Fil-Ams Take a Joyride at Historic Filipinotown

Cover photo Doeleth Gatdula

LOS ANGELES, California — To commemorate the Filipino Food Month, the Filipino-American community has gathered for a special event dubbed as "TODA Na'To! X Turo-Turo: A Historic Filipinotown Cultural & Community Event at the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) of Southern California yesterday, April 26, 2026.

The event, with a theme coined from the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA), a famous term for commuters back home in the Philippines, brought together leaders, partners, and community champions in a vibrant gathering that uplifts culture while strengthening community ties.

Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles (PCGLA) Consul General Adelio Cruz, in his speech during the event, said this gathering is exceptional as it featured two of the best of representation of Filipino culture, food and traditional transportation, Jeepney and tricycle.

Photos: Doeleth Gatdula

"There are over 4 million Filipinos in California and 4.9 million in the whole of United States. You are a strong force that can never be replicated by other immigrant nations. Let's continue to be proud of our heritage. Let's continue to prove to the world that we are one of the best in whatever field of endeavor," Cruz said, while stressing out the PCGLA's commitment to provide 24/7 service to all Filipinos in Los Angeles.

PWC Executive Director Aquilina Soriano-Versoza, in an interview with The Filipino Correspondent Network in the sidelines of the event, said the purpose of this one-of-a-kind gathering is to continue "to uplift our stories and our culture here in Historic Filipinotown (HiFi) and to actually make HiFi a real destination."

LA District 13 Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, for his part, said he is proud to be part of this event. "We are here to join the PWC for a food crawl and celebrate the Filipino culture," Martinez said. The Historic Filipinotown is part of District 13th of LA.

Photos: Doeleth Gatdula

After a short ceremony at the PWC, participants were treated to a unique joyride experience hopping on customized Filipino-inspired traditional Jeepneys and tricycles.

The dynamic cultural tour was also complemented by a curated turo-turo food crawl highlighting the richness of Filipino cuisine. Among the Filipino restaurants that were visited during the trip included HiFi Kitchen, Tribal Cafe, Park's Finest, Bamboo Bistro, Korner Hut, Tita Lita's Restaurant and Dollar Hits.

The tour also took participants to HiFi Gateway-Eastern Gateway Arch,Unidad Park & Mural, Filipino Christian Church,Filipino American Community of Los Angeles (FACLA), Valor Monument-Filipino American WWII Veterans Monument, Filipino American Service Group Inc.(FASGI), and Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA).

The event also featured the unveiling of PWC’s new tricycle – a powerful symbol of
resilience, dignity, and everyday contributions of Filipino workers in Los Angeles.

Founded in 1997, PWC is a grassroots non-profit that organizes the low-wage and immigrant Pilipinx communities in the United States. It aims to build collective power to demand better living and working conditions in order to secure the dignity, safety, and economic stability of the Pilipinx community.

Aside from PWC, the event was spearheaded by PCGLA's Cultural Section led by Consul Levi Anthony Malaylay.