Founded by Agripino Jaucian in 1912 with his fellow Naval shipyard workers recruited by the US Navy and travelled aboard the USS Kansas in 1909, the Filipino American Association of Philadelphia, Inc. (FAAPI) was incorporated into the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1921 to service Philadelphia County, where most Filipinos at the time resided. Over the years, many member families have moved out of South Philadelphia to throughout the region, but FAAPI continues to engage and support all Filipinos throughout the Delaware Valley, many of whom can trace roots in family and community back to our organization.

president

Chris Rivera was elected President of FAAPI in 2016, succeeding his father, Dr. Rommel Rivera. FAAPI has always held strong to family involvement, as was evident with founder Agripino Jaucian’s daughter Florence eventually ascending to the Presidency herself.

Chris has over two decades of service to the Filipino community locally, regionally, and nationally. His local ties include President of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, Advisory Committee of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia and the Pan Asian Association of Greater Philadelphia, Vice President of the Filipino Executive Council of Greater Philadelphia, past Northeast Region President and National Vice President of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations, and former Commissioner of Governor Josh Shapiro’s Advisory Commission on AAPI Affairs.

Chris has proudly reimagined the role of Miss Maria Clara into a strongly service-grounded role, identifying the role as a catalyst to tangible change in Greater Philadelphia, and beyond through the Maria Clara Service Project.