Barangay Dance Company is devastated to share that our Founder and Artistic Director, Bonifacio Valera Jr., passed away on March 26, 2025. He transitioned peacefully, surrounded by family.

He was fondly known to many of us in the San Francisco Bay Area and West Coast Philippine folk dance community as Kuya Bon or Tito Bon. He fostered safe spaces of learning and appreciation for Philippine folk dance and music from 1987 until 2025, for nearly four decades. Kuya Bon credited his beginnings in Philippine folk dance to his mother, Patricia Valera, who taught Kuya Bon and his sister, Nerinna, how to dance when they were young. Kuya Bon became an expert in his own right, and he shared his love for Philippine folk dance and music through his artistry— from staging the choreography, down to the styling of accessories. Most of all, he encouraged the joy of dancing. 

On behalf of the staff and dancers of Barangay Dance Company, we offer our love, support, appreciation, and condolences to the Valera Family. The Valera Family has set up a GoFundMe to create the Bonifacio Valera, Jr. Foundation, which will provide scholarships to provide financial assistance to students, artists, and cultural practitioners who seek to learn, preserve, and promote Filipino traditions such as indigenous dance, music, and storytelling. By supporting these talented individuals, we ensure that our cultural heritage remains alive for generations to come.

With the leadership of Barangay Dance Company Staff—Jae Tioseco, Alex De Leon, and Joy Ng— Barangay Dance Company will continue Kuya Bon's vision in providing accessible education and fostering appreciation of Philippine folk dance and music.