LOS ANGELES—Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center will mark Philippine Independence Day on June 6 with a 9am flag-raising ceremony and a host of entertainment and cultural activities.
The committee planning the celebration also announced that the celebration would be held on a weekend to allow more employees and their families to attend. The committee also deferred to the suggestion of Director Annie Cuevas and Deputy Director Manny Ilagan of the Philippine Tourism Authority to move the celebration a week earlier than originally set.
Ms. Cuevas and Mr. Ilagan reasoned that by holding the HPMC event on June 6th, their office would be able to participate fully in the preparation and at the event because it would not held at the same time as the 111th Independence Day Ball on June 13 at the Bonaventure Hotel. Errol Santos, HPMC Business Development Consultant and committee chairman, also said that by holding the event on a weekend more HPMC employees and their families would be able to attend.
HPMC’s Philippine Independence Day celebration last year was considered historic and unprecedented because it was the first time that a Philippine flag was formally raised in a public setting in Los Angeles. Recalling the date, Mike Almanzor, HPMC comptroller, said: "I thought what made it really good was the surprise element since the employees did not know what to expect."
"When we started (the event) there was a lot of negativity," attests Santos. "Things are definitely turning around, and people are getting excited," he told the committee members. "There is a momentum building for this event, and you just have to jump in and make it better."
"Last year there were lots of people, lots of press, and it was so much fun," recalls Mary Jane Tolentino, RN, Director of Nurses of Virgil Convalescent Hospital, one of ten participating healthcare facilities.
This year the organizers will continue awarding prizes for the best traditional Filipino attire. Last year, the Fil-Ams wearing the best "barong tagalog and Filipiniana gown" received $500 each in prizes; that contest will be one of the features in this year’s event. Other activities planned include cultural and entertainment programs, and guest appearances of celebrities, and attractions for each member of the family, including treats for children. Each participating healthcare facilities will create their own games and contests and award the prizes.
"How can we divide the pie and make your time worthwhile?" asked Santos. "I have to split the pie even, to give every facility an even chance to participate and come up with activities and focus attention to their facilities," Santos said.
( Published on March 27, 2009 in Asian Journal Orange county and Inland Empire p. A3 )
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