Seafood City Sponsors 4th annual Historic Filipino Town 5k Run


4th Annual Historic Filipino Marathon

LOS ANGELES – More than 400 runners rose early last Saturday, August 7 to participate in the 5k run through Historic Filipinotown, an annual event that brings together the community and to celebrate the creation of this area where Filipinos originally settled in the 1940s.

"This is event is for people to discover what Historic Filipinotown is all about," said Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council (HIFINC) President Cecilia C. Ramos.

Since its designation in 2002 by the LA City Council, the HIFINC has been trying to attract more people and businesses to Historic Filipinotown, a 2.1-mile area that comprises of the 101 Hollywood Freeway to the North, Hoover St. to the West, Glendale Blvd. to the East, and Beverly Blvd. to the South. HIFINC hosts two main events to try and attract tourists – a parol parade in December and the 5k Run in August.

But many of the runners who participated for the first time in the fourth annual 5k run, felt that Historic Filipinotown is nothing more than a sign off the freeway and the top of the light poles around surrounding the area.
"It's great that we have a place named after us but it needs more Filipino landscapes," said John Gamboa, a 28-year-old from Agoura Hills.

"It'll bring more visibility to the community," added Wes Gambrillo, a friend of Gamboa's who also participated in the 5k run for the first time.

The HIFINC organizers know the situation well. Adding more Filipino landscape and have more of a Filipino feel in the area is something they are working on with the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles but admit it's difficult with the area being only 20 percent Filipinos and three neighborhood councils sharing the area.

"We've met with the redevelopment agency several times and that's something we have been urging them to do – to invest in Historic Filipinotown," said Ramos. "We need more Filipino stores, restaurants and markets like a Seafood City in the area. That's our next goal."

"Obviously, Chinatown and Little Tokyo has had more of a head start than us," said David Rockella, president of Rampart Village Neighborhood Council, one of the three neighborhood councils that share Historic Filipinotown. "We're only eight years old. Eventually, we will become a cultural destination stop like Chinatown and Little Tokyo."

Currently, there are a little bit more than 25 landmarks, businesses and non-profit organizations inside Historic Filipinotown but many are spread out around the area and would need someone to point out that a certain landmark was Filipino related.
Ramos urges Filipinos, many of who moved out of the neighborhood to other Filipino enclaves like West Covina, Carson, Cerritos, Eagle Rock or North Hollywood to come back to Historic Filipinotown and set up businesses or contribute to the businesses in the area.

"Let's all come here and prove to the politicians and everybody that we are here together, united," said Ramos. "We can develop this place into a cultural destination where we can have a Filipino museum, shop, and dine here in Historic Filipinotown."

Winners
Liliana Hernandez ran the 5k in 19:08 to become the first female to cross the finish line and Jose Moreno earned first place in the men's division by finishing the race in 15:57.