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The Simbang Gabi is back!
The announcement was made by the Philippine Consulate in a statement issued September 10th. On September 16th there will be a community meeting to finalize the details of reviving the Filipino tradition of attending nine consecutive evening masses leading up to Christmas. In a statement the consulate said the Simbang Gabi will be held at […]
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Maria Ressa to host TOFA-NY as De Blasio calls FilAms ‘invaluable’ to city
By Cristina DC Pastor Journalist and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa will host the fourth The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York (TOFA-NY), as Mayor Bill de Blasio offered his congratulations to the annual event celebrating Filipino American History Month. TOFA-NY is an independent search for exemplary FilAms in the New York metropolitan area. Voting is […]
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Being ‘tisay’ and feeling very conspicuous in the Philippines (Part 2)
By Lara Stapleton UST is where the incident took place. M. Evelina Galang, Amalia Bueno, Fidelito Cortes and I read, with Zack Linmark moderating. There was a tremendous turnout, with what looked like a hundred and fifty students, and a lovely reception afterwards. As Fidelito was reading, I caught from the corner of my eye, […]
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Balikbayan, murky, post-modern (Part 1)
By Lara Stapleton My grandparents had come to visit us before my family left to spend a year in the Philippines in the late ‘70s, when I was 10 years old. As pasalubong (I didn’t yet know the word), they brought two small clay models of what I suppose to be pre-Hispanic stoves. These objects […]
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Jersey dad creates ‘Phil the Fil-Am’ cartoon to help teach his kids Tagalog
A South Jersey father of four who wants his children to learn Philippine culture is creating a language-focused animation inspired by “Dora the Explorer.” David Asis is doing a pilot of “Phil the Fil-Am” in the hope of teaching his children – son Michael, who is 4 years old, and triplet daughters Gabriella, Kayla and […]
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NaFFAA has new leadership, lawyer J.T. Mallonga is national chairman
By Jon Melegrito The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) elected a new national leadership at the conclusion of its ‘empowerment conference’ held in San Diego August 7 to 10. Voted National Chairman was New York lawyer J.T. Mallonga, with Emraida Kiram of Madison, Wisc. as vice chair; Mariella Fletcher of Seattle, Wash. as […]
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Asian American festival highlights Filipino films
Asian CineVision and the 37th Asian American International Film Festival are proud to present a collection of diverse Filipino films concentrating on identity, history, and arts in the Philippines and Filipino diaspora communities. The Filipino and Filipino American selection for this year’s festival features “Transit,” “How to Disappear Completely,” “Pretty Rosebud,” “The Cotabato Sessions,” “Delano […]
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How a globalized world can lead to the erosion of cultural traditions
By M. Teresa Lapid Rodriguez Born and raised in the Philippines — growing up in the town of Guagua in Pampanga province — I face the fundamental issues of cultural identity every day on simply looking at food on the table: from Chinese noodles, to Spanish paella, American burger, or Filipino ‘kare-kare.’ One definition of […]
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Mindanao, the epic land of promise…and horses
The ceremony began with the ringing of the gong, followed by a spectacle of colorful ceremonial dances from the southern island of Mindanao. The exhibit called Mindanao: Land of Treasures opened June 18 at the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue, transforming the Gallery Lobby into one moving tableau of color, music and Muslim pageantry. Consul […]