By Cristina DC Pastor “34 in ’24” was on everyone’s lips and in many of the evening’s speeches. The math-themed motto was more than a rally cry. It means Philippine American Friendship Community is celebrating its 34th founding anniversary as New Jersey’s biggest not-for-profit organization that grew out of the pavements of Jersey City’s basketball […]
At 11 months old, Brooke Shields was already an advertising model for a brand of soap. Jaylyn Myles Rivera has been on a box of Play-Doh at 5 years old, quite late by Brooke’s standards, but it is worth noting that she is currently one of the youngest Filipino child models in the country. Jaylyn […]
By Cristina DC Pastor Michael Reyes became a dance instructor through a stroke of luck. Sixteen years ago, he used to frequent a local haunt (Bistro Filipino in South Ozone Park at the time) with his friends Jun Cloma and Allan Matamis when the general manager (Will Reyes Jr.) invited him to join his dancing […]
By Cristina DC Pastor The parade weaved the crowd together, one organization after another: The nurses with the Knights of Rizal with the indigenous dancers with the provincial floats with the teachers with the pageant beauties in their flashy tiaras and so on, their magnificent colors blending into the lingering line of marchers. It was […]
By Loida Nicolas Lewis It took seven years before Michael Masangkay agreed with Agnes Miranda, his co-founder of Sine Institute to launch the first Filipino film festival also known as Sine Film Fest or SFF in Toronto. He said it was time. Out of a total population of 35 million, there are one million Filipinos […]
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May, the electrifying music video for “Waves” Apo Whang Od has officially made its debut. After two inspiring trips to the Philippines, the team behind “Waves” has unleashed a hip hop video that pays homage to the remarkable legacy of Apo Whang Od. […]
By Marissa Bañez Paulo Manaid is a modern self-made casual clothing designer with a mission that highlights his Filipino heritage. Born in Quezon City, he moved as a child with his family to the San Francisco area and eventually earned a degree in Product Design from San Francisco State University. Although a creative soul, he […]
By Lindy Rosales Gigi De Lana, a Filipino singer who became famous via YouTube during the pandemic recently held her third concert with her band Gigi Vibes. “Rated Gigi” was a standing-room hit at Astoria World Manor in Queens on April 21. This was Gigi’s second New York City concert. Gigi spoke exclusively to […]
By Cristina DC Pastor In her one-bedroom Sunnyside apartment in Queens, artist Dulcie Dee would have cats – sometimes as many as four — running around, jumping from floor to cupboard or sleeping on her bed. Dulcie, 67, is a “cat boarder,” which is an ideal gig because she loves cats and used to own […]