Reality web series featuring a FilAm family debuts on YouTube
Author’s web series, ‘Your Time With Thomas,’ has 90K followers on social media
Growing up in a Filipino American household, I was always exposed to parents working tirelessly for their family.
My parents each worked two jobs and always emphasized to my siblings and I that hard work pays off. My father was a banker, and my mother a nurse. Mom wanted me to be a nurse, like her, but I had a vision of what I wanted my path to be.
After graduating with a degree in Electronic Media Management from California State University Northridge, I landed my first job…at TMZ. To be honest, I was the only one in my family who had ambitions to break into entertainment. I have two older sisters who both hold regular jobs: Toni, who is an X-ray technician, and Lorene, a high school teacher. At TMZ, I did a lot of research on celebrities. At Telepictures Productions, where I became employed after TMZ, I was an executive assistant in the business and legal affairs department.
Like my parents, I’m not afraid to have more than one job at a time. I currently work at Warner Bros. Entertainment in the corporate communications division and I’m also a Red Carpet correspondent and on-air host at AfterBuzz TV, a network created by Maria Menounos and Keven Undergaro.
With family enjoying a meal at Max’s Of Manila in Glendale, California. Here, Thomas and niece Annalynn share a Halo-Halo shake.
Because I want to bring joy to people through my reporting on media and television and the Hollywood culture, I created a YouTube series called “Your Time With Thomas.” It is possibly the only reality show out there featuring a Filipino American family.
“Your Time With Thomas” is an eight-part web series that takes viewers throughout some of Los Angeles’s newest and most revered locations. I serve as the creator and executive producer. The show also tackles topics such as family, friendship, relationships, and the Filipino community. My series currently has hundreds of subscribers and almost 90,000 followers on social media. On YouTube, it has garnered more than 16K views.
It’s important to include my Filipino heritage in the series so that people from around the world can familiarize with the community I hold dear to my heart. One thing I love about the Filipino community is the unity.
I had a great childhood. My parents always put family before anything else. From them, I learned the importance of giving back and caring for others. My dad is one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met. He is always ready to help anyone in need. He never thinks twice about sacrificing for his family. My mother taught me the importance of never giving up on a dream or aspiration. She’s always been the type of person who will find a way to make something happen. I look up to them immensely.
The Hollywood culture is a big part of the series.
My sisters and I enjoyed homemade Filipino food. My mom is from Ilocos and her Pinakbet vegetable dish to this day is still my favorite. My dad’s Filipino-style breakfast is delicious. I’m a huge fan of Philippine cuisine, especially Chicken Adobo, Pansit and Lumpia.
“Your Time With Thomas” is designed to inspire more millennials to go out there, create original content, and pursue their dreams. Recently, I was featured on Las Vegas NBC affiliated news station KSNV NEWS 3 to talk about the show.
I am a proud Filipino American with many hopes and dreams. I hope that my story inspires others to turn their dreams into reality.
© 2017 The FilAm
‘Pursue your dreams and never give up.’
