PASACAT costumes and props sit at the company’s studios in National City on April 23, 2024. The materials would normally be stowed away in storage but were moved onto the main dance floor after the renowned Philippine arts company was flooded again earlier this year.
From its early days, PASACAT’s headquarters was a studio — a small, 700-square-foot building in the center of National City. The building was originally owned by Veterans of Foreign Wars. PASACAT took it over in the 1970s, soon after the organization was founded.
In each case, board members said the PASACAT community stepped in by raising funds and volunteered to help with construction. Still, the process of assessing the damage, raising funds and beginning repairs to the building became a heartbreakingly familiar pattern. In February, the board held a town hall to consult with the greater PASACAT community. Most attendees said they thought the organization should keep the building. But many also argued that it would not be enough to simply repair the damage again.