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‘Guess how much?’ Freebies in NYC
By Marissa Bañez Comedian/actor Jimmy O. Yang has a great bit about how his mom’s favorite catchphrase is “guess how much” to brag about bargains she’d gotten. That is so me! Recently, my mind, heart, and soul have been soothed by international and domestic art, literature, history, plays, concerts, architecture, interior design, fashion, etc. This […]
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Mutya san Ibabao and the pageant mermaids of Northern Samar
By Cesar ‘Boyet’ LoveritaWhat an unconventional beauty pageant! The Mutya san Ibabao beauty contest has incorporated a unique underwater adventure into its competition. It is not just a “showcase of beauty and grace, but also a bold advocacy for marine conservation and tourism” in the province, according to organizers. This creative initiative, spearheaded by the […]
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The mountain magic of Turkey’s Sumela Monastery
By Wendell Gaa I, together with colleagues from the Philippine Embassy in Ankara, recently traveled to the northern Turkish Black Sea region, where we discovered the best of Turkiye’s natural attractions right near the city of Trabzon. Less than a couple of hours drive south of Trabzon was where we saw with our very own […]
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Fashion designer Puey Quiñones opens L.A. atelier on July 8th
Fashion designer Puey Quiñones will officially showcase his new couture collection at a private event on July 8th, when he will also launch the opening of his new atelier in downtown Los Angeles. The couture collection, Quiñones revealed, would “highlight an array of intricate designs that celebrate both contemporary and Filipino traditional aesthetics, blending luxurious […]
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Charm and sentimentality in ‘COVID Diary’ book on China
By Allen Gaborro For centuries, China has been a formidable yet enigmatic social, cultural, and political entity, more so to outsiders. To intone the evolution of this historical landscape is to recognize one truth: that the Middle Kingdom has been replete with webs of wonder, contradictions, and complexities that at once have amazed and boggled […]
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The PHL is the only country with a diplomatic presence on 5th Ave: Fun fact as Philippine Center celebrates 50 years
By Cristina DC Pastor The Philippine Center was built in the 1970s during the time of the Marcos regime, a time when activist fervor was high and some Filipinos were wondering, “How can a poor country like the Philippines afford to own a building on Fifth Avenue in New York City?” Imelda Marcos, at the […]
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Egypt: Ingenious people, legendary pyramids
By Wendell Gaa Egypt has been a country I’ve been seeking to visit for practically most of my adult life, and just recently I’ve finally made that lifelong dream a reality. Together with some of my colleagues from the Philippine Embassy in Ankara, Türkiye, I’ve had the remarkable opportunity to travel down to the ancient […]
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Designer Lorenz Namalata finds doors opening in NYC Fashion since surviving leukemia
By Justine Ting New York’s creative scene is not for the faint of heart. Especially not in the cutthroat world of Fashion where it’s easy to get lost among the countless hordes all clamoring for a chance to shine, to be seen, to be heard. But this doesn’t intimidate Filipino creative director and producer Lorenz […]
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Sheila and Ron Marcelo: Building community in New York City
By Tricia J. Capistrano Much has been written about how Sheila Lirio Marcelo raised $111 million in venture capital for Care.com, an online marketplace that connects families with caregivers for various needs. Many Filipino Americans are aware that Sheila then took Care.com public in 2014 and later sold it in 2020 for $500 million. What […]