Upcoming Activities/Events/Message from the President/CEO

Saturday, October 18, 2025.  The Buy Filipino Network is presenting a Philippine Heritage Night, a Benefit Dinner. 

Saturday, December 27, 2025, starting at 11:00 am at the Buffet House located at 651 Palomar Street in Chula Vista.

 _________________________________________________________________________________
For upcoming UPI meetings, please check and save the date(s) listed below:

November 8, 2025

Future meetings: TBD

_______________________________________________________________________________

October 17, 2025

Dear UPI Team, Friends, and Valued Supporters:

After months of uncertainty about reaching our minimum goal of 180 attendees, we were thrilled to welcome a total of 266 paid guests to UPI’s 3rd Anniversary, Cultural Night, and Awards Ceremony held last Saturday, October 4, 2025, at the Four Points by Sheraton San Diego on Aero Drive.
Attendance didn’t begin to climb until about three weeks before the event—and continued rising right up to the night before. This pattern reflects two familiar Filipino traits: saka na (later) and tiwala (trust).  Over the years, we’ve learned to trust (tiwala) that when our families, friends, and acquaintances say “saka na, it’s still early,” they usually come through.

Unfortunately, 12 of the 266 paid attendees were unable to join us due to unforeseen circumstances beyond their control.

Aside from a 30-minute blackout that briefly interrupted the momentum of the evening, the overall feedback was overwhelmingly positive.  So… what’s next?

For the remainder of the year, United Pilipino International (UPI) has three major events scheduled.  First, our General Membership Meeting will take place on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the Bay Terraces Community & Senior Center, located at 7445 Tooma Street, San Diego, CA 92139.  Next, we’ll head to Viejas Casino & Resort for our casino fundraising trip on Sunday, November 16, 2025.  Finally, we’ll close out the year with our Annual UPI Members & Supporters Holiday Appreciation Luncheon on Saturday, December 27, 2025, at Buffet House, 651 Palomar Street, Chula Vista, CA 91911.

At our upcoming meeting on Saturday, November 8, we’ll have an After Action Review (AAR) of the October 4 event, followed by planning discussions for next year’s major activities.  We’ll kick off preparations for the 2026 UPI Dance-A-Thon, which will once again be held at Dance Headquarters, located at 5035 Shawline Street, San Diego, CA 92111.  We’ll also start organizing our 4th Anniversary, Cultural Night, and Awards Ceremony event, scheduled for October 2026.  For this event, we’re exploring alternative venues with reliable backup power to avoid extended outages—ideally one that can restore electricity immediately in case of a blackout.  Sycuan and Viejas, our strongest community partners for October cultural events, are top contenders, and we’ll look into securing an affordable package with one of them.  The full agenda for the November 8 meeting will be emailed by the end of this month.
There are still discounted tickets available for the Sunday, November 2, 2025 TheMaestro & The Ryan Cayabyab Singers Concert at Sycuan Casino Resort, if you get them through UPI.  The Filipino Press, through Susan Delos Santos, is offering a discounted group price for UPI members and supporters as follows: $58 tickets down to $50, $68 down to $60, and $88 tickets down to $80.  Let us know by no later than Monday, October 27th, and we’ll reserve your tickets.

Wishing you all a great, safe, and wonderful weekend.

Until the next update.

Very respectfully,
TeddyTeddy C. DatuinUPI President & CEO