-
Jenny Santi: Art as a path to creating and healing
By Marissa Bañez “I’m a better artist because I’m a therapist, and I’m a better therapist because I’m an artist.” Jenny Santi’s art is the bridge that connects her two passions, each practice informing the other. Her paintings are both a way of making sense of her own life and an outlet for the emotional […]
-
‘Ube is ours,’ but what does that really mean?
By Cristina DC Pastor As purple yam becomes a global food sensation, the Philippines faces the challenge of how to protect, define and capitalize on a crop that has become deeply identified with Filipino culture. Ube is many things to many of us. It is ube halaya at Christmas, the colorful swirl in halo-halo, a […]
-
Fiesta in America presents 2 weekends of Filipino excellence in New Jersey
Fiesta in America will unite the Filipino American community for two weekends in New Jersey, beginning with the 22nd People’s Ball on Sunday, August 9, at Marriott Newark Airport, followed by the 29th Fiesta in America on August 15 and 16, 2026 at the American Dream in East Rutherford. Admission is free. The celebration begins […]
-
Bride fulfills childhood dream: a St. Patrick’s Cathedral wedding
By Cristina DC Pastor For Annaleah Flores Garing, saying “I do” at St. Patrick’s Cathedral was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. A timeless ending to a thoroughly modern romance that began on the dating app Bumble. “I grew up very Catholic,” said Annaleah, 37, whose father is from Lipa, Batangas, and whose mother is […]
-
Hiroshima: 81 years later
By Wendell Gaa This month of August marks the 81st Anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan by American military forces which would ultimately lead to the end of the Second World War in 1945. It is the first of only two times in the history of humankind that nuclear power was unleashed by […]
-
Dramatis personae: The characters in our community
By Ricky Rillera Communities are built on shared goals, collective memory, and the quiet labor of people who show up. Yet beneath the surface of every meeting, event, or initiative lies a cast of personalities who animate the civic stage. They are not villains or heroes — simply recurring archetypes whose quirks shape the rhythm […]
-
Kayumanggi Chorale marks 35 years of music, heritage, and charity with Oct 11th concert
By Cristina DC Pastor For 35 years, the Kayumanggi Chorale Inc. (KCI) has used music not only to entertain, but also to preserve Filipino heritage, bring communities together and help those in need. The New York-New Jersey-based Filipino American choral group will celebrate its milestone anniversary with a “Himig Pamana, A Musical Heritage” concert that […]
-
Evangeline Paredes at 110: A birthday gift to America
By Bing Branigin and Jon Melegrito Evangeline Abellera Paredes turned 110 years old on July 26. Her exemplary life of service to this country is inspiring and empowering. To honor her birthday is to celebrate a gift to America. Possibly the oldest citizen in the nation’s capital, Vangie – as she is affectionately called by […]
-
With humor and heart, Consul General Senen Mangalile says goodbye, praises the ‘energy of the community’
By Romulo Aromin, Jr., MD With only two weeks to prepare and against the backdrop of a heatwave, the world football games, and the long July 4th weekend with the U.S. celebrating 250 years of independence, some 150 northeast Filams in the Tri-state gathered to send off Consul General Senen Mangalile as he assumes the position of Ambassador […]