City of Alameda inaugurates Bohol Circle Immigrant Park

ALAMEDA – Local government officials and the Filipino American community gathered in this Bay Area islandcity on January 21 for the official opening of the Bohol Circle Immigrant Park, considered the first recreation park in the United States named after a Filipino American community organization.

Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer joined the historic opening of the waterfront park at Alameda Landing, which was also attended by U.S. House Representative Barbara Lee, California State Senator Nancy Skinner, Filipino American Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Reyes II, Alameda City Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, and Filipino American Alameda City Vice Mayor Tony Daysog.

In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer commended the Bohol Circle Inc. (BCI) for leading the efforts in the waterfront park project. Consul General Ferrer said, “Today’s unveiling of the Bohol Circle Immigrant Park is a testament to the organization’s commitment to communitydriven leadership and service, the perseverance and resilience of its members, and the spirit of pakikipagkapwa and bayanihan.”

The BCI spearheaded a campaign for the naming of Alameda’s new waterfront park after the organization, which led to the passage of a City Council Resolution in November 2022 that approved the name Bohol Circle Immigrant Park.

The BCI, a mutual aid organization formed by Boholano immigrants in 1936, is recognized by the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) as the oldest extant Filipino American organization in the U.S. The BCI established its main center in Alameda in 1965, after pooling money to buy land and build a physical space for Filipinos and Filipino Americans.

“We recognize the unfailing support of Bohol Circle officers and members, past and present, and the Filipino American Community in the Bay Area, who through the years, have provided encouragement and support for the project’s implementation. Certainly, we would not have come this far without the crucial support of the Alameda City Council and the assistance of the Parks and Commissions Committee,” Consul General Ferrer added.

The Philippine Consul General also paid tribute to all immigrants, “women and men, PAGE 10 brand-new episode of “Citizen Pinoy” on Sunday, February 12 at 6:30 PM PT (9:30 PM Eastern Time) through select Cable/Satellite providers, right after TV Patrol Linggo. (Advertising Supplement)