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Maria Banatao: The woman behind the man
By Loida Nicolas Lewis When I texted Maria Banatao that I would like to talk to her in the morning at 11 a.m. New York time – which is 8 a.m. Los Angeles time — she told me that she would prefer to do it three hours later. Why? Because she would be going to […]
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Pinay-owned fashion brand debuts indigenous designs in NYFW
Daily Malong, a Pinay-owned fashion brand centered around indigenous designs and weaves, will participate in this year’s New York Fashion Week produced by hiTechMODA. Founder and Chief Creative Officer Lydia Querian said Daily Malong aims to build awareness of “uncommon” Filipino textiles in a more prominent platform like New York Fashion Week (NYFW). “I decided […]
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New mobile app Sendwave: Fast, no-fees, easy way to send money home
Last year, Filipinos living and working in the United States sent over $11 billion to their loved ones and charitable causes in the Philippines. To ensure that they are able to continue providing support to their motherland, Sendwave is making it cheaper, quicker, and easier to send money by eliminating remittance fees and waiting time. […]
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Home cook fan fave with 45M views on YouTube wins Top Chef Amateurs
By Loida Nicolas Lewis Lorenzo L. Beronilla landed his Epicurious 4 Levels Series on YouTube almost like a fluke. But on second thought, he felt, “It is fate. I was at the right place at the right time.” A friend referred him to an Epicurious cooking pilot series on YouTube. They liked what they saw and […]
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Hattusa, Turkey: Ancient capital of the Hittite Empire
By Wendell Gaa International traveling is still a pretty contentious matter nowadays for obvious reasons related to the ongoing global pandemic. But when the right time comes for you to visit exotic destinations, one historic site that I highly recommend is Hattusa, the ancient capital city of the Hittite Empire located at the very center […]
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When Simone Biles said ‘yes to the dress’ of FilAm fashion designer
By Cristina DC Pastor When Simone Biles pulled out of the Olympics competition for gymnastics, Hollywood fashion designer Alexis Monsanto was one of many who wished her well and cheered her on. Biles was one of Monsantos’s favorite clients. He saw “the first female African-American all-around world champion” up close and understood what she may have […]
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Goodnight, Irene
By Lindy Rosales Makeup and hair stylist Irene Zapanta passed away on July 20 after a long bout with cancer. More than a beautician, she was, to people who knew her, a woman of “class and elegance,” a trusted confidante, a friend to everyone. ‘Everyone’ meant the prominent community personalities whose hair she had fashioned, […]
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Creating change, improving lives through philanthropy
By Loida Nicolas Lewis In 2019, Maria Torres-Springer became one of the first highest-ranking Filipino Americans in philanthropy. She is vice president for U.S. Programs at Ford Foundation. The Foundation website provided a brief history: “The Ford Foundation was established in 1936, with an initial gift of $25,000 from Edsel Ford, whose father, Henry, founded […]
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Amid the pandemic, a couple pledges to love and be loved
By Cristina DC Pastor At a time when most people were keeping their distance and divining a future amid a global pandemic, Jan Andrada didn’t realize she was about to restart her life. Jan, the treasurer of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations of New York, wed U.S. Navy veteran John Lane of Arlington, […]