On Saturday, 25 April 2026, the Filipino Women’s Association UK gathered our community at St Augustine’s CE High School in Kilburn, London for our annual Salo-Salo — held in the very week of FWA-UK’s founding anniversary, and a fitting celebration of 38 years of service to Filipinos in the United Kingdom and at home in the Philippines.
FWA-UK was founded on 28 April 1988 by a small group of professional Filipino women in London, led by our first Chairman Dr Remy Reyes and Patron Mrs Angeles ‘Nene’ Quimson, then wife of the Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St James’s FWA-UK. The Association was established to counter the prevailing portrayal of Filipino women in UK media as nothing more than ‘mail-order brides’ FWA-UK — and to project, instead, the truth of who we are: a community of professionals, carers, entrepreneurs, mothers, and leaders making meaningful contributions to British society. In 2008, the Association’s work was recognised by the Philippine Commission on Filipinos Overseas with the Presidential Award Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (Service to Fellow Filipinos).
Almost four decades on, that founding mission continues to guide everything we do — from championing the dignity and visibility of Filipino women in the UK, to supporting our senior community here, to funding the education of disadvantaged Filipino children through our scholarship programme back home.
Salo-salo is a Filipino tradition of sharing a meal together. It is one of the simplest and most enduring expressions of our culture: an open table, a welcome for every guest, and a quiet insistence that no one should eat alone. For the Filipino community in the United Kingdom — many of us far from home and family — Salo-Salo is also an act of remembering. It is how we keep our language, our faith, and our traditions alive for the next generation, and how we strengthen the bonds that make our community what it is.
The day opened with prayers and blessings led by Father Tomas Banayag of St Augustine’s Catholic Church, Hammersmith, followed by warm welcome remarks from our Chairman, Glyndell Belmonte, who set the tone for the day’s celebration of community, heritage, and FWA-UK’s continuing mission.
A Homecoming of Leaders
One of the most moving moments of the day was the gathering, under one roof, of so many of FWA-UK’s past Chairmen. Our Founding Chairman, Dr Remy Reyes, took to the floor and shared the story of how FWA-UK began 38 years ago — the conversations, the convictions, and the small group of determined women who refused to let the Filipina be defined by anyone but herself. Her words were a gift to every member present, and a reminder that the Association we belong to today stands on the shoulders of the women who built it. We were also blessed by the presence of former Chairmen Jeannette Thomson, Nenita Garrad, Nene Martin, Marina Castillo, Dulia Prado, and Barbara Solon, gathered alongside our current Chairman Glyndell Belmonte. To see these women — leaders of different decades, different chapters of FWA-UK’s life — show up once again, long after their own terms had ended, was profoundly humbling. Theirs is a quiet kind of loyalty: the kind that returns, year after year, not for recognition but because the Association is family. Maraming salamat po to each of them, for their service then and their continued presence now.
We were honoured to welcome His Excellency Ambassador Teddy Locsin Jr. and Madame Louie Locsin, together with Deputy Chief of Mission Raphael S.C. Hermoso of the Philippine Embassy in London. Their presence was a meaningful affirmation of the Filipino community in the UK and of FWA-UK’s 38-year journey of service — a journey that began, fittingly, in partnership with the Philippine Embassy of its day.
Twenty vendors and caterers showcased the very best of Filipino food, Philippine products, and Filipino-owned businesses across the United Kingdom — a vibrant reminder of the entrepreneurial spirit our founders set out to celebrate.
A Celebration of the Cordilleras
The undisputed showstopper of the day was a breathtaking tribal dance performance by our friends from Igorot-UK, who honoured FWA-UK’s founding celebration with dedicated prayers and a programme of traditional dances from the Cordillera region of the northern Philippines. In full tribal regalia — woven textiles, beads, feathers, and the unmistakable sound of the gangsa — they brought the mountains of the north into a school hall in Kilburn, and the room caught fire. What began as a performance soon became a movement: dancers from Igorot-UK invited the audience onto the floor, and within minutes the entire venue was on its feet — children, elders, members, guests, and our distinguished visitors from the Philippine Embassy alike — moving together to the rhythm of the gangsa. It was the kind of moment that does not happen by accident. It happens because a people remember who they are, and because they are generous enough to share it. To Igorot-UK — agyamanak unay. You set the house alight, and you reminded every Filipino in the room of the depth and beauty of our heritage.
We were also joined by representatives and members of fellow Filipino organisations across the UK:
- Caviteños
- Batangueños
- Cam-Sur (Camarines Sur)
- Rizalitas
- Manilad Glamour UK
- NHS Filipino Staff of the Royal Free Hospital
- Kingdom of Jesus Christ
- Igorot-UK
The programme was led with great energy and warmth by Francis, Ford, and Rico of Philippine Theatre UK, with song numbers and fun games throughout the afternoon, and Coach Alfred led high-energy Zumba sessions that had guests of every generation on their feet. Throughout the day, a steady stream of raffle draws — made possible by the kindness of our donors and sponsors — kept the energy high and the room buzzing, with prize after prize finding its way into delighted hands.
The day was brought to a heartfelt close by our main event organiser and Membership Committee Chair, Leilanie Indopia, whose closing remarks reflected on the spirit of the day, thanked the many hands that made it possible, and looked ahead to the work and the gatherings still to come.
Every Salo-Salo is also a quiet act of service. The funds raised through events such as this support FWA-UK’s scholarship programme, which provides educational opportunities for disadvantaged Filipino children through high school — a continuation of the work our founders began 38 years ago this month.
To our guests, performers, vendors, sponsors, volunteers, and members — maraming, maraming salamat po. Your presence and generosity are the foundation of everything FWA-UK is able to do, both here in the UK and at home in the Philippines.
Here’s to the next chapter.
Absolutely brilliant day. Loved every minute. Well done FWA-UK!