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The Filipino Heritage Foundation FHF is dedicated to uphold its mission, to advocate, protect, assimilate and educate.

10/08/2026

The Manila Galleon Trade shaped the modern world. For 250 years, massive wooden ships crossed the Pacific Ocean between Manila and Acapulco, carrying silk, spices, porcelain, and silver on what became the longest and most lucrative trade route in history.

Starting in 1565, the galleon trade turned Manila into a global crossroads. Chinese merchants brought silk and tea, Indian traders delivered cotton and gems, and Southeast Asian spices filled the cargo holds. These treasures sailed eastward to Mexico, where they were exchanged for mountains of New World silver that flowed back to Asia.

The economic impact was staggering. Philippine ports bustled with traders from a dozen nations, and the islands became a melting pot of cultures, cuisines, and traditions. Many Filipino words, foods, and customs trace their roots directly to this era of global exchange.

The galleon trade quietly connected East and West long before the age of globalization had a name. What aspect of the Philippines' role in early global trade surprises you the most?

10/08/2026

Happy Filipino-American History Month! Along with getting connected to Filipino-American History this month, that began when the first Filipinos arrived aboard Spanish ships in what is now Morro Bay California back on October 18, 1587, get connected to our awesome Filipino-American Therapists!

Email [email protected] or [email protected] or call/text (253) 4147208 or fill out our online intake form to access therapy services here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/5303388d1da64a83a6a18a31fae54d34

Filipino American History Month is observed every October in the United States. It marks the earliest documented arrival...
10/01/2026

Filipino American History Month is observed every October in the United States. It marks the earliest documented arrival of Filipinos in what is now the continental United States and honors later contributions to American life.

On October 18, 1587, a group recorded as “Luzones Indios” came ashore at Morro Bay, California, from the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Esperanza. October was also chosen because it is the birth month of labor leader Larry Itliong, a central figure in the 1965 Delano grape strike that helped form the United Farm Workers.

The Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), founded by Dorothy Laigo Cordova, adopted the idea in 1991. Fred Cordova led the effort, and October 1992 was the first nationwide observance. California formally recognized the month in 2006, around the centennial of larger Filipino migration to the United States. In 2009, Congress recognized October as Filipino American History Month through House Resolution 780 and Senate Resolution 298. In 2015, President Barack Obama hosted the first White House celebration of the month.

Today FANHS chapters, schools, museums, and local governments mark the month with programs on Filipino American history, from the 1587 landing and later settlements to farm labor, military service, and civic life.

We are postponing this event until September 27, 2026 due to the extreme heat advisory this Saturday. I will update the ...
09/04/2026

We are postponing this event until September 27, 2026 due to the extreme heat advisory this Saturday. I will update the flyer in the event. Thank you for your understanding with this matter.

08/21/2026

Bamboo poles clapping, dancers leaping — Tinikling is the Philippines' most iconic folk dance. 💃

08/13/2026

There's a very specific Filipino tradition of texting or calling someone the literal second the clock hits 12:01am on their birthday, sometimes waking them up just to say "Advance Happy Birthday!" as if a few hours' head start makes the greeting more meaningful.

It's become such a widespread cultural habit that it's practically expected — friend groups compete to be the first to greet someone, family members set alarms, and being greeted "in advance" carries a strange kind of social currency, like it proves how much someone was thinking about you. Some people even greet a full day early, technically making it not the birthday at all yet, which has become its own running joke within the culture rather than something anyone actually corrects.

It's a small tradition, but it captures something very Filipino: showing up early and enthusiastically for the people you care about, even if it technically doesn't make calendar sense. Do you have friends who insist on the "advance" greeting, or are you someone who waits until the actual day?

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