Established in 1993, by Ruben S. Panopio, Jr., the U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO brought together tens of thousands of Filipinos in one great venue, to share and show the merriment of togetherness and the strength of unity. Throughout the 1990s the original U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO brought this dream, of inspiring a community to venture in its shared vision, to reality. Every August the U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO continued to bring wholesome entertainment and fabulous consumer shows to the community.

Before Ruben S. Panopio, Jr. founded the first ever Filipino and Filipino-American Grand Cultural – Trade & Consumer Show known as, U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO, he began in 1989 with Fiesta Filipiniana at the Alpine Village in Torrance, California, through RPJ Productions. By the early 1990’s the U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO showed promise to the Filipino and Filipino-American community. The U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO, through Philippine Arts, Ltd. and through U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO, Inc., flourished as the first ever Filipino and Filipino-American event of massive proportion. The U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO also established the first ever Filipino and Filipino-American Grand Cultural – Trade & Consumer Show at the Meadowlands Convention Center in New Jersey. Today, the Meadowlands Convention Center still displays the U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO’s official logo, The Vinta, to pay tribute to the original U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO. Ruben S. Panopio, Jr.’s innovation through the U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO has inspired the community to actively promote cultural unity.

Today, becoming a catalyst for making a positive difference in our communities remains the passion of the U.S. – PHILIPPINES EXPO.

The U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO maintains its MISSION to:

>	Create awareness of the vast market potential of the Filipino-American community before the mainstream business sector and major segments of "Corporate America"
>	Enhance the promotion of a wide variety of products from the Philippines available to the American market
>	Develop a more direct marketing and promoting of American products before an affluent and captive market such as the Filipino-American community
>	Provide an ideal venue for networking within a fun-filled event of massive proportion
>	Create a conducive atmosphere for promoting cultural exchange between the United States and the Philippines
>	Continually reinforce support of an annual celebration designed to instill Filipino ethnic pride and cultural identity

 

The Vinta is the official symbol of the U.S.-PHILIPPINES EXPO. Like the sun and windswept picturesque islands of Mindanao, the colorful sails of the magnificent Moro Vintas are a familiar and amazing sight to behold. The historic Vinta, used in plying trade and people in the Mindanao-Sulu region during the flourishing intra-Asian trade of pre-colonial Philippines, has remained as colorful and as exotic as its natives who invented this indigenous boat well known for its speed and swiftness in water.