Mabuhay!
We are the FILIPINO-AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF VERMONT
Who We Are
We are Filipino Americans who call Vermont or upstate New York home.
We come from all over the Philippines but we have come together to build a community that fosters love, loyalty and respect for both the Philippines and the United States.
We strive for unity and friendship among our members and with our wider community as we promote Philippine culture and heritage.
We also want to promote civic responsibility and awareness as we recognize our role as Filipino-Americans in Vermont and as citizens of the world.
To be a member
What We Do
To achieve our mission of fostering a strong sense of community, we
sponsor various activities that promote Philippine culture and heritage
host social gatherings to observe Filipino holidays and events, celebrate each other’s milestones and achievements
provide services to our members to help them adjust to life in Vermont and
strive to assist our kababayans back home in any way we can.
If you are interested to know more or participate in all or some of them, check the Description of Activities and Calendar of Events.
Join Us!
If you are a Filipino, Filipino-American or married to a Filipino, and residing in Vermont and upstate New York, we invite you to join us!
Email: filamvt802@gmail.com
In the subject line of your email, please indicate “Membership fee/dues payment” or “Run for Office”
Facebook Group: "Filipinos in Vermont"
In your request, kindly identify where you live in VT or upstate NY and how you heard about us!
Philippine- US Relations
The typical and shorthand way we see Phil-US relations described in history textbooks is this:
“The Philippines became the first U.S. colony after Spain ceded the islands for $20 million in 1898. Then began a process U.S. President McKinley described as benevolent assimilation."
And despite what we recently hear in the news about potential changes in Philippine-US relations, the ties, be they economic, cultural,or military remain strong. This article provides a light take of the examples of our shared interests and history
Or you may be looking for something more official: See this link from the State Department.
Filipino Food: Finally breaking out?
If you know Filipinos, you know we love to eat, and we are proud of our food! Our gatherings are always centered around food (and karaoke) and the Filipinos and Fil-Ams in VT are no different-we always look forward to our potlucks when we come together to share our food from our own regions in the Philippines.
I’m sure everyone has had the experience of explaining the different tastes, colors and smells (the full sensory experience!) of Filipino dishes (dinuguan, pinakbet, kare-kare, binagoongan, patis, ube) to non-Filipino friends!
That is why it is so heartening to know that Filipino food is finally breaking out in the US! Move over Thai and Indian food! Check out these articles:
New York Times: June 15, 2017, “In Tama’s No-Frills Space, the Filipino Food Is Anything But”
Vogue: June 1, 2017, “How Filipino Food Is Becoming the Next Great American Cuisine”
New York Times: Jan 26, 2017, “Filipino Food With Subtlety, and a Splash of 7Up, at F.O.B.”
New York Times: Nov 29, 2016, “Filipino Food Worth the Wait at Bad Saint in Washington”
Filipino Pride: Kababayan in the News!
We are proud to share the recognition that our kababyan, Elsa Misola Aguila, from South Burlington received from The UVM Medical Center. She has been featured in the local South Burlington paper, The Other Paper, “A Nurse by Nature Elsa Misola Aguila”.
Some excerpts: we’d like to share
“…(Nurse Manager Ann M.) Adsem says of Aguila, “After adapting to life in a new country and passing her nursing licensure exam, Elsa started on Baird 4 in General Medicine as a registered nurse in May 2004.” While there, Adsem reported, “Elsa demonstrated strong nursing skill, incredible work ethic, and sincere empathy for the patients in her care. In 2011, Elsa transitioned to the inpatient oncology unit with a desire to expand her nursing knowledge….”
“…Including being instrumental in the orientation and training of no less than 20 new staff members on Shepardson 4, Adsem says, “Elsa has touched the lives of hundreds of patients and family members through her thoughtful, kind, and highly skilled care….”
“…Daniel W. Hudson, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing Operations and Resources at the UVM Medical Center says, “Nurses are the hub, connecting everyone and everything together. We celebrate nurses because of their tremendous impact on patients and their families. Elsa’s story represents the best of UVMMC’s dedication…”
The Filipino community in Vermont can attest to her dedication and kindness through the years. She is actively involved in every activity, and she and her family, husband Rene and kids Earl and Eryn, generously open their homes (their kitchen!) to everyone for meetings or just for hanging out. We know how valuable she is to our group. But this article shows how valuable she is to the medical community in UVMMC as well.
Elsa we are lucky to have you as part of our community, and you make us so proud!
If you have other news about our kababayans that we can feature on our “Filipino Pride” section, let us know!