COLMA – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, led by Consul General Neil Ferrer and Madame Miriam Ferrer, joined the kumares and kumpares of the Alliance for Community Empowerment (ALLICE), a Filipino American anti-domestic violence advocacy group, in its 20th anniversary gala at the Colma Community Center on October 24, 2023.
ALLICE’s 20th anniversary gala coincided with the commemoration in October of both the Domestic Violence Awareness Month and the Filipino American History Month across the United States.
In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer cited the cases of Fil-Am single mothers Claire Joyce Tempongko of San Francisco and Frances Kendra Lucero of Daly City, killed 23 years apart by their former partners at home in front of their children.
According to the Philippine Consul General, the two cases are a stark reminder that “the problem of domestic abuse and violence will not be solved overnight,” and that “there will be more Claire Joyces and Frances Kendras if we do not act as a united community.”
“Violence against women, children and the elderly becomes a public health issue — a concern for each and every one of us — when it affects a person’s attitudes, behaviors and sense of self, when it limits an individual’s potential and personal growth, and when it impacts a person’s family and the wider community,” said Consul General Ferrer.
Following the spate of anti-Asian hate in the U.S. over the last three years, which makes seniors more vulnerable to abuse and assault, the Philippine Consul General also highlighted the importance of incorporating elder care and abuse prevention in efforts that will keep Filipino and Filipino American homes free from abuse and violence.
“For 20 years now, the ALLICE Kumares and Kumpares has been at the forefront of destigmatizing domestic abuse, of creating a safe environment for those who have found the courage to unshackle themselves from abuse, and of ending the cycle of violence within Filipino American homes… For the next 20 years and beyond, the Consulate commits itself to remain an ally of ALLICE in promoting healthier relationships, homes, and communities through education and civic engagement,” Consul General Ferrer said.
Throughout the program, ALLICE recognized the Consulate’s role in the organization in the last two decades, including events held at the Philippine Center in San Francisco, and the conduct of an online training on intimate partner violence with the Consulate and other Philippine foreign service posts in the U.S.
Fil-Am California Attorney General Rob Bonta keynoted the event by outlining the programs of the California Department of Justice for domestic abuse and violence survivors, while San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa led the audience in reciting “Pledge to Help End Domestic Violence.”
After the program, organizers distributed copies of the A-List Resource Guide, ALLICE’s directory of relevant government and non-government service providers in the Bay Area for Filipino and Fil-Am domestic abuse survivors.
ALLICE, which was formed in 2003 as the Fil-Am volunteer group of San Mateo County’s Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA), is currently led by co-president and Fil-Am South San Francisco Mayor Buenaflor Nicolas, co-president Anastacio “Junior” Flores, and executive director Cherie Querol Moreno. Fil-Am Colma Mayor Joanne del Rosario also serves as an ALLICE member. (PCGSF Release)
