Featuring the most noteworthy people impacting, inspiring, and empowering the Filipino-American and Global Filipino community.
“Creative people are critical: they don’t stop with the given and the (supposedly) “obvious.” They are imaginative. They make a habit of thinking in more open and simple ways, keeping their minds two steps ahead of things as they are. They are inventive. They consciously seek to devise new ways of thinking. And creative people…
On August 4th Grace Mercado Ouano became the first Filipino American to receive the Order of St. Gregory the Great from the Catholic Church. Monsignor Lawrence J. Spiteri, on behalf of Pope Francis, bestowed the knighthood at St. Therese Roman Catholic Church in Alhambra, California. The Order is awarded to Catholic men and women in…
MEET Frankie McNellis, a 16-year-old Filipino American triple threat – she’s an actress, singer, and dancer prodigy. The young star plays the role of Lucy in the new Netflix feature adaptation of Broadway’s “13: The Musical,” streaming on Netflix starting this Friday, August 12. “I am so honored and blessed to be playing Lucy Hallman…
THE World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) also known as the only World Talent Olympics celebrated its 25th year anniversary last July 22 to 30, 2022 in Anaheim, California. Team Philippines was represented by 60 junior and senior delegates from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. They were chosen through auditions at SM Supermalls all over the…
CONSUL General Neil Ferrer and Mrs. Miriam Ferrer led the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco during a special screening of the Hollywood film “Easter Sunday,” starring Filipino American stand-up comedy sensation Jo Koy, at CGV Cinemas San Francisco on August 2, 2022. “Easter Sunday is fun to watch and it is good to see…
The United States announces Dominic Ng, Chairman and CEO of East West Bank, who was appointed as a U.S. member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC) on April 25, will serve as the Chair during the United States’ APEC host year in 2023. In this role, Mr. Ng will work closely…
FILIPINO journalist and immigration advocate Jose Antonio Vargas was appointed to the California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees, the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday, July 22 as part of a new class of higher education appointments in the state. As founder of the immigrant education and advocacy group Define American, Vargas,…
CERRITOS, Calif. — The Filipino American community of Southern California recently came together at the Don Knabe Community Regional Park for the Philippine-American Friendship Day hosted by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)-Greater Los Angeles. This year’s celebration theme, “Together We Rise. The Time Is Now,” is a fitting tribute to the accomplishments…
GLENDALE, CA — The Filipino-American Business Association of Glendale, Greater Los Angeles County (FABAG-GLAC), in partnership with Glendale YMCA, celebrated “Philippine- American Friendship Day” with Installation of Officers and a Luau Party on Saturday, July 16, 2022 at Glendale YMCA. Highlight of the successful event was the Installation of 2022-23 FABAG-GLAC Officers namely: President: Jo…
LOS ANGELES— Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc is encouraging Filipino American professionals, especially his fellow Ilocanos, to move back to the Philippines to help in the realization of the province’s goal to become the commercial hub of Northern Philippines and eventually turn it into the gateway to East Asia. In a recent meet…
FERNANDO Tarriela Valderrama was given the Gold President’s Honor Roll Award in May 2022 for Outstanding Academic Excellence. Conferred by the President’s Education Awards Program in the United States, this award is the highest recognition given to graduating elementary, middle, and high school students for their outstanding efforts to meet challenging standards of excellence. Valderrama,…
Alice Peña Bulos Highway sign unveiling takes place July 16 DALY CITY — A historic moment for Asians, Filipinos, and Filipino-Americans is coming up with the unveiling of a literal landmark. A significant stretch of the almost 90-kilometer State Highway 35 (Skyline Boulevard) will be named in honor of Filipina and Asian civil rights leader the…
SAN FRANCISCO – Business Administration students from the University of the Philippines Diliman Virata School of Business, namely Jamila Victoria Domingo, Isaiah Kyle Inocencio, Clarizze Faye Mondoy, Nicole Chelsey Pua, and Von Ryan Salosagcol, called on Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank R. Ferrer. The group won as Global Champions in the Institute of…
Toshimi Pacumbala has always had a passion for fashion. She had initially worked as a makeup artist and salon owner, but she had always had a special passion for and joy in creating gowns. She struggled to turn her daydreams become reality, one delicate sketch at a time, using just her minimal grasp of fashion…
By Marivir R. Montebon After a grueling day at school, Dr. Laura Garcia, a nurse educator, recharged herself through a short nap and had the energy to answer my interview questions in the wee hours of the night. She is a woman of accomplishments and of many titles in com-munity organizations in the Big Apple….
A NEW book written by a Filipino American has just been released and is now available online. “The Road to Cabalitian,” penned by Rodolfo I. Necesito of Stockton, California, is a nostalgic memoir that captures the events that framed the life of a young boy growing up in a bucolic village in post-World War II…
ADELIO Angelito Cruz, a career diplomat whose previous role includes Philippine Consul General in Los Angeles, has a new post as the protocol chief in the Marcos administration. Cruz, who served as the former Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary after his assignment in LA, was recently sworn in as the chief of presidential protocol. He will…
By Gus Mercado/Contributor ALL Filipino Americans in the State of Texas, especially in the DFW Metroplex, brimmed with pride when its very own Averie Danielle Bishop won the Miss Texas crown on Saturday, June 25. From North Texas to the Miss America stage in December this year, Averie will make history as the first Asian…
STEVEN Raga is one step away from the New York State Assembly. As the New York State primary elections concluded on Tuesday night, June 28, it became apparent that Raga won his campaign for Assembly District 30 and will become the official Democratic candidate. He is now on the November ballot against his Republican opponent….
DUARTE Mayor Pro Tem Tzeitel Paras-Caracci has died after nearly a three-year battle against lung cancer, the city announced on Monday, June 27. Paras-Caracci, 49, passed away from stage 4 lung cancer at home on Saturday, June 25, surrounded by family. She became the first Filipino American elected to the Duarte City Council in 2001….
THE International MoTHER Movement (IMM) led last weekend the commemoration of Philippine Independence Day and birth anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the county’s national hero. The important twin events were held in Los Angeles in a well-attended program highlighting the Filipino struggles for freedom from the clutches of foreign domination. Lending support to the…
ALMA TOMENIO, often known as Alma T in the Las Vegas fashion scene, is currently employed at University Medical Center Las Vegas as a Post Anesthesia Care Unit nurse. She has 35 years of experience working in the medical industry. Alma is a member of the Nevada Chapter of the Philippine Nurses Association. As a…
THERE’S less than a week left to the New York State primary elections and Assembly District 30 candidate Steven Raga continues to spend his time knocking on doors to introduce himself and his platform. If his campaign turns out to be successful, Raga would make history and become the first Filipino American to be elected…
On Saturday, June 11, 2022, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Filipino Alumnus Harold Sarmiento, an Infectious Disease Nurse Practitioner at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center where he serves LGBTQ+ patients as both a provider and health advocate, graduated with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) from UCLA and was recognized for an “Outstanding…
Manila—Department of Tourism (DOT) Undersecretary Woodrow C. Maquiling, Jr., received the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the Rank of Kamagi personally conferred by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in Malacañang, Thursday night. The Order of Lapu-Lapu is a national order of merit conferred by a Philippine President to officials and personnel of government and private individuals, in…
MILAN-BASED Filipino young designer Lionell Christian Lanuzo comes across as a humble man with a strong desire to accomplish his job with excellence and passion. Christian, as he is known among his friends, is one of the designers to be showcased at Asia Pacific Fashion Week 2022, a global platform for emerging designers to be…
LOS ANGELES – When Filipino American artist and graphic designer DJ Javier was designing the shoes for his biggest collaboration with shoe manufacturing giant, Vans, all he could think about was to pay tribute to his father, Liberato. On this Father’s Day 2022, Javier wants to remember all his dad’s sacrifices and hard work being…
CALIFORNIA Attorney General Rob Bonta is advancing to the general election in November after being the top vote-getter in the state’s primary on Tuesday, June 7. Bonta, who was appointed to the top post in 2021, was the only Democrat in the primary race and received 57% of the vote (1,819,199) as of June 8,…
FEDERICO Z. Munoz Sr. joined his creator on Ascension Day, May 29, 2022 at sundown surrounded by his immediate family. He was 95. Federico was born on March 21, 1927 in San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Philippines. He was the second to the oldest of 7 children. He was preceded in death by his wife Juana…
LOS ANGELES – Tina Shih, a noted image consultant and model coach in Southern California and China, has recently re-branded her “Tina Modeling – House of Etiquette” modeling academy into “Icon Model Group”. As such, Tina will unveil her newest talents under the “Icon Model” brand in Asia Pacific Fashion Week (APFW), the world’s newest…
