Kalayaan Incorporated is a non-profit public benefit corporation in the State of California, and is classified as a public charity organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It was registered as a corporation in 2011, but its history dates back to the early 2000s. For over a century now, the Filipino American communities around the World have been celebrating the June 12th
date as this was the day in 1898 that Filipinos achieved independence from Spain. In the hearts of all Filipinos this day signifies national pride and makes us all proud of the sacrifices made by our forefathers to make us independent from another country’s rule. For many years, Southern California’s celebration events were done with the cooperation and guidance of the Philippine Consulate General Los Angeles. With the Philippine Consulate General Los Angeles spearheading the Philippine Independence Day Anniversary Celebration, a raised sense of honor, trust, transparency, accountability and respect has come to the Community. Through the years, the celebrations have showcased the broad range of Filipino culture, heritage and talent in Southern California. Every year since 1979, the Southern California groups that organized this yearly celebration called it Kalayaan and the organizing groups referred to themselves as the Kalayaan Committee or the Philippine Independence Day Celebrations Committee. In 2010, in recognizing the new needs for a more united and stronger organized effort to plan and maintain the annual celebration, a small group of community leaders and past Philippine Independence Day Committee overall chairs were banded together by then Consul General Mary Jo Aragon and Deputy Consul General Daniel Espiritu to bring the celebration performance to a higher state of excellence and community pride. This initial association became known as the 112th Philippine Independence Day Committee (112th PIDC). Over the next few years and led by various elected Chairs, the name of the organizations became Philippine Independence Day Advisory Council (PIDAC), Kalayaan Executive Committee (KEC) and finally named Kalayaan Incorporated.
