At a ceremony held this past week, a bevy of elected officials and community leaders marked the official debut of a new gateway monument to Historic Filipinotown with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a block party.

The new sign, named “Talang Gabay - Our Guiding Star,” is 30 feet in height and spans 82 feet across Beverly Boulevard adjacent to Belmont High School. The monument includes work from Filipino artists Eliseo Art Silva with Celestino Geronimo, Jr., as well as design elements such as the Parol, the Gumamela flower, and the Sarimanok, which are symbols of Filipino culture.

View of the gateway looking east toward Downtown Los AngelesGary Leonard

“This project has been a labor of love by so many people in Historic Filipinotown," said Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell, who represents the surrounding area, in a March news release. "This beautiful, historic landmark will be a source of pride for the Filipino community, and will rightfully celebrate this vibrant neighborhood and the incredible contributions Filipino Americans make to the City of Los Angeles.”

Planning for the landmark dates back to 2003, when then-Councilmember Eric Garcetti commissioned a study of Historic Filipinotown improvements. Seed funding for the gateway monument was provided through Council action in 2018 under his successor, O'Farrell.