Bangon, Kabayan: Pistahan sa Fulton
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 19 Sep 2025
San Francisco — On Saturday, October 11, 2025, the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and the Filipino American Center present Bangon, Kabayan: Pistahan sa Fulton — a phrase that means “Rise up, my countrymen.”
This first-of-its-kind barrio fiesta for Filipino American History Month will run from noon until five. Fulton Plaza Steps — between the Main Library and the Asian Art Museum — will come alive with stories of Filipino American history and heritage.
Jaena Rae Cabrera, Program Manager, and Melissa-Ann Reyes, Librarian, of the SFPL Filipino American Center, helped bring this vision forward. They have carefully produced a program filled with boxing demonstrations, music, dance, and community life on the Fulton Steps — the plaza that links the Main Library with the Asian Art Museum; a gathering place for San Franciscans, and a stage where Filipino stories continue to find their voice.
The afternoon begins with a martial arts and boxing demonstration led by Master Danovis “Dee” Pooler and the Philippine Boxing Historical Society and Hall of Fame. It honors Filipino fighters who crossed the Pacific from 1910-1940 to test themselves in San Francisco rings and beyond — men whose contests showed skill and, above all, the heart of athletes fighting for respect… as much as for victory.
Following that, the LIKHA Pilipino Folk Ensemble will bring dances drawn from town fiestas across the Philippines. As the day winds down, hip-hop artist Power Struggle steps in, blending lyrics of migration and resilience with rhythms that reverberate for today’s Fil-Am generation.
The SOMA Pilipinas Jeepney will stand proudly as a symbol of Filipino identity in the Bay Area. Nearby, Los Kuyas will serve its Fil-Mex fusion cuisine, while artisans lay out crafts and goods — together weaving a plaza-long celebration of heritage and creativity.
This gathering is free to the public and draws support from across the community — SOMA Pilipinas, the LIKHA dance ensemble, San Francisco Recreation and Parks, Power Struggle, Los Kuyas, the Civic Center Community Benefits District, the SFPL Small Business Center, and the Filipino American Center.
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The Philippine Boxing Historical Society & Hall of Fame Booth
In a gracious inclusion by the organizers, the Philippine Boxing Historical Society and Hall of Fame offers a humble display — a memory chest that opens to the Filipino immigrant story through the lens of boxing.
Photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts recall the years when boxing reigned and Filipino fighters carried their people’s pride into San Francisco rings and beyond. From Francisco Guilledo (Pancho Villa) and Benjamin Gan (Small Montana) to Eleuterio Zapanta (Little Dado), Ceferino Garcia, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde, Luisito Espinosa, and Emmanuel Pacquiao, Sr. — these champions are remembered not only as fighters, but as symbols of dignity, resilience… and the immigrant journey sewn into the city’s past.
Save the date:
Event: Bangon, Kabayan: Pistahan sa Fulton
Date & time: Saturday, October 11, 2025 (12:00 - 5:00 p.m.)
Location: Fulton Plaza, Fulton Street Steps, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, California, 94102 (between the Main Library and the Asian Art Museum, near Civic Center BART Station and the U.N. Plaza)
Contact Information: Telephone, 415-557-4400; email: filam@sfpl.org
Admission: Free
Notes of Appreciation
This first story in a five-part series highlights Bangon, Kabayan: Pistahan sa Fulton.
We thank the San Francisco Public Library and the leaders of the Filipino American Center, Jaena Rae Cabrera and Melissa-Ann Reyes; their vision and support brought this celebration to life. May the spirit of Filipino boxing shine once more in the city that lifted our forefathers who once ruled the squared circle.
In that spirit we say again: Rise up, my countrymen.
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