcomed more than 100 guests at the Main Library, October 6, to celebrate Filipino Pride Day. She highlighted the different JPL programs for the Filipino community, including the first ever Conversational Tagalog series of classes at Main. Ms. Gubbin emphasized unique Filipino traits, values, and how the library sees this community as an important group we’d like to continue to serve. Deputy Director Carolyn Williams and Library Board of Trustee Gerald Reid (lower right) were also in attendance. SST E-Specialist Eric Soriano and Main's Librarian Sr. Lilia Simonton served as program hosts.

This special day, spearrheaded by a nonprofit, We Filipinos, Inc., is celebrated annualy in NE Florida and includes Philippine cuisine, culture, and art, and was formerly held at the Jacksonville Landing. This year, a committee of Filipino JPL employees decided to do a library program in the morning to complement the whole-day series of festivities in downtwon Jacksonville. Filipino Pride Day displays were also set up at Main, University Park, and Regency Square libraries. At Main, the 10 a.m.-noon program began with the naitonal anthems of the Untied States and the Philippines, led by Mina Figuerrez, Library Associate Sr. Gloria Buenavists, NW's Library Associate Sr., led the invoication.

A special cultural dance served as the program's opening number. A group of four Jacksonville-based ethnic dancers, led by Ms. Melanie Hisole, performed “Sayaw sa Cuyo”- a dance that originated from the town of Cuyo of the Philippine island of Palawan. This dance blended the Cuyo ethnicity with Spanish and European influenced steps. Dance is “sayaw” in Tagalog, the Filipino national language. Tagalog songs were led by local artist Erald Salonga.

Different library programs and services, including selected databases that could be relevant to the audience, were presented by Gloria and Eric. A special 5-minute "shout-out" video to Filipinos in Jax was shown to the delight of all. It included news ancors, actors, and other entertainment media celebrities form Manila, Philippines.

The final presentation welcomed children, who had been busy making arts and crafts, to watch a story time/puppet show of the fable "Ang pagong at ang Matsing" (The Turtle and the Monkey). This portion of the program was facilitated by Francisco Rosado, part-time clerk in Main's Popular department, aided by adult and children volunteers.

SE's Library Associate Sr. Brenda Javier prepared Filipino delicacies for everyone, and her "lumpia" (Philippine egg rolls) and "puto" (rice cakes) were a big hit!

The committee says: SALAMAT! (THANK YOU) to all of their JPL colleagues and volunteers for making this program a huge success.

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I am a breast cancer survivor as a result of God’s Grace and an early detection of the cancer. May I suggest that each of you, if you have not already done so, take time to schedule health screenings of any kind knowing that these can be lifesaving methods for you.

To God be the glory for the things he has done. I am now free of cancer and want to say again that I appreciate what you did for me. Not knowing who my time donors were, I am not able to give individual hugs; collectively to the JPL Family I say THANK YOU a million times over.

Denise Thomas, JPL’s Center for Adult Learning at Main.

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