The Filipino Cultural Association (FCA) is one of the first Filipino American collegiate/student associations to be formed in the Metro Washington, DC area. It is the resident Fil-Am student group at The University of Maryland, College Park.
History The student network organization was originally designed to increase awareness of Filipino culture, as well as strengthen the unity among its members through cultural, academic, athletic, and social programs. Formed in 1978-79 under the leadership of Lito Sison, several Filipino students sought to unite other Filipinos in the University of Maryland, much in the same way that other Fil-Am student groups started in colleges/universities on the West Coast United States, and elsewhere. Originally called "Samahang Pilipino," the organization adopted the name "Filipino Cultural Association (FCA)" in 1981. It then reached its arms out to welcome friends of other nationalities interested in discovering the beauty and excitement of the Filipino culture and history.
Filipino American Studies The Filipino American Studies Program (FAST) began as a direct result of a request from the newly appointed Director of Asian American Studies, Larry Hajime Shinagawa. During the Fall of 2006, he asked Jonathan Sterlin and the executive board of the Filipino Cultural Association, who played a substantial role in the establishment of the University of Maryland's Asian American Studies Department, to lead this endeavor with the following three goals in mind:
To enhance the diversity of the University's course offerings by educating the campus community about the role Filipino Americans have played throughout the history of the United States and examining the culture, societal contributions, and contemporary experiences of Filipino Americans; To partner with the Asian American Studies Department and representatives from the greater Filipino American community to develop the curriculum; and To serve as a model for other ethnic groups to follow in the future development of diversity offerings at this University as well as other post-secondary institutions throughout the country.
The Filipino American Studies Program is integrally linked to the Asian American Studies Department at the University of Maryland, College Park whose mission is to provide students with the opportunity to study the experiences of Asian Americans critically.
Philippine Culture Night (PCN) FCA has a 42-year-old history of hosting its annual PCN – Philippine Culture Night – every Spring semester. The organization showcased their 42nd annual show on Saturday, April 12, 2025 at 5PM in the Stamp Student Union Grand Ballroom. The event started out as a simple showcase of Filipino culture; highlighting cultural and modern dancing, singing, and comedy skits. Often, the organization would bring in local talent (singers/singing groups, folk dance troupes, martial artists, etc.) to perform, but as the years progressed, FCA began to pull resources from within their growing membership – many of whom had participated in their local community Fil-Am organizational dance troupes and schools. During the 1994-1995 PCN, the show took on a form that was modeled after the PCN of UC Berkeley after then president, Paolo Macabenta, got the idea from one of his home visits to San Francisco. The show incorporated cultural (ethnic and pop-cultural) dances and songs into a full-length production in the form of a play. Often the topics of its plays depict the true-to-life experiences of Fil-Am youth, and how they clash-but-learn with the culture of their parents.
Campus Activities Aside from the yearly PCN, FCA participates in a number of events including the student fairs sponsored by the university, Cultural Explosion, many of the events sponsored by the Asian American Student Union, as well as inter-organizational events with other student groups. An example would be the annual FACES Fashion Extravaganza/Party. FACES started in 1995 as a social event between FCA and the Chinese Culture Club (CCC). The organization auditioned students to model fashions from local designers and/or retail stores. The event would end with a party for its audience and the participants themselves. For the second annual event, the Korean Student Association (KSA) joined both FCA and CCC as the third-sponsoring student organization for the event. FACES was named after a nightclub of the same name in Manila, Philippines. FACES continues to strive for excellence and takes pride in showcasing local talent to the community abroad.
Involvement with FIND/D6 FCA is also a founding-member organization of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue's sixth district. More popularly known as "D6," the group comprises Fil-Am student groups from University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Towson University, Johns Hopkins University, and George Mason University. D6 encompasses the Mid-Atlantic Region of FIND, and is the sixth of eight districts that span from Maine down to Florida. In addition to FIND, D6 schools participate in sports such as George Mason University's Turkeybowl and D6 Basketball, where they all have a chance to compete with each other. They also have picnics where they can meet other members of the other Filipino clubs in the district.
Executive Board +2025-2026 Executive Board Position Name PresidentTroy Rementina Vice PresidentIzzy Vallar TreasurerMatthew Reyes TreasurerDevyn Nguyen Cultural ChairNathan Castelo Cultural ChairHermione Tabeta SecretaryAaron Atayan Director of Public RelationsGabriel Pasahol-Copeland Director of Public RelationsBea Montances Community Service ChairMichaela Raqueno FIND-D6 RepresentativeGabby Garcia FIND-D6 RepresentativeTimothy Calahatian Sports CoordinatorAenon Denaque Sports CoordinatorOlivia VallarDesign and Publication EditorJahniya Isabel Braga HistorianKatelyn Bowman HistorianIsaiah Dalisay WebmasterSebastian Busog Freshman RepresentativeKatelyn Hipolito Freshman RepresentativeToni Tan
Past Presidents +Past FCA Presidents School Year Name(s) 2025-2026 Psalmy Lacson 2024-2025 Eman Bautista 2023-2024 Brandon Price 2022-2023 Andrea Cagurangan 2021-2022 Enzo Regala 2020-2021 Dominic Escobal 2019-2020 Noemi Arquero 2018-2019 Pamela Tarectecan 2017-2018 Eric Flores 2016-2017 Alexis Flores 2015-2016 Joel Vazquez 2014-2015 Jonathan Reyes 2013-2014 Krystle Canare 2012-2013 Andrew Aggabao Spring 2012 Jitter Garcia Fall 2011 Nicole Calaro 2010-2011 Jeanine Reyes 2009-2010 Jose Alejandro N Almario 2008-2009 Steve Encomienda 2007-2008 Maricel Hernandez 2006-2007 Jonathan Sterlin 2005-2006 Ryan Herrera 2004-2005 Bianca Viray 2003-2004 Catherine Cervantes 2002-2003 Brandon Feráren 2001-2002 Greg de Guzman 2000-2001 Cezar Lopez 1999-2000 Angela Ly 1998-1999 Marnie Mataac 1997-1998 Wendel Ladringan (Julie Chua, Co-President Fall 1997) 1996-1997 Pete Murray 1995-1996 Noel Barrion 1994-1995 Paolo Macabenta 1993-1994 Maria Elena (Bow) Salientes 1992-1993 Cesar Padua Cube
References
External links Official Website