NEW YORK — The 13th Homecoming sa Konsulado (HSK 2025) filled Kalayaan Hall at the Philippine Center in New York City with music, color, and the warmth of friendship as Filipino alumni from across the East Coast gathered under the theme Yakapin ang Pinagmulan, Ihanda ang Kinabukasan (Embrace our Roots, Prepare for the Future).
Hosted by Pierre Santos (College of the Holy Spirit) and Luis Pedron (De La Salle University), both SAG-AFTRA actors, the program began with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and an invocation led by Assumption College alumna Vivian Talambiras Cruz, followed by opening remarks from Alex Esteban, HSK chair since 2015 and president of the Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association Tri-State.
“Good morning, and thank you all for coming to our annual event,” Esteban said. “This is a product of hard work among all the HSK partners, Vice Consul Pete dela Fuente, Annette Aquino-Herrera, Shen Roxas, and other Consulate staff. This is our 13th HSK since 2012, with 15 schools represented this year.
Consul General Senen Mangalile described HSK as “a celebration of shared roots and enduring friendships.” He encouraged alumni to involve younger generations and demonstrate daily patriotism by supporting Philippine products, tourism, and educational programs, such as KIND Academy Philippines.
“Music is universal”
The morning highlight featured Dr. Raul M. Sunico, concert pianist and former president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. His education began at Ateneo de Manila High School, followed by degrees in music (cum laude), Mathematics, and Statistics from the University of the Philippines. A scholarship arranged by Imelda Marcos through the Young Artists Foundation allowed him to study at The Juilliard School for his Master of Music, later completing a Ph.D. in Piano Performance at New York University. In 2005, he received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Far Eastern University.
He recalled an early turning point — a last-minute request to play at President Ferdinand Marcos’s birthday when the assigned pianist withdrew. Overnight, he memorized a forty-page orchestral score and performed it the next day before the First Lady, who later helped secure his scholarship abroad.
Kalayaan Hall, built in the 1970s under Imelda Marcos’s cultural program, tied his story to a place that once served as a window to Filipino artistry abroad. After brief remarks, he performed two pieces that traced the nation’s musical journey from classical roots to folk rhythm.
Malikmata (“Vision” or “Transfiguration”) marked the rise of Filipino impressionism in the 1930s. Molina’s use of whole-tone textures and chromatic color gave Philippine music a new emotional vocabulary. The work portrays the human cycle. Birth, growth, and return to dust. Sunico’s performance transitioned from uncertain dissonance to lyrical warmth, culminating in a final decisive chord, earning a focused silence followed by applause.
“Maybe it’s not as popular as Christmas in Our Hearts, but that’s pure Philippine music for you,” he remarked.
Sunico next performed a medley of two folk classics. Bahay Kubo, a Tagalog song from the Spanish era, teaches community values and self-sufficiency; Leron Leron Sinta, from Central Luzon, evolved from a work song into a courtship tune. He opened with a brief Beethoven phrase to highlight European influence before moving into the folk rhythms. The crowd laughed and joined softly as the familiar melodies emerged, turning the concert into a shared moment of cultural memory.
By pairing Molina’s impressionist composition with these folk themes, Sunico illustrated the continuum of Filipino music—intellectual yet communal, formal yet heartfelt. When asked about modern genres, he replied:
“Music is universal. If hip-hop inspires you, that’s valid. Re-arranging the classics for new genres is one way to keep them alive.”
Games and cultural sets
Before lunch, alumni gathered for a group photo under their school banners. After lunch, line dancing led by Noel Gamboa (UP) lifted the mood, followed by a talk by Dr. Marivir Montebon, a New York-based journalist and media entrepreneur. A former president of the FilAm Press Club of New York and founder of Awesome Media Ltd., she spoke about the strength of storytelling and honest communication in community building.
Games brought laughter back to the hall. The first, Match the Song and Artist, tested knowledge of OPM hits. The next, Siomai, Siopao, and Suman, turned into a fast team relay that had everyone cheering. A final memory round kept the energy high and the crowd engaged. From fun to purpose, the mood shifted toward creativity and enterprise as the spotlight turned to Yaman.
Friends of the Philippines Society USA Inc. then presented Yaman, a three-day cultural and business showcase celebrating Filipino creativity and enterprise. Set for October 31 to November 2 at the New York Marriott Marquis, Yaman will feature exhibits, performances, and workshops highlighting Philippine design, craftsmanship, and heritage. The program seeks to connect overseas Filipinos with local innovators to build creative and business partnerships.
The cultural program followed with a dance performance by Rowena O’Mary of Mindanao State University, whose poised movements drew warm applause.
She was followed by Kea Chan, the 2024 Aliw Awards Best Female Filipino Performer Based Abroad. A New York-based singer and stage artist, Chan blends classical tone with modern phrasing. Her version of Tagumpay Nating Lahat showed depth and restraint. The song’s lyrics speak of collective success, where every Filipino’s victory contributes to the nation’s progress, and it concludes with Ave Maria, offered in remembrance of the victims of the recent earthquake in the Philippines.
Dr. Michelle Llado-Wrzos (St. Scholastica) and Memi Samson (Holy Spirit) hosted the games and cultural sets, joined by Vice Consul Pete del Fuente and Raquel Romero, who later drew the raffle that ended the gathering.
Now in its 13th year, HSK continues to celebrate Filipino identity, strengthen alumni ties, and keep the connection between the homeland and the diaspora alive through music, language, and community spirit. It endures as a bridge between generations of Filipinos in New York and those at home, a tradition of belonging that grows stronger each year.
Participating Schools: Assumption Alumni Association Abroad; Ateneo Alumni Association of North America; College of the Holy Spirit North America; De La Salle University Alumni Association; Mindanao State University; Philippine Women’s University Alumni Association Tri-State; San Beda Alumni Association East Coast; Silliman University Alumni Association; St. Paul Alumnae; St. Scholastica Alumni Association of North America; UP Alumni Association in America; UP Alumni Association New Jersey Chapter; UP Nurses of the East Coast; UP Medical Alumni Society in America (NY/NJ/CT Chapter); University of Santo Tomas Alumni Association East Coast.
