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4 days in February in NYC: From paranoia to euphoria
By Cristina DC Pastor In 1986, or 29 years ago, the Philippines was on the cusp of something historic. What it was no one knew. What was apparent was that dictator Ferdinand remained in power, but opposition leader Cory Aquino was ascendant and very popular. The February 7 snap elections turned out to be critical. […]
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Visiting the 9/11 museum and trying to make sense of what happened on that fateful day
By John Sapida I was a young child, around 9 years old, when the September 11 attacks happened. I do not remember much about my personal reaction, or if I had any, but I knew that amidst the emotions and confusion around me, this was something out of the ordinary. Recently, I decided to pay […]
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Bringing Jose Rizal to 69th Street in Queens
By Cristina DC Pastor The spadework has begun. It may be a matter of time before 69th Street in Queens is renamed in honor of Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal. This project, spearheaded by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations in New York (NaFFAA NY), was announced at its first conference held at […]
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The significance of ‘Selma’ in wake of Ferguson
By Wendell Gaa I remember staring at a photo with much pride of my father, Ambassador Willy Gaa, standing together with one of the greatest leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. The two met in 2010 back when my Dad was still the Philippine envoy to Washington D.C. And thinking […]
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Cuba and the Philippines are sister countries by heritage
By Roz Zacarias Li The restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba will give Filipino Americans the opportunity to get to know Cuba first-hand, this country which I consider to be a sister country of the Philippines. Cuba and the Philippines have shared heritage – both former colonies of Spain for centuries […]
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As 2015 Grand Marshal, Reuben Seguritan seeks to present ‘united, empowered’ community
Lawyer Reuben S. Seguritan was unanimously voted the Grand Marshal for next year’s Philippine Independence Day Parade commemorating the 117th anniversary of the declaration of the country’s Independence. Reuben was the founding president of Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) when it was incorporated on February 14, 2002. PIDCI is known to organize the biggest […]
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October 20, 1944 remains unforgettable with echoes of ‘I Shall Return!’
By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Ph.D. There are dates in the Philippines’ World War II history that have their staying power. But not all belong to ‘must’ remembrances. A few brought joy. Some are meant to be shunted aside because they bring nothing but sorrow. But there is one date that has, as time moves on, […]
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After 42 years, exhuming a bitter memory of Martial Law
By Julia Carreon-Lagoc On September 21, 1972, a day of infamy in Philippine history, Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed Martial Law. This year on the 42nd anniversary of its proclamation, I exhumed this bitter remembrance — the memories ever fresh as when they were first written. NEVER AGAIN! In bold capitals and with an exclamation point. That’s […]
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Grateful to 2 ‘lolos’ and their legacy of service, leadership
By Tiara Camille Teruel I read an article recently in the Panay News about the Panay guerrillas being the best organized guerrilla movement during World War II. It casually mentioned Raymundo Teruel, and, how, as a result of that war, he became a general. General Teruel was my grandfather. Lolo Raymundo, or Lolo Ray as […]