Filipino Heritage Month Kick-off embraces martial arts, music and traditional food

LBCC’s Filipino American History Month Kick-Off event celebrated the community with traditional music; adobo and chop suey; martial arts and musical performances; and student resources like the MANA program, the Filipino Migrant Center and the Filipino Solidarity Organization on Oct. 16 at the TTC campus.

^{Sign Language Interpreter, left, at LBCC translates for a guest speaker at the Filipino Heritage Kick-Off at TTC on Oct. 16. (Hailey Hildreth)}

Guests were served adobo, a popular Filipino dish made with chicken or pork marinated in vinegar and soy sauce for a savory, tangy flavor with a hint of heat from peppercorns.

Alongside, guests enjoyed chop suey, a vegetable stir-fry, with rice and lumpia, which are pork egg rolls, all paired with soft drinks. 

As attendees enjoyed their meals, they were accompanied by a live acoustic performance by artist Siva Aguilar from Sulong West Side, a Filipino youth organization based in Westside Long Beach. Aguilar performed songs in Tagalog, which created a warm and nostalgic ambiance.

The comfort of the atmosphere felt like a traditional Filipino home, brought together through the combination of food and music.

Pamana Kali, a Filipino Martial Arts organization, also had a tent available at the event. 

Students were able to learn more about the practice’s roots, wisdom, and values in greater detail at the booth. 

Pamana Kali practitioners performed stick movements, an art originally used with blades, which showcased demonstrations of defense mechanisms and combat drills.

^{Martial arts performers, Vivian Catacutan, left, and Dindi Belmonnte, right, demonstrate stunts during LBCC’s Filipino Heritage event at the TCC campus in Long Beach, California on Oct. 16. (Hailey Hildreth)}

Alvin Catacutan, a cultural educator and martial artist, explained that Kali is a practice that’s thousands of years old, was used in fields of war and is now commonly used in famous movies like “Dune,” “Furious 7” and “Taken.” 

^{Guro, the term for martial arts trainer, Alvin Catacutan poses in front of the “Pamana Kali”booth during the Filipino Heritage Month event at TCC in Long Beach, California on Oct. 16. Catacutan has trained actors from the movie “Dune,” and the Pamana Kali is a Filipino Martial Arts training center. (Hailey Hildreth).}

When asked what role Kali plays in Filipino history and identity, Catacutan said, “Our martial art is about adaptation. Our greatest gift as a culture is that we’re willing to make changes to what we do and how we do things, we’re willing to learn anything it takes to survive, and eventually thrive.”

LBCC Office Assistant for the Extended Opportunities Program Nash Neyra said the event was a great opportunity to celebrate cultural heritage.

“To embrace your culture, to get people to be aware of the culture as well, because some people aren’t very aware or never been exposed. This is a great way for people to get involved through the food, to the culture, to the music, to the performance,” Neyra said.

The event was not only a place to connect through celebration, but also served as a reminder of the strong community and support systems available to students.

“I think these types of cultural events are important not only for the people that identify with these spaces, but even more important for those that don’t. Because this is an opportunity to share with them, maybe things they don’t understand,” Tristan Nguyen, success coach of MANA, a program that helps build cultural and educational experiences for Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi students, said.

Representatives from MANA, the Filipino Migrant Center, Healthy Viking, Student Health Services, and the Filipino Solidarity Organization were present, reminding students of the various resources they can access for academic, cultural, and personal support.