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Ambassador Mario de Leon Jr.: In retirement, a life of contradictions
By Cristina DC Pastor At Starbucks on Fifth Avenue where we met for this interview, the barista called out, “Mario!” I smiled at Ambassador Mario de Leon Jr. – formerly Consul General in New York – as he got his chai tea, teased him about his now untitled life. Truth is, he confessed, as we […]
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Nanding & Laura find love anew and a life of purpose
By Cristina DC Pastor The prelude to Nanding and Laura’s love story had a religious backdrop. They met at Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado in December of 2013. They were lining up before the buffet table when Fiesta in America CEO Fernando ‘Nanding’ Mendez spotted an old acquaintance, and said, “Hey, I think I know you.” […]
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Grand Central Terminal rolls out red carpet for Philippine tourism, business and culture
By Cristina DC Pastor Don’t be surprised if, from May 9 to 12, you will spot some men in Ati-Atihan soot and women in colorful couture at the Grand Central Terminal Main Concourse on your way to work. The frolicsome music of the rondalla is likely to lead you to Vanderbilt Hall as you exit […]
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Popsie’s Food Truck: ‘Kakanin’ comfort food revisited
By Cristina DC Pastor In her quiet Jersey City home, Marisse ‘Popsie’ Panlilio cooks Binatog while her freezer is packed with quarts of mango and ube ice cream waiting to firm up. Elsewhere in the kitchen, her partner, sous chef Cosette Malig, cuts vegetables. There are slow and busy days in Popsie’s food chamber. But […]
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Embassy officer Ivan Gonzales: A desire to transform the Philippine economy
By Wendell Gaa Believe it or not, contributing to the economic development of the Philippines was an aspiration Ivan Gonzales had since he was 4 years old. Today, he is making that dream a solid reality working for the Economic Section of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. The son of writer P.J. Gonzales of […]
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Concert producers Robert and Melissa Mendoza and the soundtrack of their lives
By Cristina DC Pastor The couple that headbangs together produces concerts together. Because they can, and because the power of music sends good vibes throughout the 40-year marriage of Brooklyn couple Robert ‘Ogie’ Mendoza and Melissa Rubio Mendoza. From Manila to New York, this couple has bonded through Karaoke singing, watching theater musicals and, of […]
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Free tickets for balikbayan travelers
Two of the Philippines’s biggest names in business are teaming up to launch a balikbayan promo that gives loyal customers the chance to fly for free. LBC, the leader in “Padala,” and Philippine Airlines, Asia’s first airline, launched the “LBC Moves with PAL Balikbayan Promo” that gives their loyal customers free tickets to the Philippines. […]
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Down Memory Lane on Roosevelt Avenue
By Cristina DC Pastor The long and disorganized stretch of Roosevelt Avenue in Queens — reachable by the 7 Train — was both familiar and unusual. Payag Restaurant at the corner of 52nd Street is now empty. Somewhere on 69th is Rosario’s Ihawan, a new and pleasant-looking restaurant. Rene and I were lured by the […]
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The life, the legacy, and the woman behind Reginald F. Lewis
One of the greatest love stories that has fascinated Filipino Americans is that of immigration lawyer Loida Nicolas Lewis and the legendary Reginald F. Lewis, who would become the richest African-American man in the 1980s. The two met on a blind date some 20 years earlier. Loida was then an up-and-coming lawyer who had just […]