By Joel David With the announcement of Jaclyn Jose’s sudden demise last March 2, a significant number of mostly middle-aged Filipino film observers were stunned to realize that, in keeping aware of her, a full, challenging, and ultimately triumphant life became their privilege to witness. Even the trajectory of her physical appearance, from anxious young […]
By Jon Melegrito It’s Saturday night, live, in the Springfield home of Ben and Gloria Caoile. The place is boisterous with raucous laughter and endless chatter. Feasting on crabs, ‘lechon,’ ‘pancit’ and ‘adobo,’ a rowdy bunch of revelers has converged in this quiet neighborhood, bent on letting their hair down. Leading the charge is 69-year-old […]
By Loida Nicolas Lewis On August 20th, at the Benigno Aquino Triangle Park located at 184th Place and Hillside Avenue in Queens, NY, Filipino-Americans remembered Ninoy Aquino’s assassination on the tarmac of Manila International Airport 40 years ago. Antero Martinez, president of the Benigno Aquino Triangle Foundation (BATF), organized the special gathering to coincide with […]
Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario —a key figure in the filing of a landmark ruling on the South China Sea that brought Beijing before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)— passed away at 83 on April 18. In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said del Rosario died while en route […]
By Stella Piscano I lost a friend a few days ago. I met him 15 years ago. Wow, didn’t think it was that long already! This dude was witty, fun-loving, brilliant! He would’ve been 48 years old come February. And why am I spewing out numbers? Because he was a numbers guy, razor sharp analysis […]
Chef King Phojanakong, known for his Southeast Asian specialty dishes served in his Lower East Side restaurant Kuma Inn has passed away. He suffered from a rare amoeba infection, according to a Gofundme piece written by his brother-in-law Eddie Nau. “King was admitted to NYU hospital with inflammation to the brain among other symptoms, including […]
The death of Victor Malabayabas on August 20 at the hands of an unidentified robber has once again incensed the Filipino American community as well as Americans who believe military veterans deserve better. Malabayabas, 60, was busy bringing groceries into his home in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore when the unknown assailant approached him to ask […]
The FilAm Editorial That is not a knock-down on Fidel V. Ramos. Neither is it fulsome praise. Ramos bent like a reed, adjusting his positions during his lifetime of being an army general-turned-politician. He finally served as president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He defected and dumped his cousin, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., at […]
By Joel David There will always be ambivalence surrounding the Filipino word for performer: artista. The word it suggests in English is in many ways opposed to the notion of an artist, standing apart from issues of popularity and financial success. This is why the first film star recognized as National Artist, Nora Aunor, underwent […]