Fil-Am Leader Alice Peña Bulos' name will forever be remembered by the people in South San Francisco; for her unyielding dedication in fighting for equal opportunities in employment and housing, a community centre was named in her honour
The extraordinary life led by professor, civil rights leader, and leader of the Asian American movement Alice Peña Bulos will forever be etched on the minds of Filipino Americans living in the US. In her honour, a Westborough Recreation Centre in south San Francisco has taken her name, two days after her fifth death anniversary.
Bulos had a long list of accomplishments, from 1993 to 2000, she served as the Federal Council on Ageing as appointed by then-President Bill Clinton. In 2006, the Fil-Am leader was honoured as the Woman of the Year for the 19th Assembly District of California after she fought against domestic violence and health care.
She was also conferred the Women Warrior of the Year title by the Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition and was inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.
In the event hosted by South San Francisco City mayor Mark Addiego, consul general Ferrer honoured the contributions and achievements of Bulos, “who devoted her life working for equal opportunities in employment and housing, fighting for the rights of Filipino World War II veterans, and mentoring the future leaders of the Filipino American community.”
“To this day, she inspires us to follow in her footsteps and do whatever we can to uplift the conditions of our kababayans (countrymen) in the Bay Area and beyond, ever persevering to her mantra: ‘To achieve empowerment, we must reach out and empower the community," Ferrer said. “It is an expressed recognition of her work and sacrifices so that the voices of those marginalised and oppressed within the Filipino American community were heard."
Ferrer said that he feels deeply gratified by the decision of the South San Francisco City Council to rename the community centre.
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Meanwhile, Mayor Addiego said that Bulos was “a strong supporter and advocate for the Filipino American community, who spent much of her time promoting public policies and services for Filipino Americans.”
Other government officials present during the rededication ceremony include Daly City mayor Juslyn Manalo, Daly City vice mayor Rod Daus-Magbual, South San Francisco vice mayor Mark Nagales, and South San Francisco City Council Member Buenaflor Nicolas—all of whom are Americans of Filipino descent.
In 2020, a part of Daly City, California's highway was also named after Bulos to honour her involvement in Filipino-American politics. The California legislature approved the resolution ACR 165 which designates the Daly City stretch of State Route 35 as the Alice Peña Bulos Memorial Highway. "We see the influence of Alice Peña Bulos throughout our communities, as well as in elected local and state government leadership. That’s why she’s considered the Godmother of Filipino American politics and empowerment. It’s my honour to carry the legislation that celebrates her legacy,” Assemblyman Phil Ting, author of the resolution, said.
For more information, visit pcgsanfrancisco.org/ and web.facebook.com/PHinSF.
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