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A Mexi-Jewish, Trini-Filipino birthday feast in Queens
By Anne Noyes Saini Ruby Gonzalez and Lanna Andrews are celebrating their first birthdays together, with all the usual trappings: balloons, streamers, party favors, and cupcakes. But the real excitement isn’t opening the gifts—it’s the carving of the whole, spit-roasted pig. ‘Lechon’—slowly roasted over indirect heat until the pig’s outer skin is crisp and brown—is […]
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Will politics be kinder to Justin Verzosa?
By Cristina Dc Pastor Politics appears to run in the Verzosa family of Union Township in New Jersey. Software engineer Justin Verzosa is a Republican candidate for a council seat, the same position his father aspired for in 2009. “Unfortunately, my father and his running mate Charles Donnelly were not able to capture the majority […]
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Advocate against corruption Henry Motte-Muñoz named one of Asia 21 Young Leaders
Bantay.ph co-founder Henry Motte-Muñoz was chosen as one of Asia 21 Young Leaders for 2015. He is among the newest members of the preeminent network of young leaders from across the Asia-Pacific, representing the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, according to a statement from Asia Society dated July 9. Now in its 10th year, the […]
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2 FilAm dancers topbill BalaSole’s 5th anniversary concert
Roberto Villanueva, the Executive & Artistic Director and founder of BalaSole Dance Company, presents the 5th year anniversary and 16th concert season of BalaSole in “Salmagundi,” a new program of solos in a broad range of dance styles, music choices and artistic voices, on July 17 & 18, 8 p.m., at Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 […]
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Facebook feud resurrects Tim Garcia, reveals his new identity as Trans woman ‘Isabel’
By Cristina DC Pastor About 5 years before Jeane Napoles, there was Timothy Mark Garcia, known among Manhattan’s fashion cognoscenti as Tim Garcia, a publicist for designer Marc Jacobs. Tim is the son of former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia. The older Garcia now sits in a Philippine […]
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As a gay person, I do not feel less of a parent
By Veana DC Pastor “Love,” and here I quote Ann Landers, “is a friendship that has caught fire.” On the day that the Supreme Court recognized same-sex marriage as a legal right nationwide, many of us in the LGBT community were rampant with joy. I was at work when I heard the news from customers […]
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Stella Abrera joins Misty Copeland as principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre
Filipino American Stella Abrera joins Misty Copeland in making dance history. Both have been promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in New York. Also joining the company is FilAm Jeffrey Cirio. The principal dancer with Boston Ballet, will join ABT as a Soloist, it was announced June 30 by […]
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Community at a loss to explain Edmund Silvestre-vs-Filipino Reporter: ‘They were one happy family’
By Cristina DC Pastor The Filipino community was taken aback by reports that Filipino Reporter’s long-time reporter Edmund Silvestre has filed a labor complaint against his former employers. In Case 15 CV 4477 filed June 9, 2015 before the Southern District of New York, Silvestre is “seeking damages for the base salary he should have […]
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All the news that’s fit to edit: A chat with the NYT’s Cielo Buenaventura
By Cristina DC Pastor For journalist Cielo Buenaventura, getting into The New York Times and now holding the title of staff editor for the Culture section, was a combination of “audacious dreaming and dumb luck.” In 1988 while on a scholarship at Ohio State University, one of her professors, a former Times editor, suggested that […]