Featuring the most noteworthy people impacting, inspiring, and empowering the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
“In Lahaina everybody took care of everybody.” These were the memories of Rozita Villanueva Lee about the little village in Maui, Hawaii where she grew up and where she spent her early childhood. Decades later, “taking care of everybody” is still what keeps her busy. In Las Vegas where she has lived since 1979, Lee…
ROLE models, education, and being part of groups are the keys to success, said Filipino-American Rear Adm. Victorino “Vic” Mercado, vice director of Strategy, Plans and Policy for US Central Command. US Central Command (better known as CENTCOM) is one of 9 combatant commands in the United States military which promotes cooperation among nations, responds…
In the United States Army, the term “commander” is officially applied to the commanding officer of a unit; hence, there are company commanders, battalion commanders and brigade commanders. On June 6, at a ceremony at General’s Field, Honolulu, Hawaii, a young Filipino-American Captain in the US Army was promoted to the position of Company Commander….
ONCE again, a Filipino has made his country proud by gaining honor and prestige in the international arena. On April 29, 2013, Canada’s Department of Justice has announced the historic appointment of the first Filipino-Canadian into the Supreme Court of Justice of Ontario, Honorable Justice Steve Anthony Banate Coroza. Justice Coroza will be the superior…
Move over Cleveland hero Charles Ramsey. The Filipino-American community has their own hero in Nida Arjona Tapel, who helped thwart a kidnapping attempt on December 19, 2011. Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey presented the “Courageous Citizen Award” to Tapel and three other heroes during a luncheon held at the City Club on April…
THE University of Massachusetts (UMass) Dartmouth, a low-profile university in Massachusetts, was put in the spotlight several weeks ago, when it was discovered that the accused suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was one of its students. What would interest Filipinos around the world is that a few days before the Boston Marathon…
LOOK at superstar comic book artist Leinil Francis Yu’s portfolio and you’d think he must have studied in the best art schools in the world. Fans and critics from around the world rave about his kinetic, dynamic pseudo-realistic style. For the past 15 years, Yu has worked for comic book giants Marvel and DC with…
ON MARCH 4, 2013, CNN reported the incredible news that a baby was cured of HIV, as announced at the 2013 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta. The baby girl from Mississippi is the first child to be “functionally cured” of HIV. Filipinos the world over will be proud to know that a…
IN October 2012, an international conference was held in Cape Town, Africa. Here, four of the world’s top forensic DNA experts did a presentation on “Forensic DNA Profiling and The Law.” Leading the DNA experts is Chris Asplen, former Assistant US Attorney and Executive Director of the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence…
HE sings co-lead in the second most-played song on American radio in the past century, but few Filipinos have heard about him or know the impact he’s had on a generation of Asian American musicians. Never My Love by The Association ranks No. 2 on the Top 100 Songs of the Century (according to BMI)…
Several weeks ago, a Filipino-American was posthumously honored in Hawaii. The Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced the inaugural Richard Caldito Government Service Scholarship for a college student majoring in Government, Political Science, or a related field. “The Richard Caldito Government Service Scholarship was created by the Maui Filipino Chamber Foundation to honor Mr….
Albert Einstein once said, “in the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.” For Filipino-American Colonel Shirley S. Raguindin, the chief diversity officer for the Air National Guard (ANG), this quote sums up how she’s overcome obstacles in her life. From joining the Air Force to leaving home, Raguindin said while always mindful of her roots. She’s…
FOR the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos working and living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dr. Rosario B. Tigno is widely known as a generous hero. The first Filipino doctor from the Philippines to practice in UAE, Dr. Tigno was issued a medical license by the Department of Health and Medical Services of Dubai…
IF YOU search for the name of Dr. Francisca Tolete Velcek on the Internet, one of the most impressive things you will find is an icon of Castle Connolly. In the medical world, to be on the Top Doctor List of Castle Connolly is like winning in the Oscars. A proud Ilocana and pediatric surgeon,…
For 12-year-old Jervin Barcenas, getting on an airplane is one thing. However, being able to fly one is an entirely different story. A student of Saint Anne Catholic School in Santa Monica, CA, Jervin was always interested in aircrafts from his very first plane ride to Manila aboard the Philippine Airlines. Jervin became more interested in…
RODELIO Cadas was born with an oversized head. He had an abnormal accumulation of cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) inside the brain. The condition is called Hydrocephalus and it results in the failure of the brain to drain properly, causing a buildup of pressure, intermittent headaches, and death, if not treated properly. Cadas needs help fast. His…
WHEN Dr. Christopher M. Guerrero received the Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino Award, President Benigno Aquino III gave him this advice: “Continue what you have been doing.” Dr. Guerrero is among the 29 outstanding overseas Filipinos and/ foreign organizations who received the 2012 Presidential Award. The Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino Award is given to “Filipino individuals…
CHRISTMAS came early for Mary Jane Alvero Al-Mahdi, Chief Executive Officer of the Geoscience Testing Laboratory, the biggest independent testing laboratory operating in the Middle East. Al Mahdi was honored by no less than President Benigno S. Aquino III on December 5, 2012 at Malacañang Palace, as one of the recipients of the 2012 Presidential…
AT the 16th International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) Congress, Dr. Delia Rodriguez-Amaya was among ten speakers chosen to give their advice and perspective on what makes a great leader, on how to succeed, and on how they were able to persevere and become the success they are today. Dr. Rodriguez-Amaya, the IUFoST…
IT HAS been said that out of the most severe trials come the greatest triumphs. We could either become victims of circumstances, or we can turn those difficulties into stepping stones and emerge as victors. Filipino-Canadian Tomas Avendaño Sr. has undergone severe trials in his life as an immigrant in Canada and has become a…
THE true measure of a person’s success is not only based on his achievements in his chosen career, but on how he further extends his talents and skills to be able to help others. Catherine Buan Peterson is a perfect example of this, as she faces a new journey as the new PhilDev President. Born…
CONSIDERED as one of the leading female Filipino poets of our time, Dr. Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo’s success did not come easy. If you read her biography, it seems as though awards and recognition sprinkle her like tiny drops of rain. For the past 30 years, Mabanglo has racked up awards from being the first…
It has been said that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa chooses only the best and the brightest to work for him. Thus, when he announced last year that our kababayan Jaime de la Vega was his nominee for General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), it proves that de la Vega…
FILIPINO fashionistas know all about Filipino-American clothing designer, Josie Natori and her iconic Natori brand. However, only few know how she accomplished the American Dream. Recently, Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine named the 64-year-old Fil-Am designer as one of its “7 Self-Made Immigrant Millionaires.” The Philippine native was among the millionaires and one billionaire, Kiplinger featured…
SOME people are content being average. There are also those who want to make a difference in the world they live in; who want to make their lives count — they are people who are committed to serve others through their talents and abilities. Such is Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, who has made it his…
While the entire world was eagerly watching the US presidential elections this week, a most noteworthy event was also happening in America. From November 4-7, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) US Election Program, brought together over 300 election officials, parliamentarians and diplomats from over 50 countries to observe and learn about the US…
DR. JUNE Caridad Pagaduan-Lopez reached another milestone in her long and distinguished career. On October 25, the United Nations elected the well-renowned Filipina doctor to its Sub-committee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT). She was elected during the fourth meeting of Optional Protocol to the Convention against…
ONE of the greatest American expos that have been showcasing the best of the Philippines is the Philippine Fiesta in America, which is held in New Jersey every year for the past 14 years. Appropriately, the great lady, who was the driving force behind the annual event ,also showcased the best of the Filipino character…
WHEN the Director of the Census Bureau appointed Ditas Katague to a new national advisory committee, it was just another milestone accomplishment for one of the highest-ranking Filipino-American officials in the United States. Groves appointed the 47-year-old Katague as a member of the new National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations. The purpose…
In Santa Clara County, California, in between San Jose and Fremont lies Milpitas, a city rich in diversity. Since the 2000 census and again confirmed in the 2010 census, Asians have dominated the majority of Milpitas’ population, with Filipinos being the largest Asian group. At the helm of this thriving, bustling city is a Filipino,…
