This August, the highly acclaimed film ‘Jose Rizal’ by the late National Artist Marilou Diaz Abaya comes to New York, presented by the Philippine Consulate General in New York (PCGNY) and Sentro Rizal New York to open the Sinehan sa Konsulado 2024.

Sean Colaljo, a distinguished member of the Institute for Youth in Policy, writes a comparative analysis on US-EU relations under Pres. Biden and former Pres. Trump. The essay warns that a return to a Trump presidency would devastate transatlanticism and strengthen ties with despots like Russia’s Putin.

Sean is a senior student at Whitney High School in Rocklin, California. He founded High School Democrats for America in his district.

Digital media watchdogs are warning the public of the greater threats posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in compromising the upcoming elections in November. Combatting AI-generated deep fake information may only be through public vigilance and policy reforms, they said.

Filipino Americans in various parts of the country threw their hats in support of Vice President Kamala Harris for President on Tuesday, July 30.

The Filipino American Community Launch and Celebration was organized by the Filipino Americans for Harris (FAFH), a multi-generational volunteer group of U.S. Filipino American Citizens who support and endorse Harris for President.

“President Kamala Harris is the promise of America,” said Virginia representative Robert Cortez Scott while California Attorney General Robert Andres Bonta said “we cannot go back to the dark days of Trump. Full stop.”

Paraluman Castaneda – Tita Lumen to many in the Filipino American community – is one year shy of 90. When she looks at people around her, she mutters to herself with a chuckle, “Seems to me I’m the oldest.”

FilAm Therese Rodriguez serves as the executive director of the Apicha Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center that provides primary care and special care services to medically underserved and vulnerable communities. It has clinics in Manhattan and Jackson Heights in Queens.

Apicha, says Therese, is a gift of the LGBTQ community to New York, morphing as a local struggle of the disenfranchised persons afflicted with HIV-Aids, nurses, doctors, and community activists who pushed for their rightful place of care and healing. They lobbied before US Congress to change the word ‘Other’ in government health records of individuals into specific races that abound in the US. Thus, was born the word ‘inclusion’ – to include the ‘others’ into the fabric of American society. She had come a long way since then, her daily doze of energy is hope. “We have to have hope,” she said in our conversation.

I was introduced to the top chart songs of Christian de Mesones – You Only Live Twice and Hispanica - by his manager Fritz Germain. The songs were beautiful and perky. I immediately sought an online conversation for my podcast Conversations with MM. Much better than his songs is the artist himself – clever, funny, straightforward.

De Mesones, also known as Big New York, easily relates with the ones he is in conversation with, like we did during my podcast. He established an immediate rapport with his audience at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA, a band leader indeed.

At the WAM launch, the narratives of Women & Media Case speakers as immigrants and children of immigrants were woven into songs rendered by singer-actor Ms. Carla Mongado (The Clockmakers Daughter) with Andrew Beall, percussionist on Broadway, and Mayu Saeki, a multi-awarded flutist. A unique, well-received experience by Filipinos in the Big Apple.

It takes a strong mother and a village to raise good immigrant children. That’s what a Filipino-American honoree emphasized in her narrative during the Philippine flag raising ceremony today June 17, 2024 at the historic Bowling Green Park in the city’s financial district.

Jocelyn Bernal, distinctively known as a program host of Filipino events, paid tribute to her mother Rosalinda dela Rosa Bernal, who raised her and her two siblings in New York, after being widowed at an early age. Hardwork, thrift, and determination were the mark of Rosie, said Bernal of her mother.

Philippine opposition senator Risa Hontiveros reiterated the urgency for President Marcos to close all Philippine Overseas Gaming Operator (POGO) hubs considering its impact on labor trafficking, money laundering, wage violations, and public safety.

To celebrate Philippine National Heritage Month, the Philippine Consulate General in New York and Sentro Rizal New York featured “Once Upon the Sun & Sea: Indigenous Stories and Folk Tales from the Philippines” by authors Jo Tiongson-Perez and Denise Orosa at a book reading that drew a diverse crowd of attendees.

Fiesta in America (FIA) is quite a household word for Filipino Americans here in the East Coast. Now a 28-year-old tradition, this huge Philippine cultural festival brings the best of Philippine culture: that indomitable spirit of fun, music, and food.

FIA happens in the summer month of August. For this year it will be on August 17 and 18. It means fun for gregarious Filipinos, and promotional platform for Filipino entrepreneurs in the US and the Philippines. It is held at the second largest mall in America, the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The journey from Manila to Manhattan (a brand movement they created) by fashion designers Bessie Besana, Wilson Niñofranco Limon, Veejay Floresca, and Michael Leyva was long and challenging. But these young and flourishing couturiers wowed their audience and were received with an approving applause as they paraded their creations in an hour-long event at 4W 43rd in the heart of the city.

Filipinxt, the new era of Philippine fashion, has just began in New York.

Environmental assessment expert Tet Tobes writes: “After reading this so far, it should be quite clear, that I am not in a new relationship. That’s for another recipe.

Oh, where was I? Tuna Caldereta. Your style. Whatever-is-in-the pantry style. I found cans of tuna in sunflower oil and a can of green beans. For one person, a can of tuna will do nicely.”

Raga, the first Filipino American to be elected to a government post in New York, mentioned his achievements on his first term of office: the budget of a Filipino Community Center in Queens, legislating housing measures, health care, and elderly welfare, and state laws on the recognition of the state-wide Filipino History Month in October, Jose Rizal as Philippine national hero, and Philippine Independence Day celebration in June.

On his first term, Raga said he not only represented Filipinos but other underrepresented minorities as well such as the Bangladeshi, Vietnamese, and Thai communities in Queens.

Nes Powers is one upcoming icon who’s steadily making waves with her R&B music. Her original song 'Everything about me is dif'rent' on her debut album with the same title had reach Grammy consideration. She has been a two-time awardee of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) gold album award for having reached over 500,000 sold albums.

In 2023, the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame (WSHOF) named a scholarship after her in order to support women musicians.

I’ve read Knockout Beauty and other Afflictions (Crowsnest Books, 2023) twice before doing this review. Its wit and tempo – beautiful and brisk – are simply irresistible. It is weighty, substantial. I laughed as I turned its pages, so quickly clicking on the next exciting episode of a favorite Netflix series.

Twenty-three women artists feature their masterpieces at the Femina Creativa exhibition at the Rosenthal Library in Queens College. Sponsored by the Garage Art Center and the Queens College School of Arts, it pays tribute to the contributions of all female artists and to the countless women who have made incredible progress in the face of adversity throughout history.

Brace yourselves for the launch of a social platform for mutual support for conversation and action of women leaders and media in New York – the Women & Media (WAM) Café.

Organized by the Marivir Montebon of Awesome Media, Ltd., and Cristina DC Pastor, founding editor of The FilAm.net, WAM will be launched alongside the nonprofit Women’s Immigration and Communications Café (WICCAFE) on June 21, 2024 (Friday) at the Philippine Center Kalayaan Hall on 556 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10036 6-9PM. 

WAM Café is an innovative effort where women community leaders and media practitioners share a collaborative space for visibility and action.

The artworks of hyperlocal Filipino American artist Luis Caraos will soon be featured at the John F Kennedy International Airport Terminal 8 in its Seasonal Artist Showcase for 2024.

Caraos, a retired registered nurse and architect by profession in Queens, was selected from 200 participants in New York City by the Vaughn Bently Creative, LLC.

His award-winning pieces, which include parks and gardens of Forest Hills, Kissena Park, and Cunningham Park, will be on display for spring 2024 alongside two other local artists at the JFK Terminal 8 for three months.