SAN FRANCISCO – The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco welcomed the New Year through a series of performances by GANAP (Galaw, Awit, Ngiti, Arte at Palakpak) Performing Arts Association at the Philippine Center last January 2, the Consulate’s first work day of the year.
Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank Ferrer welcomed GANAP, led by its Artistic Director Dr. Alexis Jan Patacsil, for a call at the Philippine Center’s Sentro Rizal.
GANAP is currently in the San Francisco Bay Area for their 2nd USA Goodwill Concert Tour. The group previously staged concerts in December 2023 in the Bay Area cities of Oakley, Hayward, and Fremont, California.
In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer expressed his appreciation to GANAP for visiting the Philippine Center to perform in the Consulate’s first cultural activity of the year.
“We at the Consulate always look forward to welcoming visiting artists and cultural groups from the Philippines, as they always bring a piece of home here in the US GANAP is welcome to come back in the Bay Area as citizen ambassadors of Filipino culture and artistry,” Consul General Ferrer said.
GANAP then performed an a cappella medley of Filipino and American songs, to the delight of Consul General Ferrer and Consulate officials in attendance.
Prior to the call on the Philippine Consul General, GANAP staged a mini-concert before successful dual citizenship applicants at the Philippine Center’s Kalayaan Hall, where they performed Filipino Christmas and patriotic songs. The group made the Consulate’s first dual citizenship oath-taking ceremony for 2024 special by performing a live rendition of the Philippine National Anthem.
GANAP was established in September 2016 as GANAP Quezon City Polytechnic University, catering to underprivileged yet talented Quezon City youth.
On its first international tour in 2018, GANAP received three silver diplomas at the 5th Singapore International Choral Festival, was selected as one of the 14 participating choirs at the 3rd Macau International Choir Festival and had an opportunity to perform during the birthday concert for Pope Francis. In 2019, the group was awarded the Manuel L. Quezon Gawad Parangal for Most Outstanding Institution by the Quezon City government. During its first U.S. concert tour, GANAP was recognized with three special congressional citations from the U.S. House of Representatives and was featured in the local TV program “Good Morning Las Vegas”.
