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Suyomano: A platform for Filipinos yearning to reconnect with their roots
By Zia Kalong Suyomano is a virtual platform focused on cultural learning experiences touching on local languages, indigenous tribal cultures and medicine, mythology, traditional martial arts, food and beyond. Suyomano is made up of two unique Tagalog words: “Suyo” which means gentle affection and “mano” which is a gesture of respect. “We believe that bringing forth the […]
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Fantasy ‘aswang’ series coming to Netflix in ‘Trese’
By Wendell Gaa Philippine folklore and mythology have captivated me for a long time. It was in my pre-teen years when I learned about mythical creatures, such as the blood-sucking aswang, our version of the vampire, and the monstrous tikbalang, considered to be the Filipino equivalent to the half-man half-bull minotaur of Greek mythology. These […]
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Remembering Pat Salaver on FilAm History Month
Labor organizers Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz are honored in murals and history books as important leaders in the Filipino American community. There is one who is rarely mentioned. His name: Patrick Salaver. Salaver founded the first FilAm student organization, the Pilipino American Collegiate Endeavor, in 1967 to help students not only improve their […]
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‘Bouquet of healing’ art project dedicated to Elmhurst hospital workers
The community arts project called Tandaan Ang Ating Ugnayan has offered a “bouquet of healing and connection” to Elmhurst Hospital workers, visitors, and community, through a street art installation surrounding the hospital. With this installation, the project — founded by artist Cecilia Lim – sought to give a “sense of ‘pakikipagkapwa’ (interconnectedness)” to workers who have […]
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TOFA100 to celebrate distinguished FilAms on Oct 31
By Rasmin Diaz A second batch of TOFA100 outstanding Filipinos in the fields of media, business and entrepreneurship, education and research, fashion, culinary and public service was announced last week by The Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA) Awards. “Entertainment and public service are among TOFA’s bigger categories because Filipino excellence truly shines through in these fields,” […]
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Through the Malong, Lydia Querian seeks to empower weavers and for FilAms to express their identity
Daily Malong, an ecommerce store promoting the indigenous malong, is on a two-pronged mission: To empower weavers and artisans and to extend an appreciation of indigenous crafts to the Filipino communities across North America. The site encourages the use of this versatile tubular clothing – can be used as skirt, scarf or wraparound dress — […]
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Little Manila Avenue: ‘Let’s make this official’
Will the Filipino American community get its honorary street sign Little Manila Avenue by October 2020? Organizers are hoping that would happen. The street sign will be placed at the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 70th Street in Woodside, Queens. “It would be particularly meaningful to be able to install this historic Little Manila Avenue […]
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An ugly brawl over a bar’s name
By Cristina DC Pastor It’s been called an “uprising,” this outcry involving a Washington D.C. wine bar and its name. It began when a local paper announced the opening of Barkada Wine Bar on July 29, pointing out that while it chose to name it after the Filipino word “barkada” — meaning the closeness of […]
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Mabuhay mural unveiled in Queens
On June 12th, the Filipino community in Queens unveiled the colorful mural ‘Mabuhay’ (meaning ‘To life’) on the corner of 69th Street and Roosevelt Avenue known as Little Manila. According to the organizers, the ceremony was dedicated to businesses and health care workers risking their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our […]