By Cristina DC Pastor
The Philippine Center was built in the 1970s during the time of the Marcos regime, a time when activist fervor was high and some Filipinos were wondering, “How can a poor country like the Philippines afford to own a building on Fifth Avenue in New York City?”
Imelda Marcos, at the height of her popularity, cut the ceremonial ribbon.
It’s been 50 years since that era and the Philippine Center – often mistakenly called by some as the Philippine Consulate — has largely been a venue for art and festivity: fashion shows, art exhibits, musical concerts, poetry reading, parol-making workshops, Simbang Gabi, etc. Its lobby is a gallery displaying art works by up-and-coming artists and long-deceased masters.
The center – located on the same side of Fifth Avenue as the New York Public Library and opposite Barnes & Noble bookstore — has grown and expanded its reach. It has become a favored location for gatherings of Filipino American groups in the 10 states served by the consulate in New York, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
The Philippine Center and the Philippine Consulate are almost always referred to as one and the same but they are not, said Deputy Consul General Adrian Cruz, manager of the Philippine Center Management Board. He explained the difference during a recent guest appearance on Makilala TV.
“In June 1974, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. signed Presidential Decree 487 authorizing the creation of Philippine Centers abroad. The aim at that time is to consolidate all the activities of all government offices and agencies in the United States in one place. In that same Presidential Decree 487, a Philippine Center Management Board shall be incorporated, and this agency shall acquire a building to house within its premises all offices and agencies of the Philippine Government, and that building shall be called ‘the Philippine Center.’”
To date, he said there are three Philippine Center buildings: two are in the USA — in New York and San Francisco — and the third in Sydney, Australia.
According to Cruz, the lot and building on 556 Fifth Avenue was purchased on October 29, 1973 from the Knights of Columbus. The lot measures 50 feet long, with a depth of 100 feet. Total lot area is 5,000 square feet.
Currently, the Philippine Center houses the offices of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations, the Philippine Consulate General in New York, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry, the Philippine Department of Tourism and the Social Security System of the Philippines all on a rental arrangement.
Dr. Connie Uy, former chair of the board of PAFCOM, remembers the early years before the Philippine Center. The building, she said, was simply known as Philippine House and within its premises was a Filipino restaurant owned by Nora Daza, as well as the offices of the Philippine National Bank and Philippine Airlines. At the time consular services were done on East 66th Street, she said.
In 1974, when the Philippine Center became a dedicated venue for official government activities, consular services transferred to its current location on 556 Fifth Avenue. Various events were celebrated here, and community organizations participated in government-sponsored gatherings.
The center has seven floors, two mezzanines, and a basement. The main auditorium known as Kalayaan Hall is where formal functions are usually held.
Uy remembered one of the memorable events she had witnessed at the Philippine Center: the 2005 visit of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
“She was the first Filipino president that visited the center,” she recalled. It happened during the time when she spoke as one of the panelists at a United Nations meeting.
“That was historic for me,” she said.
After that there was a townhall meeting which led to the organization of the PIDC, or the Philippine Independence Day Council which was tasked to organize the Madison Avenue parade.
“The purpose of the Philippine Center was networking of various organizations. I attended a lot of those events and collaborative endeavors as president of the Philippine Medical Association,” she said. “It was a very good way to be involved with the community.”
Filipinos in the United States are proud to see the Philippine Center stand proudly on Fifth Avenue, said Cruz. “There is no other country with a diplomatic presence on this famous street.”
Do you see your hometown?
Curious about the names of cities, towns and provinces on the ceiling and walls of the center? Cruz said the off-white stone letterings is called a ‘low relief art structure.’
“You see the cities, towns and provinces of the 17 regions of the archipelago as it existed in 1974. We do not have the record of the name of the artist, but we do know it is a permanent art installation set up the same time the building was inaugurated,” he said.
At that time, the Balikbayan Program has just been introduced by the Philippine Department of Tourism.
“Filipinos residing in New York, when they enter the center, are greeted with a sense of nostalgia as the low relief reminds them of their hometowns,” he said.
The Simbang Gabi was also started by the center in 1987, together with the Independence Day festivities. June 12th was initially celebrated only as a Street Fair and cultural show along 45th Street.
“The Filipino community has brought the Simbang Gabi tradition to their local churches,” noted Cruz. “I believe you can see this as propagation of Filipino culture.”
Right now, the Philippine Center has been “showing its age,” he lamented. “We have set aside plans to celebrate the anniversary until we do needed repairs in the sidewalk vault, an area beneath the sidewalk that is two floors deep.”
“I look at the Philippine Center as something like a time-travel capsule,” he continued.
“It brings you to a place that has preserved the culture of the Philippines at a particular time, the 70s and the 80s. I look at the center as a fine example of the strategic foresight of the Marcos administration, which knew the importance of acquiring real estate property in an important business district in New York City.”
