On a special day in August 23rd, 2025, the community gathered at Sentro Filipino in San Francisco, California to celebrate a moment that felt bigger than a book launch — it was a homecoming, a reunion, and a shared remembering.
We came together not just to introduce Pancho Villa: World Champion 1923, but to honor the life and legacy of Francisco “Pancho Villa” Guilledo — a Filipino pioneer whose courage and triumph echoed across generations and oceans.
From the moment the doors opened, the room was filled with warmth. Elders embraced familiar faces, families arrived with their children, and young people — many learning Villa’s story for the first time — leaned in with curiosity and pride. Artists, educators, cultural workers, and community leaders stood side by side, proof that our stories continue to connect us, inspire us, and unite us.
There was laughter, storytelling, heartfelt reflection, and moments of quiet gratitude. We were reminded that history lives in our people — in the parents who bring their kids so they grow up knowing their heroes, in the elders who paved the way, and in every individual continuing the work of keeping our culture alive.
Pancho Villa’s journey — from humble beginnings to becoming the first Filipino world boxing champion — represents more than athletic glory. It represents the dream of every migrant, every worker, every family who has ever carried hope and heritage with them to new horizons.
To be able to share this book with our community — in a space built for us, by us — was deeply meaningful. Sentro Filipino has always been a cultural home, and on this night, it became a bridge between past and future.
We left with full hearts. We felt the presence of ancestors smiling over us. We felt the strength of community, the importance of preserving our history, and the power of storytelling to keep our spirit alive.
Thank you to everyone who showed up, celebrated with us, and made this night unforgettable. Your support fuels our mission to bring Filipino history to the world, one story at a time.
