Los Angeles lights City Hall in Philippine colours and gives first Bayanihan Spirit Award to late historian Florante Ibanez
Los Angeles City Hall was lit in the colours of the Philippine flag on 16 October for Filipino American History Month, at a celebration joined by Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, where Filipino American artists and advocates were honoured and historian Florante Peter Ibanez received the inaugural Bayanihan Spirit Award posthumously.
Los Angeles City Hall was illuminated in the colours of the Philippine flag on Friday, 16 October, as elected officials, community leaders, artists and residents gathered to mark Filipino American History Month, Asian Journal reported. INQUIRER.net USA said the landmark building glowed in red, blue, yellow and white.
Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, the first Filipina elected to the Los Angeles City Council, joined the celebration, which was organised by Jurado's Council District 14 office. "History reminds us that Filipino-American history is American history," Bass said during the ceremony. "Filipino history is Los Angeles history," Jurado said. The City Council authorised the illumination through a motion introduced by Jurado and seconded by Councilmember Heather Hutt, approved on 8 September by a 12-0 vote.
A central moment was the posthumous presentation of the inaugural Bayanihan Spirit Award to Florante Peter Ibanez, a historian, librarian and longtime community advocate who died on 30 November 2025. His wife, Rose, and their family accepted the recognition. The award invokes the Filipino tradition of bayanihan, which emphasises collective responsibility, mutual assistance and cooperation for the common good.
The ceremony also honoured musicians Joe Bataan and HILLARI, Dr. Fatima Bustos-Choy, Gerlie Collado, GABRIELA Los Angeles, filmmaker Januel Mercado, artist and cultural organiser Alison de la Cruz, and entrepreneur Ginger Lim-Dimapasok. INQUIRER.net USA reported that Long Beach also marked Filipino American History Month with a lighting ceremony led by Mayor Rex Richardson at the Civic Center. The 2026 national theme is "Beyond the Margins: Centering Intersectional Filipino American Histories."
Key facts
- Los Angeles City Hall was lit in the colours of the Philippine flag on Friday, 16 October 2026.
- Councilmember Ysabel Jurado's motion for the illumination was approved on 8 September by a 12-0 vote.
- Historian Florante Peter Ibanez received the inaugural Bayanihan Spirit Award posthumously.
Official sources
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