{"id":23246,"date":"2026-02-27T17:17:52","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T22:17:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/?p=23246"},"modified":"2026-02-27T20:34:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T01:34:14","slug":"pcg-new-york-hosts-2026-unity-iftar-a-call-for-solidarity-and-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/2026\/02\/27\/pcg-new-york-hosts-2026-unity-iftar-a-call-for-solidarity-and-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"PCG New York Hosts 2026 Unity Iftar: A Call for Solidarity and Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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PCG New York Hosts 2026 Unity Iftar: A Call for Solidarity and Heritage\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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NEW YORK, February 27, 2026<\/span> \u2013 The Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center served as a beacon of interfaith and international solidarity as the Philippine Consulate General in New York hosted the 2026 Unity Iftar. The event, held in partnership with the Kinding Sindaw Heritage Foundation, brought together a diverse assembly of Filipinos and guests of various nationalities and religions to honor the traditions of the Southern Philippines and the holy month of Ramadan.<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Muslims of various nationalities performed the Maghrib prayer at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in New York during the Unity Iftar held on 26 February 2026 (photos by Joey Magaso).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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In his remarks, Consul General Senen Mangalile reaffirmed the Consulate\u2019s commitment to inclusivity, noting that the stories of Mindanao\u2014of the Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausug, Yakans, and Samals\u2014are the stories of the Filipino people.\u00a0 He noted that the national recognition of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in the Philippines underscores the government’s commitment to our Muslim brothers and sisters.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Consul General Senen Mangalile delivers his remarks to a diverse assembly of Filipinos and guests of various nationalities (photo by Joey Magaso).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The evening was marked by powerful calls for social justice and personal reflections on faith. Renowned community leader Ms. Loida Nicolas Lewis delivered a poignant Unity Response, narrating her firsthand observations of the discrimination faced by Muslim batchmates while she was a student at the University of the Philippines. Her message served as a sobering reminder of the systemic challenges many face, culminating in a passionate call for genuine unity and the dismantling of prejudices within the global Filipino community.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Community leader Ms. Loida Lewis calls for genuine unity and dismantling of prejudices against Muslims, especially within the community (photo by Joey Magaso).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Representing the New York City government, Ms. Aliya Latif, Executive Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships under the Mayor\u2019s Office, delivered a message of solidarity. In a demonstration of the city’s commitment to the immigrant community, representatives from the NYC Mayor\u2019s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) were also present, providing essential resource materials and guidance on city services to the participants.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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s. Aliya Latif, Executive Director of the Office of Faith Based Partnerships of the Mayor\u2019s Office of Mass Engagement delivers the message of solidarity from the NYC government (photo by Joey Magaso).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Sharing a deeply personal perspective, Mr. Sedic Ampanas spoke on the significance of Ramadan, drawing from his memories of growing up in Pagadian City. He narrated how the values of discipline and devotion learned in the Southern Philippines continue to guide him as a member of the diaspora. These reflections were complemented by a soulful Recitation of the Holy Quran by Mr. Zulqarnain Saputra and Mr. Hamza Razuman.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mr. Sedic Ampanas shares personal reflections on the significance of Ramadan (photo by Joey Magaso).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mr. Zulqarnain Saputra and Mr. Hamza Razuman recite verses from the Holy Quran (photo by Joey Magaso).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The spiritual observance concluded with the Adhan and Maghrib prayer led by Mr. Hamza Razuman, followed by a communal meal supported by the Muslim Filipinos in the USA organization, Muslim Women of Queens, La Salle Ice Cream, and Ascend ABA. The evening came to a close with final remarks from Ms. Potri Ranka Manis Queano Nur of Kinding Sindaw, who thanked the attendees for fostering an inclusive community where ancestral traditions and modern identity coexist. The event drew a wide array of distinguished guests, including Dr. Calvin Sun, the emergency room physician and 2025 Manhattan Borough President candidate, highlighting the inter-ethnic and inter-religious appeal of the gathering. END<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PCG New York Hosts 2026 Unity Iftar: A Call for Solidarity and Heritage NEW YORK, February 27, 2026 \u2013 The Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center served as a beacon […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[40,84,27],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nPCG New York Hosts 2026 Unity Iftar: A Call for Solidarity and Heritage - Philippine Consulate General<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/2026\/02\/27\/pcg-new-york-hosts-2026-unity-iftar-a-call-for-solidarity-and-heritage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PCG New York Hosts 2026 Unity Iftar: A Call for Solidarity and Heritage - Philippine Consulate General\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"PCG New York Hosts 2026 Unity Iftar: A Call for Solidarity and Heritage NEW YORK, February 27, 2026 \u2013 The Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center served as a beacon […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/2026\/02\/27\/pcg-new-york-hosts-2026-unity-iftar-a-call-for-solidarity-and-heritage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Philippine Consulate General\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-27T22:17:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-28T01:34:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PR-Photos.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@phinnewyork\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@phinnewyork\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/\",\"name\":\"Philippine Consulate General\",\"description\":\"New York, USA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/2026\/02\/27\/pcg-new-york-hosts-2026-unity-iftar-a-call-for-solidarity-and-heritage\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PR-Photos.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":700},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/2026\/02\/27\/pcg-new-york-hosts-2026-unity-iftar-a-call-for-solidarity-and-heritage\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/newyorkpcg.org\/pcgny\/2026\/02\/27\/pcg-new-york-hosts-2026-unity-iftar-a-call-for-solidarity-and-heritage\/\",\"name\":\"PCG New York Hosts 2026 Unity Iftar: A Call for Solidarity and Heritage - 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