President quezon history Day
​August 3, 2024

President Quezon History Day was a huge success! Our thanks to all the attendees and to the many volunteers and sponsors who made the event possible. Over 300 people attended the opening ceremony, the street fair performances were fabulous, and hundreds of people visited the special museum exhibit about Manuel Quezon.  

• Visit our Quezon History Day Photo Gallery.
• View Historic Saranac Lake's recorded presentation with Manuel Quezon III.
  
• Opening Ceremony remarks of Historic Saranac Lake Executive Director Amy Catania
• Opening Ceremony remarks of Consul General Senen T. Mangalile
  
• Download the Event Program
  

Press Release

On Saturday, August 3, 2024, members of the Filipino American and Filipino Canadian community from across the region and all members of the general public were invited to attend a day-long celebration commemorating the first democratically elected president of the Philippines, Manuel Quezon, who stayed in Saranac Lake 80 years ago.  Activities included:

• An opening ceremony at 11am at the Harrietstown Town Hall to welcome dignitaries and special guests, including Representatives from PCGNY ( the Philippine Consulate General in New York). 
• Dance performances at the Town Hall and the Street Fair included KAōS Dance Collective, The Golden Maidens Dance Group of Montreal, the Albany-Sinulog Dance Troupe, and FUNraisers NY
• A street fair on Main Street featured Filipino food, vendors and musical performances by Wicked Indios​, Pongsky Tenioso, and the Brown Sugar Band. Filipino food was for sale by Kapamilya Restaurant.
• Filipino-inspired cuisine and drinks were served at the Hotel Saranac throughout the weekend.
• Historic Saranac Lake’s Saranac Laboratory Museum displayed special exhibits about President Quezon, a video recording of a tour of Camp Massapequa, where President Quezon stayed, and a recording of a talk about Filipino history with Luis Francia and Manuel Luis "Manolo" Casas Quezon III. The exhibit featured stories of local Filipino Americans, including music by Priscilla Magdamo.​

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President Quezon History Day is brought to you by Historic Saranac Lake in partnership with the Kalayaan 1521 Council, Inc., a non-profit organization that aims to promote and preserve Filipino culture and heritage. 

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GOLD LEVEL SPonsor: GMA PINOy TV

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BRONZE level Sponsors: ​
Bishop Beaudry Construction
CLOUDSPLITTER FOUNDATION 
Li Goody Goody's
​Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism

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COPPER LEVEL SPONSORS: ​
Explore Adirondacks Frontier
HOTEL SARANAC
HUMANITIES NY
Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce

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FRIEND LEVEL SPONSORS and Partners 
ADIRONDACK HEALTH
NORTH COUNTRY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
RICE FURNITURE
​WILKINS INSURANCE

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Harrietstown Town Hall Performers  (Ceremony begins at 11:00 a.m.) 

• KAōS Dance Collective, based in New York City, creates collaborative, interdisciplinary, and site-specific dance works by centering artists’ individual voices and talents. Though they are a diverse group of artists, many of the collaborators in KAōS are Filipinx-American. Their pieces often are about their experiences as members of the Fil-Am diaspora, and they often use pre-colonial mythology as a thematic tool. The director, Nikaio Bulan Sahar Thomashow, is originally from Saranac Lake and is of Cebuano descent. The performance will consist of two pieces - one about our experiences as Filipinx-Americans and one that takes inspiration from mythology. The music will be composed by Nikaio Bulan Sahar Thomashow, and all movement will be made collaboratively. 
• The Golden Maidens are talented dancers, united by their love for Filipino culture and their passion for captivating performances. The group consists of members of the Filipino Heritage Society of Montreal. Golden Maidens is more than just a dance group; it is a dedicated ensemble of passionate artists striving to preserve and showcase the beauty of Filipino culture. Through their captivating performances, they paint a vivid picture of the country's rich traditions, captivating audiences with every graceful movement.
• ​The Panday Tinig Choral Ensemble was founded in 1985. It is a non profit & charitable organization, registered under the Canada Corporations Act. Its mission is to promote Filipino musical heritage, using our voice to support charitable projects. Panday Tinig has 4 awards received from Canada & the Philippines. The Panday Tinig is led by Paul Imperial, Music Director, and Edith Fedalizo, pianist.

Berkeley Green Performers (performances begin at 1:00 p.m.)

• Albany-SINULOG Dance Troupe is inspired from the SINULOG Festival of the Central and Southern Philippines, a Feast celebration in honor to Infant Jesus' Devotion every 3rd Sunday of January. "Sinulog" means current flow of water-like steps, as a dance to worship the Infant Jesus, ("Sto NIÑO".) The troupe's costumes are inspired from the Indigenous people back in the Philippines. The queen carries the image of Infant Jesus as they dance.
• FUNraisers of New York FunRaising na punong-puno ng sayawan, tawanan at kainan para sa kabutihan (Fundraising with much dancing, laughter, eating, & fellowship for a great cause)
• Panday Tinig Choral Ensemble​
• Wicked Indios​
• Pongsky Tenioso
• Brown Sugar Band

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Getting Ready for August 3...  Here are some of the events and activities
​leading up to August 3 President Quezon History Day in Saranac Lake, NY!

JUNE 29: Philippine Independence Day celebration in Albany

June 15, 2024: Visits with North Country Filipino Communities

We had the pleasure of attending two Independence Day gatherings in the North Country on June 15 to meet new friends and share information about President Quezon History Day on August 3 in Saranac Lake. We attended gatherings hosted by the Filipino American Community in Colchester, VT and the  Filipino American Community of the North Country in Mooers, NY. The Colchester celebration kicked off with a rendition of the Filipino National Anthem. 

JUNE 12, 2024: ONLINE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE HISTORY OF PRESIDENT QUEZON

On June 12 Filipino Independence Day, we hosted an online discussion with Luis Francia and Manuel Luis "Manolo" Casas Quezon III.

The recording will be shared with the public soon, and will be presented at the museum on August 3 President Quezon History Day. 

The discussion and planning for the commemorative President Quezon History Day on August 3 is supported by a Vision Grant from Humanities NY. See the Press Release.

June 2, 2024: Philippine Independence Day Parade in New York City

We were thrilled to participate in the Philippine Independence Day Parade in New York City on June 2! Friends from near and far marched down Madison Avenue with our banner publicizing President Quezon History Day in Saranac Lake on August 3. We enjoyed meeting many new friends and learning about Filipino culture and history. Special thanks to planning committee members Ambie Garcenila, Cat Hadlow, and Maricar Tangonan. Find out more about the exciting events planned for August 3 on our event page:

MAY 28, 2024: TOUR OF CAMP MASSAPEQUA

On May 28, we enjoyed a private tour of historic Camp Massapequa on Lower Saranac Lake, where President Manuel L. Quezon died on August 1, 1944. Our thanks to Barbara Darring for her hospitality. We look forward to sharing photos from the camp tour as part of the special museum exhibit at the Saranac Laboratory Museum for President Quezon History Day on August 3, 2024.

Five years ago: The First Commemoration of President Quezon's time in Saranac Lake