Plans Unveiled for Philippine American Museum

Filipino community leaders hope the July opening of the Philippine American Museum, believed to be the first in the nation, will serve as a cultural teaching tool for young people.

Supporters say that the museum will serve an estimated 1 million Filipinos living in Southern California.

“I wanted to build something my community can be proud of,” said Marylou Hontiveros-Fernando, founder of the museum.

“This is an important museum because many Filipino American children don’t know their culture, but they can learn more about it here.”

Volunteers and organizers are still collecting artifacts to put on display in time for the museum’s opening.

The museum will initially be housed on the third floor of a building owned by Hontiveros-Fernando and her husband, Rolando Fernando, on Wilshire Boulevard. They have spent $500,000 of their own money to open the temporary site until a permanent building is completed in about two years.

Construction of the museum’s eight-story permanent home along Museum Row will begin next week, Hontiveros-Fernando said. The building will house the museum, a parking structure and office space. She plans to complete the project, which has an estimated cost of $20 million, with help from private donations and government funding.

The first phase of the museum will feature a display on the Philippines and a description tracing the migration of Filipinos to the United States.

The museum will also offer community classes, performing arts events, a modern art gallery and a library with materials in English and Tagalog.