Filipino-American Community of Fairfield, Suisun, Vacaville, Inc.

Mission

We, the Filipino-American residents of Fairfield, Suisun and Vacaville are inspired by a sincere desire to unite

the Filipino-Americans, to protect our mutual interest, to cultivate and strengthen our social and economic

stability, to preserve and promote our cultural heritage, and to enhance a richer cooperation and support among ourselves and nationalities.

Motto

Strength Through Unity

Core Values

Preservation of Filipino Culture

Education

Faith

Dignity and Respect for Life and Elders

Family

Care for One Another

Hospitality

Bayanihan Spirit

Objectives

To maintain a socioeconomic, recreational, and educational program for members and their families.
To establish and maintain a scholarship fund for children of members and the community.
To give financial assistance to beneficiaries of deceased members.
To preserve and promote our cultural heritage.
To provide financial or material assistance to the needy and underpriveleged social aid program.

Membership

Though the general membership through the years has fluctuated, there has recently been a tremendous growth and presence of Filipino-Americans in these three communities in Solano County during the past 10 years. Not all Filipino-Americans in the cities of Fairfield, Suisun, and Vacaville are members of this organization. Whenever there is a Filipino event, they are more than welcome and they usually attend. It is with the Bayanihan Spirit that all are welcome to join us.

GET INVOLVED

about

ABOVE: These young men were members of the Manila Sporting Club in 1937. They were a mixture of Pangasinan, Ilocano, Tagalog, and Visayans from the Philippines and later joined the U.S. Army Filipino Regiments to fight in the Philippines. They returned after the war to Sacramento and Suisun Valley. As a Sporting Club, they played baseball and basketball, and competed against other young men from the farms. Their opponents were Japanese and Chinese, with the majority being Japanese. They also played pool at a Filipino-owned pool hall in Vacaville. This picture was taken in downtown Vacaville.

HISTORY

1952-56

Led by Al Padilla, approximately 300 Filipino orchard and farmworkers settled in 20 agricultural camps in the Suisun and Vacaville areas. Dick Sanchez and Stanley Garibay organize the Pangasinan Association of Northern California to alleviate Filipinos’ poor living conditions. The association is moved to Stockton then Sacramento after a change in leadership, leaving the Filipinos in Fairfield without any organizations. Stanley Garibay, Victor Orallo, and Nazario Bautista initiate an all-out campaign among fellow farmworkers to re-organize.

OCT 1956

Victor Orallo oversees the first meeting of Filipino farmworkers at Danielson Ranch. Marcelo Abalos is elected as our organization’s first president, and the first Constitution and By-Laws are adopted, voted upon, and approved by its first members.

1970-1980

On August 29, 1974, the organization is incorporated under the name “The Filipino-American Community of Fairfield-Suisun, Inc,” later changing its name in 1977 to “The Filipino-American Community of Fairfield-Suisun-Vacaville & Vicinity, Inc.,” and finally settling on our current name, “The Filipino-American Community of Fairfield, Suisun & Vacaville, Inc.” in 1982.

1990-present

Fil-Am acquires the Jackson Street property in downtown Fairfield, paying the mortgage off in 2003. The clubhouse undergoes renovations in 2015 and Fil-Am’s exemption status change to non-profit charitable organization 501(c)(3) takes effect.