Portion of Hwy 35 in Daly City to be named after Bay Area Filipina activist
Image courtesy of the Filipino American Democratic Club.
DALY CITY, Calif. - State Highway 35 in Daly City will be named after Filipina activist Alice Pena Bulos after the California State Legislature passed a resolution Friday, Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) announced.
Ting authored the resolution, known as ACR 165, which calls for the portion of the highway running through Daly City, also known as Skyline Boulevard, to be designated as the Alice Pena Burgos Memorial Highway.
Friday's approval is the last step for the name dedication and allows for private funding for the new signs with Bulos' name.
Bulos, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 86, is credited with playing an influential role in Filipino American politics, and was commonly known throughout her community as "Tita Alice."
"We see the influence of Alice Pena Bulos throughout our communities, as well as in elected local and state government leadership. That's why she's considered the Godmother of Filipino American politics and empowerment. It's my honor to carry the legislation that celebrates her legacy," Ting said in a statement.
Bulos was born in the Philippines in 1930 and moved to California in 1972, where she began organizing within the Filipino American community, encouraging them to participate in politics. Bulos was a longtime resident of San Mateo County.
In 1993, then President Bill Clinton appointed Bulos to the National Council on Aging, were she became the first person of Filipino descent to be selected by a sitting U.S. president to serve on a federal post. Bulos has also served on the Filipino American Caucus for the California Democratic Party, the National Filipino Women's Network and the National Asian Pacific Democratic Council.
Officials with the Filipino American Democratic Club of San Mateo County said, "Tita Alice has left an everlasting mark in commuters all over California and especially here in the Bay Area where she called home. While she is no longer with us, her memory lives on in her family and the numerous friends, supporters, and pupils she inspired over her decades of service."
Ting estimates the highway signs will be installed next year.