Pag-ibig meaning “love” in Tagalog, is the theme of this year’s Philippine Culture Night. A word many Filipinos are familiar with, pag-ibig can be observed in many aspects of our lives as Filipinos and Filipino-Americans. The romantic love that our lolos serenaded our lolas with, the sacrificial love our immigrant nanays and tatays give us, the filial love we have for our cousins, our titas and titos. The fervent love our Philippine forefathers had for the dream of a free country, the poetic love musicians and artists display for our traditions, the tireless love of overseas Filipino workers caring for their families from abroad.
Through this year’s show, we wish to emphasize the importance of love in all of its forms, for our Filipino love is one of the greatest reasons why our culture, language, dances, music, art, and our community itself continue to exist today. Our love is what has allowed us to persevere through centuries of colonization and political turmoil, to care for one another in times of hardship and disaster, to find one another and build community when we are in a foreign place, and to cherish our families, our friends, and our kapwa for the rest of our lives. We hope that through the dances, songs, and acts of this year’s PCN, all of us can remember these instances of pag-ibig that permeate our lives as Filipinos, and remind ourselves to love our own culture, language, community, and Filipino identity. Magmahalan ta’yo!
Isang Bagsak,
Kayu Core
