History of COPAO
In 1971, Filemon Adrid, with the help of a few community leaders, decided to form an organization to address the social service needs of the Filipinos. With the participation of a dozen or so Filipino associations, the Council of Pilipino-American Organizations (COPAO) was born. COPAO's original goal: To foster harmony and mutual cooperation among Filipino-American organizations and the community at large. COPAO's original objectives:
Since its inception, COPAO has served as a key resource to the community by:
COPAO has been acknowledged on several occasions as the incubator of Operation Samahan Health Clinic, Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC), Samahan Dance Company, Samahan Senior Nutrition Center and AB Samahan. These agencies started as community projects under the aegis of COPAO and then moved on to become independent and progressive non-profit organizations. We are proud of our past as an organization, and, with the help of all Filipino-Americans in San Diego County, we are hopeful that our future will be even brighter. Mabuhay! |