Battle of the Bamboo 2023: Maunawaan | Understand Your Roots

725 West Roosevelt Road,Chicago IL 60608

18 February, 2023

Description

Battle of the Bamboo is a cultural dance showcase hosted by Filipinos in Alliance at the University of Illinois at Chicago since 2004. Performers have portrayed stories that have been passed down for generations, retold through our rich cultural history and diverse collection of dances in the Philippines. In 2023, Filipinos in Alliance will be hosting our 20th Battle of the Bamboo. This event has grown to attract thousands of spectators to watch dance groups from both high schools and collegiate institutions. Filipinos in Alliance and the 2023 Battle Council are proud to present this year’s theme: “Maunawaan | Understand Your Roots.” “Sometimes it pays not to be interested in what happened but in what did not happen.” - Jose Rizal The Philippines is a nation comprising thousands of islands and hundreds of different cultures. Yet, as Filipino-Americans we pride ourselves in being Filipino, unaware of our culture’s true diversity and our history’s rich complexity. Rarely do we look past karaoke, adobo, and Tinikling to see the nuances of the different languages and traditions spoken and practiced across the countless regions of our home. Thus, as Jose Rizal said, we must delve deeper into our collective roots, history, and culture to understand what did happen, what did not, and how that has led us to today. This year, Battle of the Bamboo hopes to shed light on greater and lesser told stories of our culture and history as we come together to understand our roots. Maunawaan - Tagalog (v.) to be able to understand something; to be able to realize something Maunawaan promotes the idea of educating oneself of their past and roots to evolve it into something better. With this being the twentieth anniversary of Battle of the Bamboo, we have learned that talents can be used as a way to portray what being Filipino is all about; learning a cultural dance, creating a community through modern dancing, or even singing “Original Pinoy Music'' medleys. It is time to reflect on the true meaning of what the event is all about and why we do what we do. This event has captured so many Filipinos all over the midwest because it is a reminder that even though life is vigorous, we have our community and culture to help us understand that we all stand in this adversity, together. Battle of the Bamboo isn’t just a competition, it is a class. This event has always been a time that has brought so much unity within the Filipino Americans all over the midwest, but now, we strive to do better. As we continue reaching for tomorrow, we must look back and see that we have lived under one sky and have chosen our destiny. We have started a new era and now it is time to understand where we come from and our roots. A time to reflect, learn, and appreciate. This is Maunawaan. Hosted by: As more and more Filipino Americans grow up in the United States with limited understanding of their roots, Filipinos in Alliance strives to educate others in the hopes that one may gain a sense of identity by realizing their own heritage, as well as the hardships of their ancestors before them, all in a friendly environment with people like themselves. With that goal in mind, we believe in building a sense of belonging and unity with other Filipinos by working together through numerous events and activities to reach as many members in our community that we possibly could. We strongly believe that by creating a combined effort, and through dedicated teamwork, we can make a difference – as Filipinos in Alliance. Our Philanthropy of the year For Filipinos in Alliance. In addition, the PUSO Foundation will be receiving a certain percentage per ticket that is sold! P.U.S.O. is an acronym that stands for the Purposeful Unconditional Service to Others. The word "Puso" is also a tagalog word that translate into the word "heart". Every action we take as an organization begins with our hearts. The Purposeful Unconditional Service to Others is a 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Organization with the mission of providing hope with a purpose. Our desire is to empower individuals to be involved in service work through the gift of giving back. When a community comes together, we can accomplish just about anything. By raising funds through our annual fundraising events, college outreach program, and various campaigns – we are able to strategically allocate financial contributions to impoverished communities, schools, communal projects and our relief efforts around the world. Whether our commitment to service is exemplified through mission trips, providing basic life necessities, fostering youth engagement, creative outreach or facilitating extracurricular activities, our vision is to plant the seed of faith and opportunity in human beings. We invite you to learn about our journey as we commit and strive to change lives on a global scale together! MAFA exists to promote unity and cooperation amongst Filipinx and Filipinx Americans around the Midwest by promoting Filipinx culture and Asian American awareness, coordinating meetings and events, and supporting the objectives of the MAFA Member Organizations. The acronym MAFA stands for the "Midwest Association of Filipino-Americans." MAFA's vision is to foster a safe, inclusive space for members in the Midwest to engage in social consciousness regarding Filipinx culture and issues, therefore defining and cultivating a Midwest Filipinx-American identity. Through this dialogue, we aim to bridge members to the greater network of the Filipinx diasporic community and to explore personal and professional opportunities and resources. MAFA encompasses many Filipino-American/Asian-American organizations located in the Midwest, and the list of member organizations is only growing. MAFA focuses on preserving our roots and cultivating the development of Filipino student organizations through various events such as the MAFA Picnic, Leadership Retreats, Spring Conference, and Conference within a Conference. The MAFA organization is widely renowned for its annual leadership conference, called the Midwest Filipino-American Summit (MFAS). As of 2012, MFAS has provided the students of MAFA Member Organizations workshops, games, and team-building exercises that encourage them to discover their identities and become leaders of tomorrow. GMA Network, Inc. is the Philippines’ leading broadcasting company which produces the most innovative, most trusted, and top-rating TV programs. Also known as the Kapuso Network, GMA brings superior Entertainment and the responsible, unbiased, and timely delivery of accurate News and Information to Filipinos worldwide. Its flagship channel, GMA, broadcasts free-to-air via VHF channel 7 and its permanent digital TV signal on UHF channel 15. Based on Nielsen Philippines, GMA reached over 80 million Filipinos across the country with 46 percent people audience share in Total Philippines for the year 2021. Headquartered in Quezon City, GMA operates a network of 95 TV stations and 23 radio stations throughout the country. Apart from its television and radio businesses, GMA also owns a wide array of media- related entities engaged in program syndication, film production, music publishing and distribution, set design, audio-visual production, and new media. GMA Network, Inc. was officially listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange in 2007. The Network is now recognized as one of the notable organizations that promote sustainability in the country, being the first media and broadcasting company in the Philippines to sign with the United Nations (UN) Global Compact. The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) is a network of high-performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries. We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora. By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community. FYLPRO was established in 2012 by Former Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the United States of America, Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. and Mrs. Victoria J. Cuisia in cooperation with the Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) to annually identify outstanding young professionals in the Filipino communities across the United States and provide the delegates with invaluable community, business, and government insights and access to a distinguished network captains of industry and government. AFIRE Chicago is a non-partisan grassroots community organization that works to build the capacity of Filipinx/a/os* to organize towards progressive change.​ As an organization founded by Filipino immigrants, we carry with us the legacy of People Power. We believe in supporting the leadership of people most affected by structural injustice and make space for them at the forefront of our movements. We seek to amplify the voices of those most silenced in our community: undocumented families, new immigrants and refugees, domestic workers, low-wage workers, seniors, and youth. We believe in anchoring our work in the Filipinx/a/o principles of ​​bayanihan (communal unity and cooperation), ​​kapitbahayan (neighborhood care), and ​​damayan (mutual aid). We believe in creating programs ​that are ​grounded in popular education​, and addressing issues through an intersectional lens​ to deepen our understanding of the unique experiences of ​our ​community. ​ We believe in ​maintaining diverse spaces for civic reflection that ​cultivate ​collective action and a shared vision for systems change​.​ Health is the fundamental priority of each and every individual. Health does not merely mean the presence of disease but it includes physical, mental and social well being. We, at Advent Health Home Service, provides elder living options an individualized care plans. Our goal is to recognize and assists patients in living independently as much as possible and aging with dignity while providing quality home health care. At Advent, You got your health -- you got your wealth. Founded in 1996, the Philippine American Cultural Foundation (PACF) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization formed exclusively for charitable, civic, cultural, humanitarian, educational and social services. To promote cultural, educational, social and civic activities among Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the Midwest. To foster, promote and encourage increased communications, inter-action, and exchange of ideas among the Filipino American community, the general public, and private and public officials To promote educational programs and activities with respect to issues affecting or of interest to Filipino Americans. To conduct charitable and educational activities that lead to the betterment of Filipino American communities and that help make equal opportunity and fair treatment possible for all Filipino Americans. To gather and disseminate information regarding Filipino American communities and Filipino American organizations and matters affecting or of interest to Filipino Americans. To collaborate with various cultural groups and community organizations in several cultural and humanitarian projects.