Featuring the most noteworthy people impacting, inspiring, and empowering the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
ON Saturday, September 21, the Asian American Group presented Community Achievement Awards to outstanding Las Vegas citizens and a community organization. This is the sixteenth annual Gala Awards night. The event was held at the Treasure Island Hotel & Casino Grand Ballroom. Attendees arrived in traditional attire from their countries of origin or evening wear. Cocktails were served…
FILIPINO American hockey player Nick Robertson has entered a three-year, entry-level contract with the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, September 20, nearly a week after his birthday. Having just turned 18, Robertson was considered the youngest prospect for the Maple Leafs before securing himself as part of the team. All new…
A FILIPINO American emerged as the best dancer of them all! On Monday, September 16, Fil-Am Bailey “Bailrok” Munoz was hailed the champion of the 16th season of “So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD).” The 19-year-old succeeds Filipina American Hannahlei Cabanilla who won the previous season last year. Aside from being named “America’s Favorite…
LOS ANGELES, California – It was an epic night on Saturday, September 7 for the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) as one of U.P.’s most notable alumnae, Vice President Leni Robredo, was the keynote speaker. With over 330 guests in attendance and more than P1.2M ($25,000.00) raised, the recently…
Alexandra “Alex” Eala, the 14-year-old teen tennis star from the Philippines, made an impressive US Open Juniors Championship debut on Monday, dismissing her Australian opponent in straight sets with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 score. Eala made it to the main draw of Juniors Girls Singles as one of the eight qualifiers who had to win…
IN recent years, studies have shown that the Philippines continues to be an emerging market for economic growth. It is also considered as one of the most dynamic economies in the Asia Pacific region, with increasing urbanization, a growing middle income class and a large and young population. These factors, among others, make the Philippines…
A young Filipina American leukemia patient returned to the hospital where she received a stem cell transplant, but this time it was to celebrate five years of survival. Myla Cunanan, 15, celebrated the fifth anniversary of her life-saving stem cell transplant at the University of California, San Francisco’s Mission Bay Campus. Five years ago, Cunanan…
IN recent years, Los Angeles has witnessed a handful of contemporary Filipino restaurants open up, typically the ventures of second-generation Filipino Americans who have cut their teeth cooking other cuisines and are circling back to the food they grew up eating. Journey some 40 miles down to Orange County and while the selection of modern,…
Disney revealed last weekend at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California that its new animated movie “Raya and the Last Dragon” will feature Pinay-Canadian actress Cassandra “Cassie” Steele as the voice of its main character. Steele will be the voice of Raya, a lone warrior in the fictional land of Kumandra, on a quest to…
TO say that Gina Lopez led a colorful life would be a severe understatement. The former environment and natural resources secretary passed away on Monday, August 19, due to multiple organ failure after a brave battle with brain cancer. She was 65. The second of seven children of Eugenio Lopez, Jr. and Conchita La’O, Regina…
[EDITOR’S Note: A full version of this article was previously published in Balikbayan Magazine’s October-November 2011 issue] “Water is a great teacher that shows us how to move through the world with grace, ease, determination, and humility. When a river breaks at a waterfall, it gains energy and moves on, as we encounter our own waterfalls,…
Behind two highly-acclaimed filipino restaurants How exactly did a former dishwasher rise from the ranks to become a successful chef and restaurateur who now owns two highly-acclaimed Filipino restaurants in Philadelphia? We first met chef Lou at the James Beard House when he and a group of other Filipino chefs cooked regional Filipino cuisine around…
A Filipina American meteorologist took home an Emmy at the 71st Los Angeles Area Emmys for her coverage on plastic in the ocean. Shanna Mendiola — the meteorologist for NBC4 Southern California’s weekday morning newscast “Today in LA” — received the Environment News Story award for a two-part report on “Plastic and Our Oceans.” She…
LOS ANGELES-based Filipino American a cappella group The Filharmonic on Tuesday night, July 30, showcased their talents as they performed famed ballads and bops on the “Late Late Show with James Corden.” “Whenever I turn the radio on now all I’m getting on the radio are like slow boring ballads — do you know what…
During the first Democratic debate earlier this month, a handful of the candidates shared their stances and policies related to a variety of issues, including guaranteeing free college education, legalizing marijuana and combating the restrictive immigration policies laid out by the Trump administration. It was the first official face-off among the candidates, and though specific…
THE Long Beach Bacolod Association will present the Small Business Award to Romeo Garcia during its MassKara Festival on Sunday, August 4 at Recreation Park. Entrance is FREE and attendees can expect an array of food and entertainment, including a stunning performance direct from Bacolod, by the award-winning MassKara dancers! It’s easy to fall in…
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 various categories. AuroChocolate (Davao), Dalareich Food Products (Bohol), Malagos Agri-Ventures Corporation (Davao), MS3Agri-Ventures (Davao), and Theo and Philo Artisan Chocolates (Davao) impressed more than 100…
FOLLOWING Filipina American dancer Hannahlei Cabanilla’s win on “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 15 (SYTYCD) last year, another Fil-Am talent is set to make a splash in the American dance contest’s ongoing 16th season. On its 7th episode, Filipino American dancer Bailey Munoz from Las Vegas, wowed the judges as he danced to…
Punzalan returns to the screen in critically acclaimed film “Yellow Rose” THERE’S a scene in the 2019 coming-of-age indie film “Yellow Rose” where the titular character Rose (played by two-time Tony Award-nominee Eva Noblezada), a 17-year-old undocumented Filipina and aspiring country musician living in East Texas, looks in her bedroom mirror, dejected amid a creative rut. Her…
Sharing the power of storytelling and the importance of representation CARRYING his passion to create stories and present them to others who may not have the opportunity to feel or go through certain experiences in life, Filipino American Jeffrey Lo takes on directing “The Language Archive” for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s 50th season. Written by Julia…
LOS ANGELES – As the country celebrated its independence this week on 4th of July, freedom takes on a new meaning for Fedelina Lugasan, a victim of modern-day slavery and human trafficking. For decades, the 83-year-old Filipina was enslaved and coerced into a life of domestic servitude without pay or any days off. Lugasan was…
THREE Filipino filmmakers were invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the governing body behind the Oscars wherein members vote for the winners of the prestigious awards show. Ditsi Carolino, PJ Raval and Baby Ruth Villarama were among the 842 new members invited by The Academy. In the…
“WHEN I was growing up, my mom would always say: ‘You have to be better than us.’ She never explained what she meant by that. But I understood. I had to somehow rise above my parents’ life in America. But how?” Filipina-Egyptian writer and artist Malaka Gharib explores this idea of a ‘better life’ in…
DURING Archbishop Socrates Villegas’ short visit to Southern California where he stayed with Brad and Teena Boeckman — the latter whom he knew since she was 15 years old and served as a spiritual advisor to her and her mother, Marilou Valdes — I had the privilege of learning more about the community he serves…
In an exclusive OP-ED for the Asian Journal, Sen. Elizabeth Warren bares a plan for investing in AAPI and minority-owned small businesses. By Elizabeth Warren America is built on two ideas: that we are a nation of immigrants, and that if you work hard and have a good idea, you should be able to pursue…
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 that you’re not — but you know inside what you are,” she proclaimed. She pointed at a picture of a boy dressed in a traditional…
New resistance-themed video tackles global social justice issues Madonna’s music video for her new single “I Rise” features footage of Maria Ressa, the fearless Rappler founder who has been jailed and faces several charges in the Philippines. Ressa, whose criticism of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte propelled her to international acclaim, is one of the several…
The California Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus led a Philippine Independence Day celebration at the state Capitol on Monday, June 24. The reception was attended by Assemblymember Rob Bonta — the first Filipino to be elected to the state’s Legislature — who delivered remarks, community leaders from across the state, and special guest,…
AWARD-WINNING veteran actor Eddie Garcia passed away at the age of 90 on Thursday afternoon, June 20, according to a medical bulletin issued by the Makati Medical Center. Garcia had been in critical condition due to a severe cervical fracture after he tripped on a cable wire while taping for “Rosang Agimat,” his upcoming TV…
