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Farewell Farewell, Bernardo Bernardo (Part 1)
By Joel David Rapid Pinoy pop-culture quiz: name another media celebrity with a double name. Aside from the usual nickname or fancy given name (Jonjon, Zsazsa, or, for political controversy, Bongbong), only a sufficiently elderly local observer might be able to remember Justo. And unlike Bernardo Bernardo, Panfilo C. Justo opted to use a pseudonym […]
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The life, the legacy, and the woman behind Reginald F. Lewis
One of the greatest love stories that has fascinated Filipino Americans is that of immigration lawyer Loida Nicolas Lewis and the legendary Reginald F. Lewis, who would become the richest African-American man in the 1980s. The two met on a blind date some 20 years earlier. Loida was then an up-and-coming lawyer who had just […]
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Guerrilla fighter Capt. Jose Red, 83
By Nestor Enriquez The Captain had fallen on January 4, 2018 in his hometown in Catanduanes province in the Philippines’s Bicol region. Jose Red, the World War II guerrilla fighter and Knights of Rizal Jersey City Chapter founding father, was a longtime Jersey City resident. He is proud of his participation in Los Banos raid, […]
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‘Painting doctor’ Mars Custodio, 75
By Cesar Lumba Mars Custodio was my closest friend when I was living in New Jersey. We went through the turbulent ‘70s and ‘80s together, often hanging out Friday nights at his house because he had been depressed by his oncology patients’ passing despite his herculean efforts. Mars could never attend the funerals and wakes […]
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Praise, outrage, tears over Alex Tizon’s ‘slave’ story
While the Pulitzer Award-winning journalist Alex Tizon’s essay “My Family’s Slave” has moved many Filipinos to tears, it has also sparked heated debate about attitudes toward having a housemaid in the family – still quite common in the Philippines. Does it constitute slavery if the family is harsh and exploitative, benevolence if the family is […]
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Defense Attaché Col. Orlando M. Suarez, 50
Philippine Defense Attaché to the U.S. Col. Orlando M. Suarez passed away on February 11 after suffering a stroke while on an official trip to Honolulu, Hawaii. He was 50 years old. “It is with great sadness that we announce the untimely passing of our beloved colleague and friend, Colonel Orlando M. Suarez,” says a […]
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Political organizer Joe Montano, 47; Tim Kaine remembers his ‘tireless work ethic’
The Filipino American community, together with the state of Virginia, mourned the passing of political leader Joe Montano who died July 25 in his home in Falls Church. He was at 47. Born in Norfolk, Montano is survived by his parents, Lori and Jose Montano, his sister Amy Lopez and brother Ben. In a statement, […]
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The People’s Prince
The death of pop artist Prince opened up a flood of memories of coming of age, watching concerts and listening to music that was fearless as it was artful. Grieving FilAms remember the man and what his music meant to them.
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Ambassador Willy Gaa remembered in touching memorial service
“During the summer of 2015, when my Dad visited New York for his medical treatment, I’ve seen how he had lost a lot of weight and how much agony he was going through having to walk with a cane because of his severe back pain. At the time, he was undergoing radiation treatment for his […]