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Consul Khrys Corpuz Popov: Finding love in Gotham
By Cristina DC Pastor Some diplomats fell in love with the country they were sent to, the culture and its people. Consul Khrys Corpuz just fell in love. Period. Khrys is returning to Manila, after six years in New York City, with her Ukraine-born American husband Dmitry Popov. She’s put in her time, made a […]
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In praise of Gray’s anatomy
By Cristina DC Pastor When Catriona Gray won Miss Universe for 2018, I took a passing glance at the TV, turned it off, and went to bed. I did not have any strong feeling about her winning, and I guess this wry shrug of a reaction would apply even if she lost. I thought Catriona […]
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Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue dresses up for Christmas
Christmas celebration the Filipino way is in full swing in New York as the lobby and glass windows of the Philippine Center along the bustling Fifth Avenue in mid-town Manhattan showcase a colorful collection of traditional parol (Christmas lanterns) and the nativity scene. Thousands of New Yorkers and tourists pass by the Philippine Center every […]
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TOFA honorees are ‘heroes among us’
By Cristina DC Pastor Greatness and gratefulness came together one soggy Saturday in October when 16 individuals were honored The Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA) in celebration of Filipino American History Month. “A thriving community of Filipino Americans adds to the quality of life here in New York State and across our nation,” said Gov. […]
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10 questions for TOFA founder Elton Lugay
There are skeptics and doubters, just as there are likers and adorers. TOFA is never lacking in any of them. Yet, through its bumpy yet engrossing eight-year run, The Outstanding Filipinos in America remains in place, expanding its reach as an important search platform for the best and the brightest FilAms. Elton Lugay who founded […]
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Ex-PIDCI President Fe Martinez denies allegations of mishandling of funds, missing cash
By Cristina DC Pastor & Marivir R. Montebon On October 6, the day of the PIDCI elections, we ran into Fe Martinez, the four-term president of PIDCI inside the Dahon Wellness polling center in Queens. We asked if we could do an interview with her, possibly after she has cast her ballot. To our surprise, […]
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Consulate calls for ‘clean, transparent’ PIDCI elections; urges naming 2 independent individuals to assist in process
By Cristina DC Pastor A little more than a week before the PIDCI elections on October 6, Consul General Claro Cristóbal has requested the controversial organization to include two independent individuals to its Election Committee and the Membership Committee to ensure a “clean and transparent” election. The proposal to include two individuals came from Lara […]
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That thing called ‘space’
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Just weeks after this year’s spring term had concluded, topped by commencement trimmings, a FilAm mother of five, contacted me, saying between sobs: Her oldest child had just moved out of their Los Angeles home because she needed “space.” Lilly — affectionately called “Nanay,” by her household — requested me […]
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Quiapo
Quiapo is the historic core of the City of Manila dating to Spanish colonial times in the 18th through 20th centuries. Originally, the residential quarters of the Manila elite, what used to be grand mansions are now decaying homes of low-income families. The area is also evolving due to an influx of Muslims from the […]