LA Dedicates Intersection To Honor Filipino Heritage

LOS ANGELES, CA — The city of Los Angeles Thursday dedicated the intersection of Roscoe Boulevard and Woodman Avenue as "Kapwa Square," honoring the Filipino community's longstanding presence and cultural contributions in Panorama City and across the San Fernando Valley.

City Council members Imelda Padilla, who represents Panorama City, and Ysabel Jurado, the first Filipina elected to the City Council, held a ceremony Thursday morning to unveil the new square and associated signage.

The name "Kapwa" means "to see oneself in the other and to recognize our shared identity," according to Padilla's office. The name honors a Filipino value rooted in community and connection.

They were joined by Pilipino Workers Center Executive Director Aquilina Soriano-Versoza, Los Angeles Filipino Association of City Employees President Janelle Adeloga Parra and Joseph Bernardo, a historian and author of "Filipinos in the San Fernando Valley."

There were also Filipino cultural performances and a community resource fair.

"This square dedication honors the deep roots Filipinos have grown in Los Angeles, creating iconic community spaces like this corridor. These acknowledgements are a testament to how our shared roots helped shape the cultural fabric of this city, and they teach us to be proud of the values we continue to put forward," Jurado said in a statement.

"Recognizing Filipino American History Month means celebrating our traditions generations have forged through collective care and a fight for a better future. As the first Filipina to serve on the Los Angeles City Council, I'm honored to live in that work and bring it to a broader Filipino community alongside strong advocates like Councilmember Padilla," Jurado added.

Padilla and Jurado introduced a motion on Aug. 26, 2025, to rename the intersection. They timed the square unveiling to coincide with the first day of Filipino American History Month, which starts Oct. 1.

"Panorama City is home to one of the many Filipino American communities that can be found throughout the City of Los Angeles," the motion reads. "A strong network of Filipino organizations supports the community in Panorama, including the Pilipino Worker Center, which opened its first community hub in the valley in 2025."

"As a tribute to the Filipino community in Panorama City, the corner of Roscoe and Woodman should be renamed `Kapwa' Square in honor of fundamental Filipino values behind the continued prosperity of the community," the motion concluded.

City News Service