They are the scrappy underdogs of a non-football playing nation who fought their way through to the first-ever World Cup tournament for the Philippines.
Eighteen of the 23 players of the Philippine Womens’ National Football Team were born in the United States, the fruit of largely immigrant mothers who found a way to live and thrive as part of a diaspora of around 10 million Filipinos which established a nation within a nation from California to New York. One of them said it didn’t matter where they call come from. They were playing for “one country, one flag.”
They may be the minnows of the footballing world, but their play and spirit are breathtaking for its dash and the sheer joy of what the sport can be at its purest.
The Pinays turned Group A into a slugfest that was enthralling at the level of the World Cup.
They dropped their first match to the Swiss 0-2, but then fought ferociously to pip the hosting Kiwis, 1-0, using a 24th minute goal by Sarina Bolden into a margin that held up until the end.
Cristina DC Pastor Managing Editor Rene PastorThe team hit its zenith with that win against New Zealand. By the time they came up versus Norway, it became apparent quickly that they had run out of fizz.
It would have been ecstatic if they managed to get to the Round of 16. That they fell short did not matter.
The wonderful thing about their World
Cup is the journey.
Like butterflies exploding in vibrant color, their performance showed how glorious sports can be in showcasing all that is beautiful about the game: win, lose or draw. The result was all gravy from here.
A team from the Philippines wins so rarely that a victory is greeted with national rejoicing.
Philippine athletes also have to struggle so hard against the ugly politics that sometimes permeates the sporting world where the gifted are unrecognized and cash prizes are withheld. For now, the only thing that matters is how the Pinay footballers have won against the run of the play or the odds that it takes the breath of the local sports fans away.
One day in the future, the Filipina footballers will go to the knock-out stage of the World Cup and do the nation proud. We should relish what they have accomplished at this point. They represented the nation well. And that is more than enough.
Contributing
Ludy
Lindy
Vicky
Workers delivered a letter to management demanding reinstatement and backpay. This is the first-ever worker protest in a Jollibee location in North America.
The dismissed Jollibee workers aired their grievances in a statement.
“I trusted that a big company like Jollibee who… is loved and supported and seen as a representation of… back home to many Filipinos would be a place that value workers and their rights,” said Mary Taino. “Jollibee keeps on getting bigger and richer but at the expense of workers. They need to stop with their lies and give dignity to workers’ rights towards equal pay across locations.”
Vincent Cruz, another former worker, said, “[After we were laid off,] my respect for Jollibee was gone because of what they did to me. I got depressed and isolated… while my co-workers were struggling with their jobs due to increased workload. They needed us like we needed them. For all fellow workers who have experienced or currently experiencing similar struggles, we want you to be brave and take action. We hope that you will join us. Let us unite as Jollibee workers.”
Keyser Garganera said, “It is disheartening to witness the abuse of power and the suppression of those who dare to stand up for what is right…We do our jobs right and we received this– getting laid off because we want a better workplace, holiday pay, and a $3 wage increase to support ourselves and our families.”
Jollibee management refused to give a statement when reached by The FilAm. Area Manager Merle Caleon said through an employee with a South Asian accent, “We’re not authorized to comment.” The same employee said branch manager Rose Francisco does not work for the Journal Square branch anymore.
The protest rally happened on July 6 which is National Fried Chicken Day, one of the busiest days of the year for Jollibee. Many of the workers reported “increasingly dangerous working conditions and alleged maltreatment from management.”
The action occurred a week after the workers filed a formal complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Jollibee, following
the February 20th termination of nine employees in retaliation for their “organizing efforts demanding higher wages and better working conditions.”
Jollibee workers in the United States, the Philippines, and across the globe have reported labor issues such as wage theft, chronic understaffing and scheduling issues, misclassification of workers, and worker mistreatment despite the company making record profits. Jollibee workers at the Jersey City location said they experienced similar labor issues, prompting them to organize for better working conditions, only to be met allegedly with surveillance, harassment, and eventual termination by management.
According to its website, Jollibee has 69 locations in the United States, four located in New Jersey and five in New York. California has the biggest number with 31 stores. A 2021 press statement says Jollibee is “plotting a North American takeover.” -- Cristina DC Pastor
Since my memoir “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun? An Asian American Story of Love, Marriage, Motherhood and Running a Billion Dollar Empire” was launched in March, 2023 in time for the Women’s History Month, I have been receiving invitations to do book signing/interviews in various cities where FilAms are numerous and influential.
One of my recent tours was in Chicago where I have many FilAm friends and colleagues.
I was invited by two groups: One, the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago (FACGC) led by its chairman Jerry Clarito, held at the Rizal Community Center; and two, by Mariano “Anong” Santos, publisher of Pinoy Magazine, who hosted our event at the Skokie Library.
It was during the launch at the Rizal Center that I learned the whole story of the five-year litigation brought by the Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago (FACGC) headed by Jerry.
They sued to recover the physical possession of the Rizal Center from the illegal usurpation of the center, in February 2017 by another FACGC faction under now-deceased chairman, Alexander Gonzales, and its self-appointed executive director Elaine and her husband Ari Lehman.
It took five years of litigation. Finally in August 19, 2022 exactly one year ago, the Circuit Court of Cook County Illinois Judge Clare J. Quish rendered the final decision.
Those five years -- from January 12, 2017 to August 19, 2022 -- were expensive. Both plaintiffs’ and defendants’ legal expenses totaled more than $100,000. Jerry and friends raised funds among the members of the board and sympathizers within and outside Chicago, while Elaine Lehman used the FACGC corporation funds “without authority”.
In the end, after five days of hearings, Judge Quish ruled that “Lehman was not validly appointed as executive director of the FACGC, all actions taken by Lehman and the Gonzales factions
from January 17, 2017 to the present were invalid…(Jerry) Clarito faction is the true and legitimate Board of Directors of the FACGC.”
In addition, Judge Quish mandated a permanent injunction against Lehman from using FACGC funds for her personal use, and for her and her bogus Board of Directors to return $30,560 to FACGC’s funds. The judge also ordered Lehman to pay FACGC $75,420 for use of the Rizal Center as her residence in the past five years without paying rent.
When I arrived in April 2023 at the Rizal Center for my book event, I was welcomed by board members and volunteers in beautiful Filipiniana attire. The auditorium looked clean, bright and well decorated.
Jerry told me that the directors and many community members donated and volunteered from the time they recovered possession of the center in September 2022 because it was in total disrepair.
Special mention to Cynthia ‘Cindy’ Flores who organized the book launch
with the cooperation of the officers and board Members of the FACGC. She planned the entire event, issued invitations to guests, and solicited refreshments. Emcee Rose Tibayan and Rowena Luna surprised me with box of butterflies, Larry Leopoldo is the volunteer carpenter who, with other volunteers, restored and painted the Maharlika Hall.
My St. Theresa’s College classmate Dr. Josefina Opeña Disterhoft and Dr. Isabel Juan (both PhD degree holders) manned the selling of the book that evening. Isabel was generous to invite me to stay in her lovely apartment in Chicago.
The next day, as organized by Pinoy Newspaper publisher Mariano “Anong” Santos, we went to the beautiful and modern Skokie Library. It was filled with FilAm residents in Skokie including a pastor who led the invocation and Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen who gave the welcome remarks. Megascene publisher Yoly Tubalinal and her husband Bart Tubalinal, NaFFAA
leader Jelly Carandang, Almira Astudillo Giles, PhD of UP Marine Research volunteered to drive us to other venues where many waited to buy my book.
In the evening of the second day, Cynthia Flores of the Federation of the Philippine American Chambers of Commerce invited Dr. Isabel and me to a gala affair of the Chinese Mutual AID Association (CMMA), a nonprofit serving Asian Americans especially low-income immigrants. It is led by its FilAm Executive Director Dennis Mondero, Esq.
During the program, successful FilAm lawyer, Aurora Abella-Austriaco, who was the overall chairperson of the event, introduced me as the author of “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?” to more than a thousand attendees.
As I left Chicago for my California book tour with my high school classmate Rocio Casimiro Nuyda as my efficient and eloquent impresario, I reflected on the lessons learned at the Rizal Center.
FACGC was organized by pioneering Filipinos in Greater Chicago some 70 years ago. In 1974, FACGC bought the building from the Swedish American Singing Group and called it the Rizal Community Center.
One year ago, the legitimate FACGC Board recovered the building under the leadership of Jerry Clarito and the members of his board: Norberto "Bobby" Luna, Corazon Sopena, Rizalina "Sally" Velasco-Richmond, Mae Lant, Carmen Estacio, Malou Tabo, Willi Buhay, and Dennis Cruz. For more information about FACGC, please visit their website at https://www.rizalcenter.org.
The lesson learned in this litigation’s chapter among Filipinos in the diaspora: obey the rule of law, follow the Constitution and the By-Laws of the organization because violation of those governing documents will result in disorder, dysfunctional operations, broken friendships and most of all, expensive litigation.
As the Good Book says, “If at all possible, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18
hands-on which is a strange feeling because as Filipinos, we tend to avoid asking for help because we are all about pride.”
She said her mother is a “very strong role model in my life and she taught me how to create boundaries when dealing with those who do not understand our situation."
Why are they excellent with numbers, why is their art so beautiful, their music so uplifting?
Children with special needs was a recent topic on Makilala TV, the longest running talk show for Filipinos in the New York metro area. On the panel was Casey Deleon Pinola, a mother from Queens who is raising two neurodiverse sons, one of them a teenager, and a daughter. This mother and caregiver has experienced anxiety, burnout, stress but has created a home where her children feel safe, loved and cared for.
Joining her was Deirdre Levy, a special education teacher in Brooklyn, who has known families like Casey’s. She and other teachers try to support children outside of their homes, providing them education, guidance and additional life skills they would need as they advance in years.
Casey said she would like people to be more understanding of children with autism, but acknowledged there would always be stigma attached to the condition.
Her eldest child Carlos is 16 years old. She shared how doctors had told her he could never walk or talk when he was 2 years old. The boy has obviously defied doubters and naysayers as he is currently in his second year in college.
"I was 20 years old when my son got his diagnosis. Carlos was 2 years old then, and it was rather definitive that they told me he would never walk or talk," she said.
Casey went on to applaud her son for pursuing a college education and deciding to study biology.
She said, "My 16-year-old son goes to college through a program he is enrolled in. I am so proud of him and my entire family is very
She took a soft breath then calmly said, "Just follow your instinct and advocate for your child. Make the other children around your child aware of their diagnoses so they can understand the behavior they do not understand. Children are resilient and the sooner they are exposed to learning, they can grow on their own. Do it in a way that can benefit your child. "
Special education teacher Deidre Levy pointed out that “neurodiverse” is a term that explains different ways of thinking and learning.
As a special needs educator she said she constantly reminds people that neurodivergent backgrounds mean having different approaches to learning. When asked how she introduces her students to others, her response was, "I do not include the word autistic. I do not like to label my students.” She said she prefers to point out their strengths rather than pigeonhole them through labels.
While it is not uncommon for children to have meltdowns, Deidre said, it is usually because “they simply cannot understand what they are doing due to communication issues.”
She said she reminds her students to always ask for help if students become unruly. She explains that in their world, “We are just trying to help them understand in a calm manner and letting them make their own decisions.”
Schools offer programs that include prep speech for certain behaviors when special needs students interact with other students. “They are welcomed with open arms and want to ensure that they are safe,” she said.
Casey shared the story of when one of her boys was having a tantrum in a very public place, a mall, and was acting out while lying on the floor.
"I lay down with my child (on the floor). What they are experiencing is…they just want somebody to understand since they can't communicate (their feelings) properly," she said.
They’re called “special” for a reason, children who are a little bit different, some a little bit slow, others a little bit frisky, still others with exceptional abilities we may never be able to understand.
Eli Remolona was recently named the new governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. He was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos for his “extensive experience and remarkable achievements in…banking, international finance.”
I was elated and pleasantly stunned on reading the news. Eli was my classmate at Victorino Mapa High School in San Miguel, Manila. He was Valedictorian in our Class of 1968. The news was welcomed with cheers by us, his VMHS schoolmates.
While our class has produced showbiz celebrities such as singer Esperanza Fabon, and important leaders like Congressman Benny Abante and Julie Esguerra who is president of Philippine School for the Deaf, Eli’s appointment appears to give him a pivotal role in government.
In high school in the 1960s, he was known for his intelligence, good rapport with his classmates, and for being an eloquent speaker. One of our friends remarked that Eli “can deliver his speech so well with sincerity in his voice and actions.”
After high school, he studied at Ateneo de Manila University where he received his bachelor’s degree in Economics with honors. He earned several advanced degrees including a Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University with distinction.
He had a flourishing career in finance which established himself in the banking world. He joined the Bank of the Philippine Islands and became an independent director. He would later join the Monetary Board.
Throughout his career, he was also a member of the academe, having taught at the University of the Philippines’ School of Economics and later at Williams College at Columbia University and at New York University.
His bio says he had 14 years of experience at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and 19 years at the Bank for Interna-
tional Settlements in Switzerland known as the “bank of central banks.”
Low-income households
VMHS was a public school in Manila where most of the students belonged to the low- and middle-income households. That’s where I met many of my life-long friends whom I consider dreamers, intelligent and determined individuals. Perhaps it was their socioeconomic status that pushed them to strive harder and to succeed. Eli’s appointment to the BSP is a personal milestone we all share in, a reflection that no matter where you went to school you can make a difference.
Eli was known for being a neat and well behaved student. He was serious in his studies, and as one of his friends noted, “His favorite hangout was the school library.”
“He was well-liked, polite,” said a classmate who preferred to remain anonymous. “He spoke fluent English, better than many of us.”
Eli may appear to be the most outstanding in our class, but there are many others like him whose professional successes may be low-key but just as remarkable.
-Julie Esguerra founder a president, of
Sergia Esguerra Memorial Foundation Inc. (SEMFI), a nonprofit educational institution in the Philippines teaching the deaf to speak.
-Constantino Bombais, another banker who is chairman of the Board of Citizens Bank.
-Sally Sobrepena, former assistant director of Operations at the State’s Attorney’s Office of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois where she worked for 15 years.
-Manila Congressman Bienvenido
Abante who previously served as House Minority Leader (2018-2020) and House Deputy Speaker (2019-2020).
-Zenaida Ona Cruzada, an executive at the Metals Industry Research & Development Center under the Department of Science & Technology DOST) until her retirement in 1997.
-Esperanza Fabon Victorino, a multiawarded singer who became Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals, now retired.
Whoever you are or wherever you are within the vortex of the Filipino American community, you have a reason for wanting to watch “Here Lies Love,” or wanting to avoid it altogether. It could be the excitement of seeing an all-Filipino cast on Broadway (pro), the glorification of Imelda Marcos (anti), plain curiosity, or you like David Byrne music.
The production about the rise of the Rose from Tacloban and her downfall as the kleptocratic shoe hoarder is currently showing at The Broadway Theater with a cast of truly excellent FilAm performers led by Jose Llana (Ferdinand Marcos, Conrad Ricamora (Benigno Aquino) and Arielle Jacobs (Imelda Marcos).
Some in the community are eager to see actors who look like themselves lording it over Broadway. Still others are not too thrilled that in the retelling of the Filipino Story, Imelda has to be in it. The FilAm spoke to Filipinos to find out if they’re ready to disco or would rather sit this one out.
it off each other? Imelda Marcos rise and fall? Feels like there wasn’t a fall — convicted but still not imprisoned. Curious on how the rise of People’s Power -- change of government but still the same system — just a change of hands. People are still poor, we are surviving because of the OFWs’ contributions to our economy, Cory’s government inherited the debts of the Marcoses, and now with the Marcoses back things are still the same. Interactive daw, excited to see how this is done.
| Cecilia CallejaFinance
professionalYes, of course I will watch “Here Lies Love.” Will be watching with my children It will be my first time. I know it was performed off Broadway about 10 years ago but I was in Philippines then. My children are interested to watch as well. I told them that it will be an all-Filipino cast doing an experimental interactive show about Imelda Marcos and how it was like in the Philippines then.
Of course I will watch it! It's an all-Filipino cast and I watch anything even if there’s just one (Filipino) in the cast.
Retired nursing professional
Nope, not my cup of tea, not my fancy. I like shows with inspiring stories like “Ms. Saigon” and “Les
Miserables.” Not a fan of the Marcoses. I actually voted Leni.
Certified Clinical hypnotherapist
Yes! I will watch “Here Lies Love.” I have strong feelings about the Marcoses. Imelda is an epitome of contradictions and decadence. Curious at how this production will depict truth and lies in a satirical, musical framework. Can love and abuse be present simultaneously? Does it feed
Retired NICU nurse
I watched it long time ago. It’s good because it is interactive, it’s very lively and reminds us again of Imelda, the Marcoses and the Aquinos. Reviving the ‘70s. If not for health reasons I will watch it again because it’s so much fun and for a short time, you will forget the worries and anxieties around us.
Maria Ressa, the Nobel laureate and Filipino-American journalist known for her pioneering efforts to protect media freedom in the Philippines, will join the Columbia SIPA faculty in July 2024 as a professor of professional practice. In the interim she will serve as a distinguished fellow this fall at the School’s forthcoming Institute of Global Politics (IGP).
Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, along with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” She is probably best known for the intrepid journalism of Rappler, a digital news site she cofounded in the Philippines. Rappler drew attention — and the ire of then president Rodrigo Duterte — for exposing government corruption, human rights violations, and other crimes related to Duterte’s war on drugs. Its groundbreaking data journalism chronicled the information operations enabled by social media that manipulated the public sphere in a country dubbed “ground zero” by Facebook.
At the IGP, which will launch this fall, Ressa will lead several projects related to the role of artificial intelligence in a democracy. These include projects to examine online harassment, coded biases in algorithms, and the effects of AI on human rights across the globe.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Maria Ressa to SIPA (School of International and Public Affairs) and Columbia,” said Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo. “She embodies what it means to be an ‘academic activist’ and will be integral in making SIPA's scholarship more impactful and global in focus. Her passion for seeking the truth and long history of holding those in power accountable are invaluable assets for our students as they grapple with how new digital technologies are reshaping the global order.”
University President Lee C. Bollinger played a major role in recruiting Ressa to join SIPA.
“Maria Ressa has devoted her life to promoting freedom of expression, exposing corruption, and battling disinformation,” said Bollinger. “We will benefit immeasurably from her presence on our campuses and from her thoughtful analysis of the complex challenges confronting democracies around the world, in particular the threat of online disinformation. I am thrilled she will continue her work at Columbia.”
Ressa was born in the Philippines and moved at age 10 to New Jersey. After graduating from Princeton University, she received a Fulbright fellowship that sent her back to the Philippines.
In the late 1980s, Ressa established and led CNN’s Manila bureau, shortly after the People Power uprising of the Marcos era. In 1995, she set up the Jakarta bureau. Because of her investigative reporting, Ressa has been arrested several times and charged with various infractions in 10 arrest warrants — all chronicled in her 2022 memoir, “How to Stand up to a Dictator.” Over the years, Ressa has received numerous honors for her work and activism.
Ressa was the featured speaker at Columbia SIPA’s graduation ceremony in May. In her remarks, she ominously warned graduates that we are living in “science fiction times” because of Big Data and the unchecked power of new digital technologies.
Soon she will be grappling with such issues at SIPA, where she will be teaching courses related to AI in the public sphere.
“This is an existential moment for the world on so many fronts, and our window for action is closing,” Ressa told SIPA News. “I’m looking forward to consolidating our work on these critical issues at SIPA.
“The solution in the long term is education; in the medium term, it’s legislation. But right now we need to move in as thoughtful way as possible to match the exponential speed of technology.”
She will discuss AI and the threats of online disinformation. Courtesy of Columbia University Maria interviews then-President Benigno Aquino in Malacañang. Photo by Joseph Vidal, Malacañang Photo Bureau
By Cristina DC Pastor
During the pandemic, the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) was led for one year by Rely Manacay, a mild-mannered man with an eager-beaver smile.
The year was 2020.
Rely, 63, from Cagayan de Oro City was elected president of the organization that mounts the annual Philippine Independence Day Parade on Madison Avenue. Not many people thought he could accomplish much considering the circumstances of lockdowns and social distancing at the time, but Rely’s leadership crowned PIDCI with a couple of important milestones. It was during his term that the nonprofit organization was able to reinstate its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. The PIDCI Constitution and By-laws also got a thorough reread and one of its important amendments was to impose term limits on the PIDCI president: two years tops.
At that time, he said, “PIDCI didn’t have any money,” but the officers made the effort to restore the controversial organization’s good standing. With all public events on pause because of the contagious coronavirus, Rely’s PIDCI put together a “virtual parade,” a video compilation of all previous Madison Avenue festivities including greetings from community leaders.
“It was the first virtual parade,” he said. “We had less than a month to put it together, but we were able to pull it off. The Philippine Consulate used it in their promo.”
| The classic TNT
Rely was an accomplished builder in the Philippines. In 2004, he came to the United States as a tourist. To be able to stay in the country legally, he did what legions of immigrants before him have done: He married an American woman. Before he could proceed, he had to divorce his Filipino wife with whom he has five children.
“I took her (American woman) to the Philippines and introduced her to my family. It was a real wedding, walang bayad,” he said proudly when interviewed by The FilAm.
After eight months, the marriage soured and the newlyweds divorced. The woman, according to Rely, disapproved of him sending money to the Philippines suspecting he was hiding money from her. He explained he needed to send money home so he could send his children to school.
Rely came out of that relationship slightly bruised but did not let such a distasteful episode dampen his dreams. He went to school at Kaplan University to study Project Management Construction despite all of his experience back home.
With his background as a project manager in the Philippines, he had no qualms starting at the bottom in the U.S., working as maintenance staff until he rose to project manager/estimator where he “managed day to day project activities, made requisitions, planning and scheduling, evaluated the progress of work, did cost analysis, and prepared bid documents.”
The hours were long and grueling, but Rely loved his work. He was able to ride out many storms over the years in the often financially turbulent world of the construction industry. He worked at New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority for almost five years, a key contributor in the engineering & construction unit.
In 2022, Rely decided he was ready. He opened his own construction company called Modern Services Solutions, where he is now the managing director, his company
of more than 30 people taking on high-end private and public projects.
“I also had my own construction company in the Philippines,” he said. “In the Philippines, if you are a general contractor you have to know all about the trade. Here, you can just be an MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) and be OK,” he explained.
Despite being busy at work, Rely found PIDCI to be a welcome diversion. His way of giving back to the community. It is also where he met the sweet and lovely nurse Jocelyn Aligarbes who works as nurse manager/
supervisor at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. She is a 34-year long-time executive in charge of all the agencies under the hospital’s system.
The two worked closely together planning PIDCI’s street fairs and fundraising pageants, until their two hearts locked and they fell in love.
“We’re good friends at first,” recalled Joy. “We used to be co-chair of Mrs. Kalayaan, we worked together in so many events. At the time we just love to hang out with other PIDCI members like Ner (Martinez), Raul (Estrellado). We joke, go out and eat. After five years, he started inviting me out.”
Joy, 60, from Iloilo did not want to be a nurse at first, but the obedient daughter heeded her father’s wish. She gave up her scholarship in Business Administration at UP Visayas (“I was an activist”) to transfer to Western Visayas State University to take up nursing because UPV did not offer the course. She graduated at age 20, one of the youngest to graduate in the school’s history. Nursing recruiters were knocking on her door after graduation. She joined the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center which is now Jacobi Medical Center. It would be her first and only employer, a rare record for nurses some of whom are prone to job switching.
“I didn’t know they’re from the City of New York,” she gasped.
Rely and Joy have grown together and grown with a community they call RGI (Reformed Guardians International) Alakdan.
Alakdan (meaning scorpion in Tagalog) is one of the organizations that branched out of the Guardians Brotherhood, a military fraternity founded in the 1970s in the Philippines, that later welcomed civilian membership. While the scorpion is known to be a killer species, Rely, who is founder and chairman of the board, aspired to create an organization that embraces the values of Strength & Resilience, Honor & Excellence. “We have 32 members,” he said.
In New York, where Alakdan is a 501(C) (3) organization, the group has done street sweeping projects around Queens borough, an initiative started by Joy, who is vice-president. “We do community service,” she said.
In the Philippines, Alakdan has ongoing projects to provide solar powered lightings in public places such waiting sheds, streets, and basketball courts.
“So far we have provided solar powered lights in three locations already and there are five more locations coming in,” he added.
How they gravitated into each other’s lives, Joy has this to say of Rely: “He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He is not quick to judge people.”
As for Rely, Joy is a role model to most women, an elusive beauty to most men.
“It’s not a secret that all men have eyes on her all the time,” he said.
November 19
Here Lies Love
The Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway, NYC
August 6
Heartstrings with Nyoy Volante
Commodore John Barry Arts and Cultural Center
6815 Emlen Street
Philadelphia PA
September 30
Barrio Fest
Bergenfield, N.J.
Contact PFAY and Filipino School of NY and NJ for details
September 30
JCI Philippine-New York's 60th Anniversary Gala and Grand Reunion
Da Mikelle Palazzo
69-02 Garfield Avenue
Woodside, Queens, NY
October 8
Hawaiian Night 2023
Da Mikelle Palazzo
69-02 Garfield Avenue Queens NYC
October 19 to 22
UP Alumni Association in America Grand Reunion & Convention
Hyatt Regency
August 10
Philadelphia Lantern Festival
Parols will be featured at:
Franklin Square
200 N 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA
August 19
Fiesta In America
American Dream
East Rutherford, New Jersey
For more information, visit www. fiestainamerica.com or email info@ fiestainamerica.com
August 26
7th Annual Kids Philippines Charity Golf Tournament
Pequot Golf Club
177 Wheeler Road
Stonington, CT
August 27
Mrs. Tourism USA Pageant Night
Capital One Hall, The Vault
McLean, Virginia
Contact: Janet Hixson
National Director Mrs. Tourism USA 704-609-3831
September 10
Zumbingo: Zumba and Bingo fundraising event for cancer patients by FACC
Pinay Kitchen
13542 Minnieville Road
Woodbridge, VA
For more info: Contact 571-352-0165 or 571-241-8183
Email: cancercare2022facc@gmail.com
September 23
Arnel Pineda & Lani Misalucha Live in Concert
The Margaret Williams Theatre 2039 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Jersey City, N.J.
Amor Yu Productions 818-818-4301
September 30
Dance on the Wings of Song featuring the music of Jose Mari Chan. With Philippine Ballet Theatre
LaGuardia Performing Arts Center 31-10 Thomson Ave
Long Island City, NYC
New Brunswick, N.J
October 21
PACCAL Awards
The Graycliff
122 Moonachie Avenue
Moonachie, N.J.
October 24 to 27
4th Assembly National Association of Filipino Priests-USA
New Jersey, New York
For details: Fr. Juancho de Leon 973-743-8615
October 28
FACC Runway for a Cure charity gala
Marriott Fairview Park Falls Church, VA
Text or call FACC at 571-352-0165 or email
cancercare2022facc@gmail.com if interested to join as one of the models
Chairman Committee
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on June 29 the appointments of four senior administration officials, including a new role for Anne del Castillo as senior advisor at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the largest local funder of art and culture in America, supporting more than 1,000 nonprofits annually.
Del Castillo has stepped down as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) after more than four years at the helm and under two administrations.
She posted an open letter welcoming her new position as Senior Policy Advisor for Creative Sector Strategy at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) effective June 30. She also posted her accomplishments as MOME commissioner.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve as MOME commissioner for 4+ years and under two administrations, during such a critical moment in the history of my beloved hometown. When I joined MOME in 2014, I could not have anticipated the challenges and triumphs we would face together: a global pandemic, the dramatic comeback of our creative economy, and the significant expansion of the agency from two to five divisions. I am incredibly proud of everything we have been able to accomplish during my 8.5-year tenure at the agency.
“Together, we launched a series of programs to increase diversity in our creative sectors: Made in NY Post Production Training Program, Made in NY
Theatrical Workforce Development Program, Made in NY Animation Project, Sound Thinking NYC to introduce young women to careers in music production, and MediaMKRS to train, credential and prepare NYC public school and CUNY students for careers in film and television. We created the NYC Public School Film Festival in partnership with the NYC Department of Education to showcase films by our talented public
school students and connect them to career exploration opportunities. And we awarded $7.5M to 342 projects led by creatives identifying as women through the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre.
“With the expansion of MOME’s portfolio, we embarked on efforts to map for the first time the economic impact of our creative sectors, with studies of freelance workers, small theatre, digital games and publishing. And we sought to preserve our cultural capital by partnering with NYC Economic Development Corporation to negotiate a deal with Berklee School of Music to renovate and operate the iconic Power Station recording studios as a state-of-the-art learning lab and recording facility, and to establish a 500,000-squarefoot film and television production hub which will be operated by Steiner Studios at the Made in NY Campus at Sunset Park.
“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, MOME’s work shifted from bolstering NYC’s robust creative economy to crisis management as the sectors in our portfolio were the first to shut down. It was heartening to see the many ways our fellow New Yorkers immediately stepped up to support each other. In the days following the shutdown, we set up a series of Town Calls in partnership with industry stakeholders and city, state and federal agencies to connect arts, entertainment and nightlife workers to resources and support services, and we launched a dedicated television broadcast channel on NYC Media to provide New Yorkers with 24/7 information about COVID resources.” The full text of her letter is available on the MOME website.
Some girls call their mother their best friend. Marisol Martin? She could never relate. She and her mom were forever locked in an argument with no beginning and no end. Clothes, church, boys, no matter the topic, Marisol always felt like there was an unbridgeable gap between them that they were perpetually shouting across, one that she longed to close. But when her mother dies suddenly, Marisol is left with no one to fight against, haunted by all the things that she both said and didn’t say.
Her dad seems completely lost, and worse, baffled by Marisol's attempts to connect with her mother's memory through her Filipino culture. Her brother Bernie is retreating further and further into himself. And when Marisol sleeps with her best friend's boyfriend - and then punches best friend in the face - she's left alone, with nothing but a burning anger, and nowhere for it to go.
And Marisol is determined to stay angry, after all, there’s a lot to be angry about her father, her mother, the world. But as a new friendship begins to develop with someone who just might understand, Marisol reluctantly starts to open up to her, and to the possibility there’s something else on the other side of that anger– something more to who she is, and who she could be.
A powerful Young Adult debut by Filipina-American author Shannon C.F. Rodgers, “I’d Rather Burn than Bloom,” is now available through Feiwel & Friends, a publisher of children’s fiction and nonfiction literature under Macmillan.
Shannon's tear-jerking debut tells the story of Marisol Martin, a Filipina-American teen who tries to figure out who she really is in the wake of her mother's sudden death. Overcome with grief and anger, Marisol is split between two worlds: her Filipino heritage she's trying so hard to preserve for herself and her brother, and
her life at school and home with her American father.
Marisol's anger leads to a series of poor choices, but her willingness to open up to a new friend leads her to bloom.
“I’d Rather Burn than Bloom” is a poignant coming-of-age story that captures the complications of a grief journey when coming from two different worlds.
"Rodgers crafts a fast-paced narrative through Marisol's powerful and poignant voice. Insights into family dynamics, changing friendships, and biracial identity make for realistically messy and enjoyable character growth that one can't help but empathize with," writes Publishers Weekly in an advanced review.
Shannon earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico and her MFA in Writing For Young People at Antioch University Los Angeles. She has served as an educator, after-school program director, and lost mitten finder at schools in Albuquerque, Chicago, and New York City. She currently lives in Brooklyn.
Susan Angeles is a New York-based mixed media artist who held an exhibit at the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue from July 17-28.
Born in Quezon City, her passion for art began at an early age when she would copy some of the paintings in her parents’ art collection.
She took private art lessons with celebrated Filipino artist Sofronio Y. Mendoza (SYM) in the 1970s. This influenced her early drawings and oil paintings, which were largely representational.
Immigrating to the U.S. after college led Susan to careers in marketing and real estate. She raised two boys—one with special needs—while working full-time and pursuing an MBA at NYU Stern School of Business. Throughout her professional careers in marketing and real estate, Susan has continued to work on her art.
Susan channeled her artistic interests toward co-founding Anderson Center for Autism’s art program, Expressive Outcomes, providing people with autism and developmental disabilities opportunities for artistic expression. Susan also purposed her art to fundraise for Anderson Center. This is where her oldest son has been a longterm resident.
During the pandemic lockdown, Susan retired from her property management job and immersed herself in art studies at the Art Students League of New York, Woodstock School of Art and Art2Life. She is currently a full-time artist. Her art continues to evolve and is very much a reflection of her life. Susan’s fascination with the therapeutic effects of sensory play and her process of exploration and
self-discovery has resulted in art pieces that are authentic and personal. Her work in the “Fil-Am I am” art exhibit represents “archaeological artifacts” of her childhood and youth in the Philippines, as well as her adult years as a Filipino immigrant living in New York City and the Hudson Valley. The depth and richness of her life experiences become apparent in her use of mixed media—she
often integrates fabric, paper, crushed minerals and other found objects as textural elements. Combining smooth and rough textures; organic and geometric shapes; and figurative and abstract compositions are all part of Susan’s art practice, informed by her multifaceted life of navigating diverse cultures and challenges.
Her website says Susan has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities with a focus on Art History from the University of the Philippines, where she graduated with honors. She is married to Larry Godfried, a studio furniture craft artist.
Having raised a child with autism, Susan is a fierce advocate for people with special needs. She serves on the board of the Anderson Foundation for Autism and is a founding member of Anderson Family Partners. Susan was instrumental in growing Anderson Center for Autism’s art program, Expressive Outcomes, and organizing their first art show in Manhattan.
Imagine a popular Filipino egg dish given a unique Kentucky spin.
The result is Toc Bilog, a kind of breakfast sandwich created by Chef Nokee Bucayu -- her full name is Emanor Krizelli Ancayan Bucayu -- a Filipina who moved to the Bluegrass State when she was 10.
Bucayu is always looking for ways to combine the culture she was born in with the culture she was raised in — and her Toc Bilog brings her Philippine and Kentucky experiences together for a breakfast sandwich that will change how you feel about mornings.
“The Toc Bilog is fried tocino (sweet cured pork) that I make in-house, served with a garlic biscuit and a lacy egg,” the chef explained.
Tocino as a cured pork dish is usually flavored with artificial preservatives and food coloring that gives it a certain redness that gleams when fried in oil. Bucayu makes sure she does not use artificial seasoning. Filipinos love to eat it with garlic fried rice (Sinangag) and sunny side-up or scrambled egg (Itlog), with a side of Achara pickles or a condiment bowl of vinegar.
If Tocino meat is used, the dish is called Tosilog. Tapsilog uses Tapa or fried beef. Longsilog is when Longganisa or sausage is the meat variation. There is also Dasilog if the preference is for Daing or fried milkfish. They are the different varieties of the Filipino Silog.
Toc Bilog is Bucayu’s “southern version of a classic Filipino Silog.” Instead of rice, she uses biscuit, which is a southern staple.
She explained, “My version is ‘bi’ for biscuit and ‘log’ for egg —and ‘bilog’ is also Tagalog for round. I love puns. I laugh at that one every day.”
Bucayu grew up in Quezon City and immigrated to the U.S. with her parents and sister at age 10.
While she was still in the Philippines -- she is from the Ilocos region -- she recalled cooking traditional Ilocano dishes using a lot of vegetables with her
grandmother. Her passion for cooking started at a very early age, helping her Lola make traditional snack delicacies like Ube Halaya (purple yam dessert) and rice cakes. When she arrived in Kentucky, she harked back to those dishes to remedy her homesickness.
She learned cooking basics from spending time with her grandma in the kitchen. She has been cooking quite a bit for the family before she decided to enrol in Sullivan University in Louisville for formal culinary education.
As she learned more about Kentucky cuisine -- of mostly fried chicken, green beans and corn bread -- she fell in love with merging the two food traditions in her own unique way.
Bucayu is currently a chef with the Marigold family of brands including Marigold Catering Co. and The House of Marigold, Black-owned businesses in Louisville.
In 2022 she competed in the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship Gingerbread Showdown, winning the dessert baking challenge with her bourbon pecan pie. She was named Best Pastry Chef by the American Culinary Federation Kentucky Chapter in 2019. Bucayu has served Toc Bilog to Kentuckians who find it different yet “delicious.” She is excited to bring her Filipina flair to the state she and her family have now called home.
Aida Demetrio clutches the small card while waiting to clear immigration at Newark airport. She waives at her husband standing outside. She has been a permanent resident for a decade and a half. She flies back and forth regularly between Manila and New Jersey and is perfectly content just having a green card.
“I don’t have to be a citizen. I already have the best of both worlds,” she would tell friends.
There are tens and thousands of immigrants just like Aida, 72, who is a little petrified at taking the citizenship exam. For her, the green card is enough. It allows her to visit her grandchildren in the Philippines and go home to her daughter in New Jersey.
The U.S. is making some changes to the citizenship test possibly by next year. It will include a “speaking section” where an immigrant will not just pass six of 10 Civics questions but also verbally explain images that will be shown by an immigration officer, the better to determine English language skills.
Immigration lawyers interviewed by The FilAm see the proposed changes as tightening the standards of the test, and this may further discourage people like Aida from ever taking the exam. Lawyer Rio Guerrero said the “speaking section” is the U.S. government making it known it “prefers a nation of citizens as opposed to simply a nation of permanent residents.”
Let’s hear from the lawyers.
preparation eligible applicants will pass. The U.S. government prefers a nation of citizens as opposed to simply a nation of permanent residents.
I am confident that deserving residents will become U.S. citizens even with the added speaking section in the naturalization interview process.
practice of other countries, like Canada and France, their respective naturalization or citizenship tests do have an English or French speaking and listening components. Also, the exceptions for physical, developmental or mental impairment remain as well for those living in the United States for 15 years or more and are 55 years of age. Based on this perspective, the rule passes the reasonableness scrutiny.
Except for those born in the U.S. (Jus soli), naturalization has always been a privilege conferred and earned, and never an individual’s right. It stands to reason that conditions are imposed to ensure that this privilege is not frivolously frittered out to those who do not appreciate the honor of becoming a citizen. The “speaking section” is one of them. The “speaking section” does not get rid of the built-in exemptions in the naturalization process regarding the Civics exams.
Lawyers like me working “in the trenches” may holler and protest against such ruling. But in the final analysis, we are always on the receiving end of such rulings.
USCIS will begin the new speaking test as part of the N400 naturalization interview next year.
Since last year when this new test section was proposed, USCIS began seeking comments and feedback. Those already eligible to apply for citizenship and concerned about the new speaking section to be implemented next year should apply now in order to interview before the new speaking section test begins. The new speaking section will make it more difficult to become a U.S. citizen. But with proper
Rules are tested on the standard of reasonableness. This means that the question that needs to be asked is whether or not the proposed English speaking part of the naturalization test is reasonable. If we look at the
(Will the speaking part make the test difficult for immigrants?) Now that requires data analysis, meaning number of immigrants and some profile like age and education. If you mean will the fact that the questions they will respond to are no longer limited to the contents of their own N400 or naturalization form, make it somehow “harder”, then there will certainly be advocates who will be of that opinion not because it is “harder” per se but because it’s different.
Then again, the proposal is based on a standardized method which is why they are also conducting a test of the redesigned naturalization test.
This idea is pretty new. But based on our experience, I know for sure that it's already tough for older folks to pass the test. And if they add a speaking section, it could make things even scarier for those who are already nervous about the citizenship exam.
I've got lots of old clients who had to take the test three times because they can't remember all that Civics stuff anymore. They struggled with the writing part and ended up failing. Now, with this new section added, I'm afraid we'll see even more failures and fewer people taking the citizenship exam.
By Detective Angelica De Leon Velez
Istand here today because of my parents. Most Filipino households take pride in their children. My parents worked two jobs each to provide an amazing life for my sister and I. I can honestly say that I was my parents’ pride and joy up until the age of 16.
I played classical piano starting at the age of 5, received honor roll awards, merit awards, became one of the first females to be an altar server at my parish, volunteered as a candy striper at nursing homes and ultimately received scholarships for school.
One scholarship in particular was to attend a private all-girl high school that my parents dreamed of. All this and yet, I knew the system and I played it well. I was a rebellious teen and as long as I brought home good grades, I took it upon myself to hang out late and sometimes never come home. I made my parents’ lives hell.
Everything finally caught up to me in senior year of high school. I was 17, pregnant, just graduated high school and about to enter my first semester of college. I could not go to my first choice college because my son would be born in the middle of the semester. My parents were too distraught, disappointed and hurt to speak to me. My friendships dwindled because everyone was going away to college and I was alone.
I will never forget that cold December day, I went to the only place I felt safe which was my parish church. Ironically I saw my father there as well. It was here and that moment when I made amends and I promised my family that no matter how hard it would be, I would continue my studies. Throughout all the ridicule my family endured of having a daughter that became a teen mom, they supported me. I was able to complete my nursing studies and get my license.
The saying we often hear, "It takes a village to raise a family", well my village
watched my son while I balanced a full-time job and attended classes. My family worked around their own work schedule to help raise my son while I worked as a nurse. It was an amazing experience but like the comedian Jo Koy says, this wasn’t my dream career. I loved being a nurse and I worked hard to achieve that goal. However unbeknownst to my family, I took the police exam a couple years prior. No one knew that my dream was to become a detective. When my investigator called me to ask if I was still interested in becoming a police officer, my mind said, “don’t do it” but my heart said, "hell yes".
Let's just say, my mom and dad were not initially thrilled with my career change. My parents would remind me
‘We Filipinos are a people that love to serve and help others.’
that as a woman, especially being a Filipina, I would be a hard fit with the dynamic of the cop culture and be more of a liability in the streets than an asset. Their words were spoken out of tough love but I took it as a challenge.
The first few years of my police career started in the housing developments of East Harlem, the South Bronx, East New York and Brownsville. A couple years later I worked my way to the Detective Bureau in Narcotics. Many of these places have never seen an Asian female cop before. Positive and negative comments alike were made but I took it as an opportunity to start a conversation and grow from it. Being born and raised in the city, I was able to connect with people and bridge that cultural gap.
That is the amazing thing about Filipinos especially from New York City. No matter where they are, who they are with, and what circumstances they are in, we adapt. We make the best of our situations and continuously work to improve and be the best at what we do. We do it with a smile, regardless of what we're feeling on the inside. I can test this theory anywhere. If you know or work with a Filipino, hands down they are foodies, love to laugh but get their job done. We are a people that love to serve and help others and will do it while having fun.
Even though I did not grow up seeing Filipinos or aspects of my culture on any mainstream outlets, my family enriched us with our heritage merely
by throwing big family parties filled with amazing food, participating in Santacruzan events, karaoke and line dancing at any social gathering, eating out at 69 Street in Woodside and the yearly parade here in Manhattan.
Fast forward to present day, I literally screamed yesterday when I saw a Jollibee in the heart of Times Square! Of course we had to stop and I introduced my coworkers to the Chickenjoy, and they loved it.
Today, my children can turn on the TV, switch on the iPad or listen to music and can find an artist, a movie or show with someone that looks like them. Our society, though not always perfect, is evolving for the better because of the cumulative effort people bring to the table. People are appreciating each other's cultures, communicating, sharing and learning from one another which will only strengthen the ingredients and fortify New York City's melting pot.
Dr. Jose Rizal who was a great Filipino hero stated, “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paro -
roonan.” (He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination) Our Filipino people will only continue to move forward and positively impact our great city as long as we never forget where we came from and those who have brought us here to this point.
Thank you for your time. Maraming salamat po, mag ingat po kayo lagi at mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
Speech delivered by Detective Specialist Angelica De Leon Velez at a flag-raising ceremony at a Bowling Green park in Manhattan to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Philippine Independence. She is a first-generation Filipino American, born and raised in Queens. Her father was a merchant marine and her mother a nurse. They emigrated from the Philippines in the early 1980s leaving behind their world “for a piece of the American Dream.” Angie, a 13-year veteran, is married to NYPD Sergeant Brandon Velez. He is stationed in the Bronx while she works in Manhattan’s Office of the Chief of Department.
Issue 66, August 2023
Maria Ressa Joins Columbia faculty in 2024
A plea for understanding
Detective Angelica Velez
Teen mom becomes NYPD cop
