Florida State University student Ian Javelosa, senior music therapy major, paints a paper mask at the “Filo-Fest” arts and crafts table on Sunday at Lake Claire.
Benjamin Huber
In the heart of Filipino American Heritage Month, traditional dancers prepared their choreography and a fresh smell of adobo filled the air as UCF’s Filipino Student Association hosted its second annual “Filo-Fest” at Lake Claire.
In collaboration with the Multicultural Student Center, FSA provided an event on Sunday for students to come together and celebrate Filipino traditions. The festival featured a variety of activities, including live performances, food tasting, games and karaoke.
FSA President and senior kinesiology student Alexa Castillo’s plan for “Filo-Fest” was to show everyone what Filipino culture is all about and portray a positive view of their traditions.
“At ‘Filo-Fest,’ anyone is welcome to experience our culture,” Castillo said.
This year, Castillo had a bigger vision for the event and knew she could build on the success of last year’s event. She expected a huge turnout and confidently “doubled the amount of food.”
That vision came into fruition by 2 p.m., Lake Claire’s lawn was filled with students, and the parking lot had to be blocked off.
Throughout the day, sister FSA organizations from other universities in Florida made the trip to Orlando. Visiting schools like Florida State University, University of South Florida and University of Florida alongside UCF students created an infectious celebration of Filipino culture.
Ian Javelosa, a senior music therapy student at FSU, said his group made the four-hour drive to support UCF and strengthen connections between schools.
“We’re really intentional about our relationships with sister FSAs,” Javelosa said. “Making the drive from Tallahassee shows how solid our relationship is with UCF’s FSA.”
Although from different universities, both Javelosa and Castillo expressed a similar sentiment about pushing past their comfort zones in promoting Filipino culture.
“I want to follow along the vision and the goal of FSA … just push past a limit of comfort,” Castillo said.
Javelosa expressed that a split-second decision to try something new can make all the difference. With all the activities at “Filo-Fest,” Javelosa urged others to get a full taste of everything it had to offer.
“Because I stepped out of my comfort zone,” Javelosa said. “I really feel like I’m gonna take away something special.”
For Lorenzo Trocio, a sophomore computer science major, that memorable takeaway was seeing his culture represented on campus, something he does not take for granted.
“We don’t get much representation here in the country,” Trocio said. “So I do like that we have a large presence here … not just in Orlando, but the state as a whole.”
Trocio credits FSA with providing an outlet to express his identity, allowing him to meet his closest friends.
“Most of the people I hang out with to this day are from FSA,” Trocio said. “I just come here to connect with them, have fun and go back to my roots.”
That sense of community and friendship is what he believes makes FSA more than an organization, what President Castillo calls a “home away from home.”
Jonah San Miguel, senior electrical engineering student and FSA board member at the University of North Florida, reflects the sense of closeness shared by the entire Filipino community.
“We’re a very family-centric culture,” San Miguel said. “A lot of our members aren’t Filipino, and that’s the goal — to share our culture. Whether it’s through food, music or just being together, we want everyone to feel included.”
By the end of the afternoon, Filo-Fest had brought together hundreds of students in a lively celebration of Filipino culture. As the aroma of adobo and sweet delicacies faded, the spirit of “Filo-Fest” — the memories, laughter and connections lingered with everyone who attended.