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‘Ube is ours,’ but what does that really mean?
By Cristina DC Pastor As purple yam becomes a global food sensation, the Philippines faces the challenge of how to protect, define and capitalize on a crop that has become deeply identified with Filipino culture. Ube is many things to many of us. It is ube halaya at Christmas, the colorful swirl in halo-halo, a […]
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Empowerment Awardees Francisco and Corazon Reyes: Partners in healing and service
By Cristina DC Pastor An emergency room physician and surgeon and his corporate nurse wife were among the honorees at Fiesta in America’s Empowerment Awards on August 9, 2026, where they were recognized for decades of professional excellence and community service. Dr. Francisco Reyes and his wife, Corazon Reyes, RN, received the Lifetime Empowerment Couple […]
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Elderly Filipino women aging in isolation; how can the community help?
By Cristina DC Pastor They came to America in the late 1960s and 1970s, young, educated and determined to build lives of their own. Many were professionals. Some came alone, leaving families behind in the Philippines. They established careers, bought homes, built friendships and embraced the independence that America offered. Now, decades later, many of […]
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Double feature Queer Flipside storytelling comes to Jersey City Aug 7; one night only
On August 7, 2026, Art House Theatre in Jersey City will host a landmark double feature for one night only, celebrating queer Filipinx art, history, and identity. The evening brings together two critically-acclaimed works: “Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo,” a documentary on queer Filipinx history, and “Anak ni Tapia: Leaving Mother,” a […]
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Fiesta in America presents 2 weekends of Filipino excellence in New Jersey
Fiesta in America will unite the Filipino American community for two weekends in New Jersey, beginning with the 22nd People’s Ball on Sunday, August 9, at Marriott Newark Airport, followed by the 29th Fiesta in America on August 15 and 16, 2026 at the American Dream in East Rutherford. Admission is free. The celebration begins […]
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An Ivy League inspiration: A community library finds a home in Mindanao
By Elaine Joy Edaya Degale Before the Library, there was Merienda. I founded Operation Merienda in 2020 while completing my graduate work at Teachers College, Columbia University. My academic work examined philanthropy through the frameworks of human rights and peace education. I was interested in how philanthropic projects could provide resources to communities without treating […]
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Bride fulfills childhood dream: a St. Patrick’s Cathedral wedding
By Cristina DC Pastor For Annaleah Flores Garing, saying “I do” at St. Patrick’s Cathedral was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. A timeless ending to a thoroughly modern romance that began on the dating app Bumble. “I grew up very Catholic,” said Annaleah, 37, whose father is from Lipa, Batangas, and whose mother is […]
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Gender-based violence: 10 common signs of financial abuse
Recognizing the financial abuse signs and symptoms is not always easy because the behavior often develops gradually. What begins as one partner “helping with the finances” can slowly become complete control over another person’s financial life. At the same time, financial abuse does not look the same in every relationship or situation. Not everyone has […]
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Attorney Maybelle Francisco: A compassionate approach to immigration
By Cristina DC Pastor For immigration lawyer Maybelle Ocampo Francisco, every case tells a human story. It could be a family longing to reunite, a professional pursuing a career, an entrepreneur chasing opportunity, or an immigrant hoping for security in a new country. It is with this understanding that she formed her own law practice […]