Bernadette Sy

Bernadette Borja Sy was born and raised in San Francisco. Bernadette and her father, Dr.Mario Borja, established the Filipino-American Development Foundation (FADF), a nonprofit organization formed to support the Filipino immigrant residents and their families in the South of Market District in San Francisco. She has been the executive director of FADF from its creation until 2021.

For 25 years, FADF has been a touchstone organization in the Filipino American San Francisco community. It developed the Bayanihan Community Center, which opened in 2005 at the corner of 6th Street & Mission. Under Bernadette’s leadership at FADF, SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural District was created, which was officially designated by the SF Mayor and Board of Supervisors in 2016. Under the leadership of FADF SOMA Pilipinas spans 1.5 square miles and honors the 120+ year history of Filipinos in San Francisco and keeps alive many cultural assets, community rituals, small businesses, and initiatives for equitable development that support the Asian Pacific Islander community. In 2017, SOMA Pilipinas was one of the first selected cultural districts for state designation by the California Arts Council. FADF also fiscally sponsors and supports organizations and artists that are central to community building in the Filipino American community.