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Ateneo Grade School Class ’64 celebrates golden year
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. Numbers of folks who observe anniversaries say such events come and go. Not so, echo many who anticipate and plan ahead for those once-in-a-lifetime occasions. How about those that arrive five decades after, or dubbed ‘golden,’ in reference to the meaning of gold? A little more than half-a-century ago, a […]
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AFTA to honor university presidents Gabriel Esteban, Conrado Gempesaw on its 25th anniversary gala
The Association of Fil-Am Teachers of America (AFTA) is throwing a party to mark a milestone in its storied 25 years. AFTA’s Silver Anniversary Gala will be held on Sunday, October 12, from 12 Noon to 5 p.m. at the Astoria World Manor in Queens. The celebration’s theme, “Reflecting and Celebrating the Struggles and Successes […]
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Aquino Scholar: ‘Constant struggle for freedom is the great calling of our time’
By Matthew Alonsozana The author is a recipient of the 2013 Aquino Scholarship, the highest distinction for academics and leadership given to an Asian-American student at Boston College. He graduated in 2014 with degrees in economics and philosophy. He currently works in Washington D.C. as a policy and communications analyst. He delivered this speech before […]
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2 violin prodigies navigate a future in classical music in NYC and California
By Elizabeth Lolarga Teenage violinists Bradley Bascon and Jeline Oliva will not find themselves in situations wherein the slight bruise on their necks will be misconstrued as anything more than the result of intense practice. If it is in their mothers’ powers, neither will they find themselves scratching out the story of their days on […]
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Teachers’ leaders begin the healing process; community is hopeful
By Cristina DC Pastor The series of articles on the break-up of the Association of Fil-Am Teachers (AFTA) has created such a firestorm of reactions from the community and especially from among the personalities who figured in the story. And while the investigative report may appear, at least to some, to polarize the ranks of […]
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The Philippine Consulate attempts an intervention (Part 3)
By Cristina DC Pastor The Philippine Consulate was saddened by the breakup of AFTA, more so by the spectacle that Filipino teachers, members of the noblest profession and role models in the community, were hopelessly divided. In one gathering at the Philippine Center, Consul General Mario de Leon pulled Ernesto Pamolarco aside and asked how […]
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No comment from AFTA leadership: ‘We have moved on’ (Part 2)
By Cristina DC Pastor I met Lilia Juele on account of my TOFA-NY duties, and we became Facebook friends soon after. Later, we would chance upon each other at a Philippine Consulate Independence Day reception in June, sharing a quick “hello.” At that time, AFTA had already lost many of its leaders. But I wasn’t […]
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INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING PROJECT: Anatomy of a community organization: Teachers battle over AFTA (Part 1)
By Cristina DC Pastor This is the story of a 25-year-old teachers organization created in 1989 to campaign for an extension of the H1-B visa so that Filipino teachers could continue to work legally in the United States. The following year, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990 was passed under then President George H. […]
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The bamboo and a B.O.N.G.G.A. campaign for climate awareness in the Philippines
After powerful typhoon Haiyan slammed the Philippines in November, Iowa student Vanessa Fixmer-Oraiz thought she would like to raise awareness about the changing climate in the birthplace of her mother. At the center of her campaign is the bamboo, this eco-friendly tree common in Asia and known for its value to biodiversity. The bamboo is […]