As a celebration for Philippine Independence Day, Filipino American History Month Jam hosted Jeepney Jam on Friday, a cultural celebration offering Philippine-style foods, live entertainment and vendors.
FAHM Jam is an organization focused on celebrating the Filipino American culture and community through events in Silicon Valley, according to its official Instagram page.
The event was held at Garden at the Flea inside the San José Flea Market, allowing small businesses and performers the opportunity to showcase their unique original creations.
Next to the main entrance of the event was a stage set for scheduled live performances, including Hinahanap, The Band, Sabrina Shauna, Good Time Band and event emcee Row.
Past the crowds of people surrounding the performers on stage were rows of small businesses, artists and vendors displaying various offerings for attendees.
Samanatha Fong, a Filipino owner of her small business, The Sam Musubi, had stationary items, sticker books, keychains, plushes and more on display on Friday.
“I mainly specialize in Kawaii food-themed items, which is mostly inspired by Asian culture,” Fong said. “I really resonate with this event and I think it’s a really good way to support Filipino pride and commemorate our history.”
Philippine Independence Day is celebrated annually on June 12 to commemorate the Philippine’s declaration of independence from Spanish colonial rule in 1898, according to Britannica.
At San José City Hall, the Philippine and American national anthems played as the Philippine flag was raised to celebrate 128 years of independence for Filipinos, according to a Friday The Mercury News article.
Over 100,000 Filipino Americans in the South Bay come together on June 12 to find commonality and celebrate the values they cherish the most.
Bee Adame, an annual attendee for FAHM Jam Philippine Independence Day celebrations, says she enjoys supporting Filipino-run small businesses.
“I like that it’s almost like a community event, almost like a family function for us because we’re Filipino and we love coming here,” Adame said. “It’s like a little community and we love supporting each other in that way.”
Among these rows of small businesses were Anisha Patel and Josanna Aguilar, part of Khamila Luna, a small business offering vegan, detergent-free bath and body care for people with sensitive skin.
“The scents are all inspired by the Phillipines, like the landscape, the boldness and the joy of the buildings, everyone is so full of life,” Aguilar said.
Khamila Luna comes from Aguilar’s daughter, Khamila, because she started her small business while pregnant with her. “Luna” is part of the name because most of the products were worked on late at night.
Past the vendors, various food trucks offered different cultural foods, such as Mexican tortas, quesabirria, menudo and tacos, and Filipino sisig, tocino and longanisa.
“I like how this is just, like, bringing Filipinos together,” Aguilar said. “You don’t see very often, like, a Filipino vendor at a market. This is kind of like showcasing to people what we can do and what we can offer.”
Throughout the event, many community members spent the day in the summer heat enjoying different variations of their culture being seen and represented.
Garden at the Flea is scheduled to host its next event, a Pulga Y2K and Vintage Market, at the San José Flea Market on Saturday.
