About

FACT stands for Filipino Americans Coming Together and is a conference hosted annually by the Philippine Student Association at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is the largest Filipino-interest conference in the Midwest, bringing in about 1,300 delegates just last year. The conference works to empower young, rising professionals while simultaneously educating the delegates about Filipino culture, identity and issues. Despite the conference’s title, the conference is not limited to delegates of Filipino descent. The facilitators and delegates come from different backgrounds and ethnicities, and the workshops cover a wide array of topics. FACT’s mission is to build a community of leaders by uniting, enlightening and empowering the Filipino/Fil-Am/Non-Filipino youth nationwide. By exploring our interests, culture and identity as a rising generation, we hope that our delegates can take with them knowledge that they can apply beyond their college career as leaders in the professional world ready to give back to their community.

The theme for the 30th annual Filipino Americans Coming Together Conference is “Kaunlaran: Enrich Our Growth”. The Tagalog word kaunlaran translates to “progress, development”. With this theme, the Philippine Student Association at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign seeks to inspire delegates to look inward, acknowledge how far they have come, and enrich their own growth so that they can look outward and create a positive impact on their community.

The Narra, or rosewood tree, is the national tree of the Philippines. It signifies the strength and resilience of the Filipino people. We were inspired to continue FACT’s enduring legacy by reflection on our roots. FACT has greatly evolved since its inception in 1992. We have faced many challenges over the years, but we prove time and again that our compassion for each other is what drives us to give back to our communities. As we get older, we celebrate our achievements, reflect on past strife, and use the wisdom and grace of our predecessors to look forward to the future. With this vision, we present FACT’s 30th anniversary as an opportunity to foster our delegates’ growth to strengthen ourselves and uplift those around us.