Pilgrimage, California bill to keep 'Delano Manongs' legacy alive

Not many Filipinos -- both in and out of the country -- knew of the  "manongs" of Delano, California, arguably one of the first groups of overseas Filipinos who made their marks abroad.

According to the website of the film Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers, the monicker refers to "farm labor organizer Larry Itliong and a group of Filipino farm workers who instigated one of the American farm labor movement’s finest hours – The Delano Grape Strike of 1965."

The website said Itliong organized a group of 1,500 Filipinos to strike against the grape growers of Delano, California. Although the movement, which brought about the creation of the United Farm Workers Union (UFW), was known for Cesar Chavez’s leadership and considered a Chicano movement, "Filipinos played a pivotal role that began it all."

In present-day California, Assemblymember Rob Bonta of District 18, the first Filipino-American to occupy an assemblymember post there, had introduced Bill AB123 to honor the Delano Manongs. The bill has already passed the Assembly and now awaits signature by California Governor Jerry Brown.

And to spread more awareness to Filipinos across the globe, Filipino-American groups recently held their annual two-day pilgrimage labelled Destination Delano.  

According to organizer Jaki Joano, the event's mission was to pay homage to Itliong and his men and to engage Filipinos in the US with the history and legacy of Filipino-Americans.

The first day saw participants in the pilgrimage trooping to the Ilokano Farms in Orsi, CA. The second day, meanwhile, was marked with important stops in Delano -- from the Filipino Community Hall to the Paulo Agbayani Retirement Village located on the UFW's 40-acre site. The event ended at the grape farms.

Joining in the celebration of the Delano Manongs was Itliong's son Johnny, a celebrated chef who has committed his life to helping keep the legacy of his father -- as well as of his father's men -- alive.

Mexican-American Al Rojas, who is one of the founding members of the UFW, also joined the event where he noted the importance of Itliong and the Filipino farmworkers in American history.

Also at the event were Charles Uy and Joan Armedilla, who wanted to open their minds and enrich their education of the Filipino farmworkers in order to pass on the knowledge to their child.

And so, with annual events like the pilgrimage, believers hope that the legacy and struggle of Itliong and his group will be forever be passed along from one generation of overseas Filipinos to another, and to continue to inspire them in their challenges abroad. -- KBK, GMA News