The Filipino American Student Association (FASA) is just one of the many cultural clubs at Wilcox that continue to preserve tradition. FASA celebrates Filipino culture at Wilcox through sharing traditional Filipino food, dance, and games. They have monthly meetings in Ms. Rebustes’ room, R203. FASA has already held a series of events this school year, including attending club fairs, and holding Lumpia Fundraisers at the recent Football Games.
FASA recently announced that they are planning to attend the Filipino Festival at Peterson Middle School on October 12th. At the festival, Filipino Clubs from across the Santa Clara school district come together and enjoy games, cultural dance performances, and staple Filipino foods. FASA will be performing three dances at the Festival: Cariñosa, as well as dances to the songs “Salamin Salamin” and “Maybe This Time.” Through the art of dance, FASA continues to keep Filipino culture alive at Wilcox.
For the upcoming Filipino Festival, Co-Presidents Blessy Alkuino and Mark Bullo have planned a thorough 3-week dance practice schedule to prepare for the performance. Members meet after school every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to practice the traditional dance: Cariñosa.
Cariñosa is a traditional Filipino folk dance for couples. It features prominent Hispanic influence, as the origins of the dance can be traced back to the 1500s during the Spaniard colonization period of the Philippines. Cariñosa expresses a deep connection between pairs through movements such as encircling one another and kneeling at the end of the dance to mimic a proposal.
The practice extends into the weekend, with members meeting every Saturday to practice the modern dances: ‘Salamin Salamin’ and ‘Maybe This Time.’ ‘Salamin Salamin’ is an upbeat P-pop song made by the Filipino girl group, BINI, featuring a high-energy dance that is swift and trendy. ‘Maybe This Time’ by Sarah Geronimo is an intensely emotional love song that has transformed into a TikTok dance trend. Alkuino states, “Dance is a powerful medium for storytelling and expression, allowing us to share our unique cultural narratives and foster pride in our identity.” With just a few weeks to practice, FASA club members and officers devote themselves to learning these dances with diligence and determination.
The Annual Wilcox Club Fair took place on August 22nd and 23rd, and FASA advertised on the latter day. FASA officers showed how passionate they are for their club through their enthusiastic advertising. Co-President Mark Bullo was walking around with a handmade photo booth-style sign, encouraging students to take pictures with the sign that read “Pusong Pinoy,” meaning “heart of a Filipino” in Tagalog. Other officers walked around with signs and QR codes encouraging students to sign up for FASA. Fruit jellies were laid out as an incentive for students to join. Alukino recounts the events of the club fair, explaining how “the fair was a great success as we had over 90 students submit the member sign-up form.”
Along with practicing for the Filipino Festival and attending club fairs, FASA has also held several fundraisers selling Lumpia at the Pink Out and White Out Football Game on September 5th and September 20th. Lumpia is a traditional Filipino fried eggroll that contains pork, vegetables, and spices. It is usually served with an orange sweet and sour dipping sauce that provides the crunchy outside texture with sweetness and tanginess. FASA sold five Lumpias for $5 with the sweet and sour dipping sauce on the side. The fundraisers were massively successful, with FASA selling a total of 220 Lumpias at each fundraiser, clearing their entire stock. According to FASA’s advisor, Ms. Rebustes, “During the [Pink Out] Football game, they sold out so we had to order another batch from the restaurant.” According to Alkuino, the money raised at both fundraisers will be used on various props and outfits for FASA’s future cultural dance performances.
FASA is a welcoming club that opens opportunities for students to explore aspects of Filipino culture. One of the great things about Wilcox is the sense of community, and cultural clubs are part of what foster that belonging
When asked what Wilcox should expect from FASA in the future, Alkuino said, “looking ahead, we plan to have our karaoke bonding…and maybe even traditional performances in the quad because October is Filipino American History Month.” With many exciting events happening in the future, FASA plans to have a year filled with fun, food, and expression through dance. Make sure to keep an eye out for future FASA events!
