PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL

During the unprecedented Philippine Flag raising ceremony held at the Financial District on Friday, 28 October 2022, with the Office of the New York City Mayor, in commemoration of Filipino-American History Month, Mayor Eric Adams peeled off his blazer and tried on the Barong Tagalog gifted to him by Consul General Elmer G. Cato, to the delight of all those present.

This is the first time that Mayor Eric Adams engaged directly with the Filipino-American Community and the Consulate General of the Philippines in New York, ever since he assumed his office on 01 January 2022. This is also the first time a New York City Mayor donned a Barong Tagalog in public.

“I was telling the Consul General I wanted the Barong,” Mayor Eric Adams said, as soon as he reached the podium to deliver his message. “I want to wear that when I am in office.”

The Barong Tagalog is a long-sleeved embroidered shirt, usually made of piña (pineapple leaf fiber), and worn by Filipino men during formal occasions.

As a gateway to the country, New York City has historically been welcoming to immigrants. As a symbol of this immigration policy, the administration of Mayor Adams intends to make the flag raising ceremony an annual event. END.