The Pinoy Barkada at Aliso Niguel High School is a club that focuses on sharing Filipino culture and creating a community that brings people with shared culture together.
The president of the club is Jairah Torres (12), the vice president is Angela Dizon (12), the secretary is JJ Lacanienta (12), and the treasurer is Catie Lacanienta (12). The club meets on the last Friday of every month, in Mrs. Akbarzadeh’s room 308.
The club was founded by Josh Ferrer, who founded the club as he wanted to share Filipino culture, make friends through their culture, and feel proud in the school. Ferrer graduated in 2023, passing the club onto the current officers.
Dizon says, “This year, our goal is to continue to educate and teach those who join our club about Filipino culture and make the most out of our senior year.”
They also plan to do a fundraiser this year, so they can do more for the club. Through the club, they hope the members can make new friends and become more knowledgeable and appreciative of Filipino culture.
At their meetings, the club usually gives a presentation that contains either a lesson about Filipino culture or how to say some words in Tagalog. Following the presentation, it has become a tradition for them to give out Filipino snacks and candy for people to try.
Sarina Zafra (11), who has attended several of their meetings over the years, says, “I really like the food, and how everyone is really nice and accepting, and we celebrate like Filipino culture, yeah, it’s good.”
At Club Rush this year, which took place on Sept. 10th and 12th, the club had lots of success.
Dizon says, “Club Rush this year was more successful than it has been in the past two years. We got a lot more people who signed up and people who are willing to attend our meetings.”
Last year, at the annual food fair held at the school during lunch on April 00, the club also had a lot of success. They brought egg rolls, traditionally called Lumpia. For dessert, they brought rice cakes, traditionally known as Puto.
Dizon says, “It was a great success and our trays were finished off! We did have a few leftovers, of course, but we gave enough away and made good money.”
Their club advisor, Mrs. Akbarzadeh, says, “They’re a really energetic, passionate group of kids that are excited to share what it is to be Filipino and the traditions of their culture, and I think that is really cool. They share what it means to be Filipino, what that looks like, how it’s unique but also similar to Americans, and how it can be a lot of fun, and how these kids really enjoy that heritage.”
The club is recognized by many for its commitment to fostering a sense of community and familiarity among club members and making everyone feel welcome. Through Pinoy Barkada, they bring the Filipino culture to Aliso Niguel High School.
