Wells Fargo Celebrates Philippine Independence Day

PHOTO/VIDEO OPPORTUNITY:

In celebration of Philippine Independence Day, Wells Fargo will ‘surprise and delight’ customers at three Bay Area branches Filipino folk dancers, free Filipino ‘ensaimada’ pastries and information on remittance services to the Philippines

WHO/WHAT:  

In celebration of Philippine Independence Day, Wells Fargo will lead a “surprise and delight” campaign for Wells Fargo customers at three Bay Area banking stores. People at each event will enjoy ‘ensaimadas’, courtesy of House of Silvanas, a local small business. Customers will be entertained by Parangal Dance Company, a troupe of Philippine folk dancers. Wells Fargo will provide information about remittance services to the Philippines.

WHEN/WHERE:

Friday, June 12, 2015
San Francisco, CA (4648 Mission Street) 12:30 p.m.
Daly City, CA (601 Westlake Center) 1:10 p.m.
Daly City, CA (135 Serramonte Center) 1:45 p.m. 

WHY:

Philippine Independence Day, or Araw ng Kalayaan, which means “Day of Freedom,” is one of the most significant dates in Filipino history because it marks the country’s independence from Spanish rule. Filipinos all over the world commemorate this landmark event annually on June 12.

The Bay Area is home to a sizeable Filipino population. As a company we want to help celebrate this important date with many of our customers. Customers can also learn more about ExpressSend, a remittance solution for customers who need to send money to the Philippines. In 2014, Wells Fargo celebrated 20 years of serving the remittance needs of the Filipino community in the U.S.

Mark Ng, the Bay Area’s regional marketing manager for Wells Fargo and a native of the Philippines, says this is part of a larger strategy to connect with our customers and team members through our shared culture: “As the Bay Area and the U.S. become increasingly diverse, we want to demonstrate to our customers that ‘we know and understand you.’ We are excited to celebrate this important day with our Filipino customers.”

“We are honored to celebrate Kalayaan or Philippine Independence with Wells Fargo. We are glad to showcase the rich heritage of the Philippines through attire, music, and dance,” said Eric Solano, artistic director for Parangal Dance Company.

About Wells Fargo’s Long History with the Philippines Wells:

Fargo opened an office in the Philippines in 1901 to handle money, valuables, and goods by sea. In 1918, Wells Fargo’s worldwide express business ended, but banking services continued with foreign correspondent connections to Asia. In 1976, Wells Fargo’s Global Financial Institution (GFI) business began providing trade, payments, deposits, credit, and other banking solutions to customers in the country. In September, 2014, Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III met with Wells Fargo Chairman and CEO John Stumpf in San Francisco to review the long history and discuss future opportunities between the company and the Philippines, including the search for additional office space in Manila. Today, in addition to the GFI business, Wells Fargo has 1,500 team members providing global customer service and other activities from the Philippines.