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Bilao Restaurant: Lessons on business, balance, and bonds of friendship
By Claire Mercado-Obias BILAO (bee-lah-oh) is a Filipino word referring to a round tray made from woven bamboo. Pancit (stir-fried noodles) or kakanin (rice cakes) are some traditional items served on a bilao, making them easy to transport and ideal for potlucks — no need to worry about getting your Tupperware back after the party. Food on a bilao is also symbolic of […]
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The Filipino work ethic and its impact on a L.I. company
By Cristina DC Pastor When Hurricane Sandy flooded Lower Manhattan’s Financial District in 2012, one Long Island company came to its rescue. Power-Flo Technologies (PFT) rushed to 175 Water Street to survey the damage. PFT quickly dispatched their team to get the building back up and running. Thanks to their equipment, dedicated technicians and can-do […]
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Evan Samson: Perseverance is his strength
It may seem like Jerty Evan Samson has coasted through life from Pacific island to Sin City to Florida’s Gulf Coast. He was born in Saipan where his OFW parents met and married, moved to Las Vegas in his 20s, and is now a resident of Sarasota, Florida where a local magazine has recently named […]
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Laundry workers win case vs exploitation, wage theft
The Office of the Attorney General has announced it has recovered $90,000 in stolen and unpaid wages for more than a dozen former employees of a commercial dry cleaner in Astoria, Queens known as Enterprise Cleaner. A press statement says Enterprise failed to pay its employees minimum wage, failed to pay the proper overtime rate, failed […]
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Culinary artist Jenn de la Vega: ‘You can make sandwich with Ulam’
By Harvey Barkin Who says you can’t make a great sandwich by slapping ulam in between toasts? Food stylist and cookbook collaborator Jenn de la Vega says, “Sandwiches can certainly start as ulam between bread. I encourage folks to try putting their dinner leftovers in a sandwich. You might be surprised by the combination.” Jenn […]
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Punyeta! Filipina-owned clothing line uses sexist Tagalog words
A Filipina-owned clothing line that aims to “celebrate, own, and reclaim” Filipina identity was founded in Toronto in 2019. “Historically sexist and derogatory terms,” such as Maldita, Maarte, Lakwatsera, Ambisyosa, are front and center of the Pinay Collection of shirts, bags and accessories. Founder Jovie Galit said Pinay Collection is about taking back words that […]
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CEO Tina Marie Romero: ‘America has a caregiving crisis’
By Maricar CP Hampton Back in 2000, Tina Marie Romero visited homebound seniors as a volunteer at her parish in New Brunswick, N.J. She thought she was helping them but unbeknownst to her, they were helping her discover her life’s mission. One in particular, Grandpa Joe, aka GPJ, became her BFF. It was a friendship […]
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The mark of longevity: Fiesta In America celebrates 25th year
By Len Manansala In the fraught world of festival organizing, no other indoor Filipino event on the U.S. East Coast has demonstrated similar constancy more than Fiesta In America. Founded in 1996 in New York City and mounted every year except during the 2020-2021 pandemic, Fiesta In America lays claim to being the most enduring […]
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My dad: Aklan-born vet doctor runs flourishing pet hospital in Queens
By Tina Marie Romero I am convinced my dad set a Guinness World Record that no one will ever attempt to break. My dad, Dr. Florentino Romero, holds the record of taking the U.S. Veterinary Board exam eight times until he finally passed and became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in New York City. […]