Celebrating Christmas in US, RP-style

NO matter where Filipinos are in the world, the holidays always draw them back to home.

In Norfolk, Virginia Beach, USA, one man has been able to create a place that any Filipino can always run home to—not just during the holiday season, but all year round.

Dr. Manny Hipol, founder of the Council of Filipino Organizations of Tidewater (Cufot), reaches out to the Filipino community in this part of the country through the council’s pride: their Philippine Cultural Center.

“It’s my pride as well,” said Hipol.

Cufot is an umbrella organization of 21 Filipino associations in the Norfolk area. It was established by Hipol in 1976 when he was assigned to the Navy base there during his days as a military doctor. Together with his first organization, the United Ilocanos Organization, Hipol encouraged other Filipinos to form their own groups as well. In the end, five other founding organizations were formed: the Filipino Women’s Club, Pampanga Language Club, Batangas Association, Filipino-American Veterans, and Zambales Association.

The center was inaugurated in 2000, with then Senator Ernesto Maceda as special guest gracing the ceremony. The board of trustees, led by Hipol’s wife Rosario, ensured that funding would not be a heavy burden in building the three-acre structure. “Putting up the center was our primary mission,” said Hipol. “Now it has become a place that keeps our cultural heritage alive.”

During holidays, this transforms into a venue of festive celebration of yuletide traditions and customs, all Pinoy-style, though not as extensive as the holiday festivities here in the country.

Start after Thanksgiving

“We start our celebrations after Thanksgiving,” said Hipol, who recently visited the Philippines to attend an affair in his hometown, La Union, Ilocos. “Nevertheless, we have a beautiful Christmas there.”

Cufot organizes the usual Pinoy Christmas activities: noche buena, parties, and house-to-house caroling; decorating the center has become a tradition where everyone is involved. Simbang Gabi masses, which were held only at the center before, are now also being celebrated by parishes in the area.

“Parish priests want to educate the people on this tradition,” he said.

More than just continuing traditions, Hipol is happy that Cufot also helps educate the youth, who became the council’s focus after finishing the center.

“The Norfolk community is composed mostly of military families, around 90 percent,” said Hipol. “A lot of second-generation community members are already Fil-Ams, and most of them haven’t been to the Philippines at all.”

Getting the youth interested

Luckily, Cufot keeps young people interested through the center’s many programs. The in-house School of Creative and Performing Arts initiates shows for Christmas and New Year; most of its members are high school students.

Aside from this, there’s also heavy involvement in the center’s other educational programs, conducted every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Volunteer teachers lecture on various aspects of the Philippine culture, such as dance, music, etiquette, history, and even offer Tagalog language classes.

“There is also good interaction among the senior citizens and the second-generation members of Cufot,” said Hipol. “It’s a very good community.”

Hipol has lived in Norfolk since he was assigned there in 1974. He and his wife, also a doctor, have raised two daughters, Vivianne and Charrisse—one is taking up a career in acupuncture therapy, the other a recently graduated clinical psychologist. He has two granddaughters.

The fourth among six siblings, Hipol went to the US in 1966 through an application for the US Army as a medical doctor. After serving the Army for six and a half years, Hipol submitted an application to the Navy, hoping he would be reassigned to the Philippines.

“It didn’t happen,” said Hipol, “They asked me to choose if I wanted to go back to Seattle (his initial point of entry), or if I wanted to be assigned to Norfolk. I chose Norfolk because of its proximity to New York, where I was taking up my residency.”

He eventually petitioned for his mother’s immigration, who later on brought his other siblings to Norfolk.

Geny Lopez awardee

Although now enjoying his retirement, Hipol, 72, keeps himself active with Cufot and with the center. He makes sure he is visible to those involved; he is even called “Uncle Manny” by the younger members.

“The youth tend to shy away from those who have leadership positions; I make our relationship very casual so they will feel at ease with me,” he said.

And after receiving ABS-CBN’s Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino 2009 award, Hipol remains excited for Cufot’s future ventures.

“I’ve seen little girls and boys who grew up here in the center come back years after they’ve left,” said Hipol. “That’s why the center will always be our main focus—it keeps alive our main thrust to promote our cultural heritage.” - Annelle S. Tayao, Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 21, 2009