Filipino films, stories at AAIFF 2019
Yellow Rose makes its New York premiere at AAIFF “THIS feels like a homecoming and it’s such a wonderful feeling,” said Dianne Paragas, director of Yellow Rose on the red…
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This Filipino chocolatier wants the Philippines to be known globally as a great source of chocolates
IT was a sweet victory for five Philippine chocolate brands at the 2019 Academy of Chocolate Awards in London last June when they garnered a total of 24 awards across…
NYAFF 2019’s Filipino Representation: Ma director Kenneth Dagatan & Still Human’s Crisel Consunji
The 18th edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) ran from June 28 to July 14, and film buffs in New York had an opportunity to watch some…
Tsismis aims to be NYC’s newest Filipino hangout
After a long and arduous journey, Tsismis NYC finally opened its doors last month to hordes of hungry diners. We went on their third week and noticed that the hostess…
Summer Fancy Food Show shines light on specialty food from the Philippines
FOOD companies from the Philippines began joining the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco in 2014 under the branding initiative Food Philippines. That year, Filipino favorites including bananas, mangoes,…
Fil-Am model Geena Rocero rewrites Playboy’s history as its first transgender API Playmate
FIVE years ago, Filipina American model Geena Rocero made a very public confession and came out of her closet in a TED Talk in Vancouver. “The world makes you something…
Karenderya’s journey and how a national magazine played a major part in it
ESQUIRE MAGAZINE’S BEST NEW RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA 2018 Karenderya, a Filipino-inspired restaurant, opened its doors in the suburban village of Nyack in July 2017. Last November, the fast-casual restaurant was…
Miss Universe Catriona Gray named as “madrina” by the Latino Commission on AIDS
“It’s such a pleasure to find myself in this kind of work that is so fulfilling to me. In the Philippines, this has been the work I’ve been doing for…
Getting to know Anne del Castillo, Commissioner of NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment
“DON’T go in with a pre-conceived idea of what you think you are going to do.” That was Anne del Castillo’s quick response when I asked about her advice for…
Fil-Am boy launches, signs his books at Barnes & Noble
‘I AM JAN ALEXANDER’ Alex and Ethel Quintos of Bloomfield, New Jersey are both proud and excited that their youngest son, 6-year-old Jan has published a book. A book launch…
Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman: ‘I want to prove at age 40 I can still beat undefeated fighters’
Philippine Sen. Manny Pacquiao will be fighting against undefeated welterweight champion Keith Thurman who is promising to end Pacman’s boxing career when they meet on July 20 at the MGM…
Filipino Restaurant Week 2019 is in full swing
This year’s Filipino Restaurant Week is up and running, and this year’s incarnation is bigger than ever, expanding to seven states with 23 restaurants participating. “Last year, we expanded to…
Paulo Tirol’s ‘On This Side of the World’: From a school project to a full musical experience
Paulo Tirol started writing “On This Side of the World” in 2013, in his first year of his MFA in Musical Theatre Writing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts….
Bad Saint’s Tom Cunanan wins ‘Best Chef’ at James Beard Awards
THE third time’s a charm for Filipino American chef Tom Cunanan of Washington, DC’s Bad Saint who finally won as Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic at the James Beard Awards held Monday…
Disney teen star Asher Angel gets his big break with Shazam
DISNEY Channel teen star Asher Angel was at the Burbank airport en route to Utah when his management told him that he booked the role of Billy Batson for the…
Aliens of Manila invade New York
Aliens of Manila: New York Colony @ Pintô International Make this weekend a full Filipino weekend in the East Village with your families and friends starting with brunch and a…
‘I Am a Filipino’ among James Beard Foundation Book Award finalists
The proprietors and owners of the East Village restaurants Maharlika and Jeepney have just added another feather in their cap: James Beard Award finalists for their book “I Am a…
Fil-Am choreographer’s latest work inspired by family’s journey
‘Homebound/Alaala’ set to premiere at The Joyce in NYC A NEW dance for Ballet Hispánico called “Homebound/Alaala,” created by Bennyroyce Royon, a Filipino-American director, choreographer and dancer will premiere at…
An Evening with Distinguished Filipino Women 2019: Filipina achievers inspire, challenge the community
THIS year’s distinguished Filipino women in their own very unique ways embody courage, daring and audacity,” said Consul General Claro S. Cristobal as he introduced this year’s honorees. FOR the…
Three Fil-Am chefs named 2019 James Beard Awards semifinalists
THE James Beard Foundation has announced the list of semifinalists in the running for its 2019 Restaurant and Chef Awards and three Filipino American chefs have made the list. The awards,presented…
Getting to Know Hydra Mendoza: NYC Department of Education Deputy Chancellor
“MY first name is Greek, my last name is Spanish but I am a proud Pinay,” declared Hydra Mendoza, Deputy Chancellor for Community Empowerment, Partnerships, and Communications at the Department…
Likha: Celebrating Filipino Creativity & Craftsmanship
“We have to let the world know that we make beautiful and extraordinary products,” exclaimed Nathalie Lim when I asked her about her company Likha, which made its debut at…
Homesick Miss Universe looks forward to her grand homecoming this month
BEFORE going to the Philippines for her big homecoming, Miss Universe Catriona Gray spent an unusually warm winter afternoon with fellow Filipinos for a meet and greet at the Philippine…
PH reaches record breaking 7.1M visitor arrivals, now what?
The Department of Tourism announced last week that 7,127,168 foreign tourists visited the Philippines last year, an all-time high in the country’s tourism industry. This was the great news that…
The New Filipino Kitchen: Personal, nostalgic & heartwarming Filipino dishes and tales from the Filipino diaspora
“I would like for the Filipino food movement to catch on in other parts of the world,” said Filipina expatriate Jacqueline Chio-Lauri, editor of The New Filipino Kitchen, when asked…
Catriona Gray’s Miss Universe reign off to a great start
WHEN Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray left Manila for Bangkok to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, she had meticulously planned and laid everything out so that the moment the competition…
What’s next for Kelsey Merritt, the first Filipina model in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
KELSEY Merritt made history on November 8 when she became the first Filipina woman to walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, an annual spectacular event that highlights some of…
Meet Fil-Am designer Zaldy, costume designer for Cirque du Soleil’s “Volta” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
FOR over a decade now, renowned designer Zaldy Goco has straddled the twin genres of fashion and costume design to create unforgettable, timeless, and beautifully crafted clothing. A decade earlier,…
2nd Annual Cinematogrofo Film Festival 2018
by AJPress with interviews by Momar G. Visaya Breaking barriers through film and story telling AFTER a successful first year, ABS-CBN’s Cinematogrofo Film Festival is back to continue to showcase…
Gina Ortiz Jones could be the first Filipina in Congress
Four Filipino Americans have a chance to make history and be elected to the United States Congress in the upcoming midterm elections next month. Jennifer Zimmerman, who immigrated to the…