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Remembering Ambassador Doy Lucenario, an honorable diplomat and friend
By Wendell Gaa The tragic death of Ambassador Domingo “Doy” Lucenario, Philippine Ambassador to Pakistan, is a crushing blow to our nation’s diplomatic corps as well as to his family, friends and colleagues who have had the opportunity to work closely with this kind, diligent and good-natured diplomat. Like so many people, I was shocked […]
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How Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer champions small businesses
UPDATE: On June 29, 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he was appointing Small Business Services Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer to head the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Torres-Springer, a former executive vice president and chief of staff at NYCEDC, will be the first woman to lead the semi-private organization, which facilitates development through loans, […]
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Energy CEO Gil Quiniones is the highest ranking FilAm in the Cuomo Cabinet
By Cristina DC Pastor If his life could be summed up in bullet points, Gil Quiniones’s would look something like this. The president and CEO of the New York Power Authority (NYPA) is: • A mechanical engineer • An energy nerd • A West Village family man • A Jewish Filipino • Sela’s dad Judging […]
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Emotions run high at vigil on the eve of Mary Jane’s execution
About 70 Filipino-Americans and concerned community members gathered in front of the Indonesian Consulate in Midtown Manhattan on April 27 as part of international actions to save the life of domestic worker Mary Jane Veloso, who is awaiting execution by firing squad in Indonesia the following day. “The death penalty is a violent and inhumane […]
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My heart aches for my beloved Baltimore
By Bella Santos Owens After having a great weekend with my family celebrating our children’s birthdays who are young adults and half African Americans, I am very sad watching Baltimore City being destroyed. Baltimore City had been my home and my work location ever since I came to this country in the 1980s. Our kids […]
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The tragedy of Mary Jane Veloso: History repeats itself in a terrible way
Today, April 27, at 6 p.m., Bayan USA is calling on concerned Filipinos in the New York area to join a candlelight vigil outside the Indonesian Consulate on 5 East 68th Street, between 5th and Madison avenues. It would be a matter of hours before Mary Jane Veloso’s execution on April 28. To those who […]
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‘We know we’re not dealing with angels:’ Miriam Coronel-Ferrer
By Cristina DC Pastor There are 11 steps toward the creation of an autonomous Bangsamoro region by 2016. So far, the Philippine government is only at Step 4, which is the certification of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as an urgent piece of legislation. But something happened that is preventing it from moving forward […]
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FILAMSPEAK: ‘It’s time for a woman president’
The wait is over, and the April 12 announcement did not surprise; it did did not disappoint either. Many people, including Filipino Americans, have been speculating on Hillary Clinton’s moves. It’s the ‘when’ and the ‘how’ that’s keeping the suspense up. Through email, Twitter, and a video message, the former first lady and former Secretary […]
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How Bernadette Ellorin battled brain cancer with courageous activism
By Cristina DC Pastor When I first met Bernadette Ellorin, she was wearing a colorful scarf knotted Caribbean-style around her head. Seeing the admiring look on my eye, she revealed matter-of-factly: “I have cancer.” That bold declaration has stayed with me for a long time. Years later, I am reconnecting with this remarkable woman, hoping […]