FILAM August 2021

Issue 42, August 2021

Carlo Abad

The new Hudson County Superior Court Judge

Hidilyn Diaz

Brings home the Olympic gold

Math teacher Ronie Mataquel Back to school with excitement, dread

Letter from the Editor

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Leave the Adobo well enough alone

he furor on How to Make the vinegar she used calamansi juice. The Perfect Adobo has sparked an DTI made it clear the standardization Internet war of sorts. carries no mandate and certainly no On one hand is the penalty. It’s just a set of guidelines on Philippine Department of how to prepare the Filipino Adobo which Trade and Industry which proposed to popularly uses the basic ingredients of “standardize” select Filipino dishes – the vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic.

Adobo included -- and codify a more “authentic” taste; on the other, the hun|| W hat is the Filipino Adobo? dreds of thousands of Filipinos around the world who slammed the government Because the Adobo is as unique as the agency for what looks to be culinary Filipino, it is a blend of many different overreach. ingredients and cooking styles. DependAnd the winner is? The massive ing on what Philippine region you come number of Filipinos who cried, “No way from, your version may include coconut are you going to tell me how to cook my milk, brown sugar, mushrooms, baby Adobo!” There is no one Adobo monolith, corn, potato, or bell pepper, etc. Your they said, professing there are as many Adobo may be dry or soupy, spicy or mild, variations of the dish as there are islands a pork-and-chicken combo or one or the in the Philippines, and that’s 7,640 The Adobo is considered the Philippines’s National Dish. Photo: Wikipedia other, dark or light, pulled or cubed, with islands across the archipelago, according ‘taba ng baboy’ or without. to National Geographic. comprehensive guide in preparing and cooking It is the essential salty-vinegary (Datu The DTI edict came with a solemn declaration. the Filipino favorite cuisine – adobo.”

Puti or Heinz red wine vinegar?) taste with an It says: “The Department of Trade and Industry The three minds behind the standardization aroma that conjures childhood memories in your – Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS) has effort -- Chef Glenda Barretto of Via Mare, Chef mother’s kitchen waiting for the pork to boil then established BPS/TC 92, the technical commitMyrna Segismundo of the Food Writers Associsimmer into tender bites. It is easy to prepare. How tee on Filipino Dishes. They will develop the ation of the Philippines, and Chef Raoul Roberto many times have you “whipped up” a quick Adobo Philippine National Standards (PNS) on popular Goco of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of because a friend had called to say she was visiting?

Filipino dishes such as Adobo, Sinigang, Lechon, the Philippines – maintain the need to establish It is a staple best served with steaming hot rice and Coke. I pair mine with Achara or Ensaladang and Sisig taking into consideration the variations a common ground to “preserve the country’s Talong. It engenders ridiculous rivalries because in in cooking techniques observed in all regions of cultural identity.” some families, the most impressive Adobo equals the country.

The backlash was swift, snarky, and unforbragging rights. All that is what makes the Adobo a “BPS/TC 92 has started developing a PNS giving. One satirical photo shows police raiding nostalgic trip down memory lane for some. for Philippine adobo on 11 May 2021 with a home after a man put too much pepper in his Now, try constructing a National Standard ‘Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine’ Adobo. A columnist wondered if she could be for that. serving as their main reference in creating a prosecuted for “breaking the law” if instead of

Contributing Writers Tricia J. Capistrano Ludy AstraquilloOngkeko Joel David Mariel Padilla Wendell Gaa Lindy Rosales Maricar CP Hampton Vicky Potenciano-Vitug Angelito Cabigao Danielle Vania Bonus

Founding Editor Cristina DC Pastor Address P.O. Box 8071 New York, NY 10116

Contact Thefilamny@gmail.com

The FilAm is a publication of A&V Editorial THE FILAM |

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Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz ends PHL quest for the Olympic gold Hearing the Philippine national anthem played in an Olympic event was incredibly moving.

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ven more so seeing the tears of joy streaming down the face of Hidilyn Diaz who won the first-ever Olympic gold medal by the Philippines for weightlifting. Those were tears of jubilation over her victory as well as for the country finally grabbing a gold after nearly a century of participating in the Olympics.

“Our culture is that if you are a woman, you cannot do this,” an ecstatic Diaz told a Philippine TV station after her riveting win by one kilogram over the Chinese world champion, Liao Qiuyun. She added simply: “But we can do this.”

Winning an Olympic gold medal has been the Holy Grail of Philippine sports. After World War Two, Filipino athletes put up zeros like clockwork in the Summer Olympics. From 1948 in London to 1960 in Rome, no Filipino athlete managed to make it to the medal podium.

The string was broken when featherweight boxer Anthony Villanueva won the silver medal after losing the gold medal fight to Stanislav Stepashkin in a disputed decision.

Ironically, those Olympics were also held in Tokyo in 1964.

Then another medal drought took hold which lasted until 1988 in Seoul.

Bronze medals were won by boxers Leopoldo Serrantes and Roel Velasco in the Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 Olympics, in the light flyweight division. Mansueto Velasco was beaten in the light flyweight gold medal match in Atlanta in 1996.

Another dry spell lasting 20 years followed.

Then Diaz came along and won a surprise silver medal in the Rio

‘Our culture is that if you are a woman, you cannot do this, but we can.’ AFP photo

use their position for self-promotion.

At one time, Diaz posted on Instagram the following: "Hirap na hirap na ako (I'm having a hard time already), I need financial support," her statement said. "Sa tingin niyo okay lang kaya, nahihiya kasi ako pero try ko kapalan ang mukha ko para sa minimithi kong pangarap para sa ating bansa na maiuwi ang gold medal sa Olympics (Do you think it's okay, I'm embarrassed to ask but I will try to work up the nerve for my goal to bring home a gold medal in the Olympics for our country)."

Local sports officials responded saying they have given her generous support.

Filipino Olympic athletes, with few exceptions, come from impoverished families. Diaz is the fifth of six children. Her father is a farmer and a fisherman. She eventually joined the Philippine Air Force and was recently

Tears after the win. Getty Images Olympics in 2016. She will probably retire after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but what a way to go off by capping her career with a gold medal.

For the longest time, and this partly explains the medal drought,

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Philippine sports officials were the worst enemy of Filipino athletes. Many seemed more interested in promoting themselves and defending their turf than winning for the country. Many of these officials are rich, privileged and

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promoted from sergeant to staff sergeant after her win.

The victory of Diaz, while a “huge inspiration,” in the words of a Philippine official, is a testament to pure, unalloyed grit. – Daniel de la Rosa

Home cook with 45M views on YouTube wins Top Chef Amateurs Lorenzo L. Beronilla landed his Epicurious 4 Levels Series on YouTube almost like a fluke. But on second thought, he felt, “It is fate. I was at the right place at the right time.”

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friend referred him to an Epicurious cooking pilot series on YouTube. They liked what they saw and he was asked to appear for a series Epicurious 4 Levels where he became a fan favorite. This series spawned a pilot called “Pro Chef vs Home Cook” which became a sensation within minutes of its airing. The show trended Number 1 on YouTube.

As of July, 2021, it has been viewed over 45 million times!

What is his secret?

Lorenzo, who belongs to an emerging breed of celebrity amateur chefs -- also known as a Home Cooks or those who did not go to culinary school -- is happy being in the kitchen. He remembers often watching the cooking of his mother, his aunts, his Tita Chuchie de Vera and Tita Lina Espinosa as well as other close relatives. Everyone that babysat him ended up in the kitchen. He takes pride in having a photographic memory because he is one of those so-called culinary “rebels” who do not need to measure ingredients. He believes the Filipino way of cooking is by taste.

Lorenzo makes a good living acting in TV commercials. That is his bread and butter. Occasionally, he would land bit parts in movies which he seeks out to feed his soul. He recently appeared in a Jollibee ad where he was cast as the father who loses his job due to the pandemic. There is no scripted dialog, just a storyline of emotional scenes that ends with a Filipino family celebrating over a Jollibee dinner when the father finally finds a job.

The amateur chef is also a tennis pro, an actor, and bestselling author.

On July 8th, he won on BRAVO TV’s new show called “Top Chef Amateurs” where he competed against another Home Cook, an architect, in the Egg Challenge segment. In 45 minutes, they were to cook a dish using three varieties of eggs. “It was nerve-racking,” he said but he was cool under pressure as he prepared a spicy Seared Scallop Filled Omelet with two types of caviar on top. The plate presentation was fabulously decorated He wrote his book entirely on his cell phone

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with a faux bird’s nest. With the help of his competition partner, Chef Richard Blais, he won!

Lorenzo is the youngest of five children of Dr. Hilarion Beronilla Jr. and Carmencita Luarca Beronilla.

His parents came to the U.S. in the 1960s when immigration laws opened up for professionals like medical doctors. All four siblings were born in the Philippines. His father settled in Pennsylvania where his residency was available. His mother came later with the older brothers and sisters.

Lorenzo was born in the U.S. because “my father wanted me to be President of this country.” A running joke in the Beronilla family.

As a young boy, Lorenzo was already showing his creative side.

He loved to draw, and in 3rd Grade, he could paint with acrylic, draw portraits, and take good pictures. He studied microbiology and biochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh with an eye toward a medical future.

But that was not what he really wanted. He ended up becoming a tennis pro, an actor, and now an author.

Lorenzo’s bestseller, “Let’s Do This, Folks! Home Cooking with Lorenzo: Delicious Meals made E-Z,” – published June 2021 by Page Street Publishing -- is a collection of homemade recipes, and the story of the chef’s blessed life. He claims he wrote his book on his cell phone for easy access. His joyful, can-do personality is reflected throughout the cookbook.

He dedicated his book to his nephew Kai and to his father whose “daily boost of encouragement, was always reminding me to pursue my creative side and to have a good time while doing it.” It could well be Lorenzo's secret to a successful life.

Carlo Abad named Superior Court Judge of New Jersey

By Cristina DC Pastor

Remember Municipal Judge Carlo Abad of Jersey City?

“We are extremely proud of Judge Abad for his well-deserved nomination, and we are thankful for his work in Jersey City,” Mayor Steven Fulop said in a statement.

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e was nominated Chief Judge of the Jersey City Municipal Court by former Mayor Jerramiah Healy in 2013 which would have made him the first Filipino – and first Asian -- to hold the position.

That nomination, however, was blocked by the City Council led by Steven Fulop. Politics was widely suspected as a reason because Healy and Fulop were mayoral contenders at the time.

Abad was named to the post in an acting capacity by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Peter Bariso, according to reports, and stayed in that role until a permanent appointment was made.

Seven years later, or in June 2020, Abad would be reappointed by now-Mayor Fulop. The resolution reappointing Abad as Chief Judge of the Jersey City Municipal Court states that Abad’s term will start on June 10, 2020 -- when the resolution was adopted -- and end June 14, 2023. He is the only Filipino Superior Court Judge in N.J. It would be a short-lived assignment because a year into his promotion, from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in Abad would be moving up the judicial ladder again.

New York. Before that, he completed a B.S. (with Early this year, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy High Honors) Major in Administration of Justice nominated him to serve as Superior Court Judge in from Rutgers University in New Brunswick.

Hudson County. Abad took his oath on March 25.

He started out as an intern in 1995 at the He is the second FilAm to be named Superior Court Federal Public Defender’s Office, in Newark Judge. Before Abad, there was suspended Middlesex followed by an internship at the United States County Superior Court Judge Carlia Brady who Attorney's Office, Civil Division, in Newark. He faced ethics charges in 2013 for harboring a fugitive held law clerk positions until he joined the Jersey boyfriend with an arrest warrant for armed robbery. City Prosecutor’s Office in 2001 as Assistant The charges for violation of the judicial code of Municipal Prosecutor. conduct have been dismissed but Brady remains He became Jersey City Municipal Court Judge suspended and is unable to return to her old job. in 2008, and became Chief Municipal Court Abad earned his Juris Doctor degree in 2000 Judge in 2013.

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||Controversy

The 2013 decision against Abad was a controversial one for the Filipino American community because it appeared to pit one Filipino against another. Council member Rolando Lavarro had to face questions from the community why he voted against a fellow FilAm. Lavarro, who belonged to the same Democratic party as Fulop, said his vote had nothing to do with Abad’s credentials.

He echoed Fulop saying it was the process he questioned: "We (council members) talked about (appointments) three weeks ago at the previous meeting and we said we're not doing long-term appointments until after the election is done.”

He said mayors should not be making long-term appointments closer to the date of the election because the act might be misconstrued as politically motivated.

Suspended Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Carlia Brady

Through the pandemic, Queens seniors bond over prayers and line dancing

By Vicky Potenciano-Vitug

I met Rosalina Robinson about five years ago at Hillcrest Senior Center where I would visit with my husband. Once or twice a week, her group would be dancing and I would just be watching on the side.

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ne day, as I was watching their performance, a member named Princess pulled me and said, ‘Let’s dance. Don’t mind anybody else, just sway.’ It didn’t take long for me to start moving my hips then my arms until my entire body was swaying, swinging, gyrating. I realized I could also dance like them.

As time passed, even into the pandemic, my friendship with the women – who are mostly retired professionals and now ‘professional grandmas’ -- grew and got stronger.

We, the young-looking dancers are seniors in our mid-60s including some who are in their late 80s. Our group brought so much pride and joy to Hillcrest and to the seniors in the neighborhood. Sadly, that senior center shut down in 2018 for unexplained reasons.

Rosalina – also known as Rose -- has been volunteering as a line dance instructor at various places since 2004. She introduced line dancing to Hillcrest in 2011. Her leadership skills, acquired from a previous career in Dental Practice Management, helped her in forming a group of line dancers among the seniors at the center. After a while, her line dance group got invitations to perform at various community events around New York State.

They were honored with a plaque of appreciation from the Borough of

The women of Shining Stars spinning and swaying at a hotel ballroom.

Queens and given the name Shining Stars. They performed at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center in Linden Boulevard at an event sponsored by N.Y. State Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman. Their performance received a standing ovation.

Rose’s line dance group would meet every Sunday afternoon at the Holy Child Parish Cafeteria in Richmond Hills. There, they continued to dance for hours and socialized with potluck merienda.

They also met every Tuesday at the community center. By this time, the members are like one big, happy family!

When COVID-19 put a halt to their dance exercises and gatherings, Rose did not lose heart. She got her technically savvy son, Fred Pangalapan, who was visiting from Las Vegas, to help set up Zoom sessions. At each session, each member was designated to recite a short prayer. This was followed THE FILAM |

by additional prayers offered for various intentions, especially for the sick and the frail. A virtual prayer group was born. This kept the seniors re-connected and gave them a chance to not only see each other but pray for one another.

“The seniors found camaraderie, peace and solace in each other’s prayers and moral support,” Rose said. “Not being with them was sad enough but the thought of losing your dear friends without seeing them was even sadder.”

As the COVID situation improves, the line dance ladies have regrouped. Lively line dancing has resumed -- at Cunningham Park every Saturday afternoon-- followed by a potluck picnic.

The group invites everyone -male and female, Filipino and all ethnicities -- aged 65 and above for line dancing at the park. Join us as we continue to bond over homecooked food, music, spirituality, and line dancing.

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Line dance mentor Rosalina Robinson

Lawyer Anna Mercado Clark’s fork in the road

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By Cristina DC Pastor

er father was a doctor who founded a rural hospital in Batangas, her mother a retired nursing home director in New Jersey. Anna Mercado Clark, 41, chose the path untraveled. She became a lawyer instead of the physician her parents had prayed she would be.

Today, she is an experienced litigator, a partner at Phillips Lytle LLC focusing her practice in the areas of business and commercial litigation, as well as data security and privacy. She is an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School teaching classes on Fundamental Lawyering Skills and Data Security and Privacy. Early in her career, she was an Assistant District Attorney.

There was a time Anna had contemplated a career in health care just like her parents. She actually completed a B.A. in Biology from Rutgers University. But when Bush v. Gore made election history in 2000, she became intrigued with the law and “started to wonder about the law and its impact on society.”

“I first became interested in the law as a result of Bush v Gore,” said Anna when interviewed by The FilAm. She took the Law School Admission Test and “decided to follow that path.”

As a student at the Fordham University School of Law, she interned for the Hon. Denny Chin, then of the Southern District of New York and now in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. After graduation, she landed her first job as a criminal prosecutor in the Queens District Attorney’s Office. Here, she met a homicide prosecutor who would become her husband. Shawn Clark is currently the Bureau Chief of the Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau in Queens.

They have a 6-year-old son, Shawn Jr., who is “very mischievous and funny,” she said proudly.

After leaving the DA’s office, Anna went to a private law firm where she defended healthcare providers against medical malpractice claims. She was later recruited by Phillips Lytle LLP, as a commercial litigator, representing individuals and companies in business disputes and white-collar criminal investigations. “I am now a partner at the law firm, and lead two practice teams: the Data Security and Privacy Practice Team and the eDiscovery and Digital Forensics Team,” she said. “I frequently write articles, and speak on panels and conferences as a subject matter expert on these issues.”

||Filipino identity Anna was born in the Philippines and came to the U.S. with her sister at the age of 12. Her father, Dr. Daniel Mercado, had worked briefly in the U.S. in the

1950s but decided to go home to establish a low-cost medical facility in Tanauan, Batangas. “I think he did so because he wanted to be his own boss and was put off by the racial tensions of the time and being treated as ‘other,’” she shared.

Her mother, Luz Robles Mercado, was a Registered Nurse. She immigrated after being recruited by a New Jersey hospital. Anna decided to join her mother in the U.S. so she could help look after her younger siblings.

“It was a difficult transition,” recalled Anna. “I attended a small Catholic school, beginning the school year as a 7th grader. I recall well-meaning classmates asking me if I spoke English, to which I inadvertently responded by winning an in-class spelling bee that day. I was promoted to 8th grade after a few weeks and for the remainder of the year, I was bullied by classmates who poked fun at my Filipino accent and (lack of) style. For the first time in my life, I did not want to attend school.

Fortunately, I did make friends with some Filipino/ Anna is a Fellow of the American Bar Association, which Filipino-American classmates who made the year is an honorary society of prominent lawyers that includes much more bearable.”

Hillary Clinton.

She shared a “special bond” with her father although he remained in the Philippines. As he got older, he continued to persuade Anna to return home, become a doctor and join his hospital. The Daniel O. Mercado Medical Center did well and grew into a 145-bed tertiary hospital, one of the first hospitals in the country to be recognized as a “Center of Excellence” by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. Her father passed away when she was in college.

She threw herself into campus activities to keep busy, pay tribute to her roots, and in part, numb the pain of losing her father. She joined the Rutgers Association of Philippine Students (RAPS), one of the largest Filipino American student organizations on the East Coast at the time. She became Anna’s family: Husband Shawn Clark and son Shawn Jr. president and co-directed at least three annual Barrio Fiesta plays and spearheaded the Battle of edly Filipino.” She strives to find ways to showcase the Barrios, which 20 years later remains a very that identity, by taking leadership roles at her firm, popular talent competition among FilAm students in minority Bar associations, and in the community. on the East Coast. She participated in the planning Whereas she struggled to assimilate and be “more of the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue’s American” when she was younger, she now wears her (FIND) 2000 Conference.

Filipina heart on her sleeve, literally, as she wears It was her father who provided the constant butterfly sleeve ternos at every opportunity, includreminder that his children not lose their Filipino ing speaking engagements, TV interviews, and just identity and to always remember where they’re walking down the street. from, even reminding Anna to speak only in Tagalog “When a stranger compliments my terno, I beam when visiting the Philippines. She took pride in that, with pride and share that it is traditional Filipino finding strength in his affection for the Motherland. wear,” she said, hopeful that in all ways big and small, To this day, Anna sees herself as one who is “decidshe is honoring her family and her identity.

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Amid the pandemic, a couple pledged to love and be loved

By Cristina DC Pastor

At a time when most people were keeping their distance and divining a future amid a global pandemic, Jan Andrada didn’t realize she was about to restart her life.

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an, the treasurer of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations of New York, wed U.S. Navy veteran John Lane of Arlington, Virginia in October 2020, two years after they met at an awards ceremony where her best friend was being honored. The best friend, Celia Lis, had matchmaking plans for the pair.

It was love at first sight for John.

At her wedding held at Lyon Village in Arlington, Jan wore Celia’s white lace serpentine-style gown.

John looked elegant in a Barong Tagalog borrowed from Celia’s husband. The florist was “heaven-sent,” gushed Jan. She made the beautiful bouquet of big lilies and button-size roses Jan clutched as she walked toward her groom.

“Life is short,” Jan told The FilAm. “Just when people were postponing their plans, we went on and did our thing. Hail to the brave who make things happen!”

The wedding ceremony was followed by a weird set of circumstances: The couple’s photo shoot at the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C., coincided with the Annual Commemoration of the Battle of Sibuyan Sea (BOSS), a historical project close to Jan’s heart. Wearing her wedding gown and a mask and socially distanced six feet apart, she joined a queue to pick up her wedding cake. After the photo shoot, the wedding party had to cross the other side of the Washington Monument -- on foot -- because that’s where John’s car was parked.

“People were so nice and they were celebrating with us. I'm liking being a married man,” John said to his bride. "I feel like a celebrity."

The couple did a lot of selfies as they made their way to the car, but then Jan lost the other pair of her borrowed heels! To save time, Jan stayed behind to look for it, while John continued to walk to where his car was parked. They later met at the American flag pillar of the monument.

“It feels weird waiting for my groom standing alone in front of the Washington Monument,” shared Jan

Jan Andrada and John Lane met in March 2019 through 'Forever' starts on the day they declared, 'Life is too short.' a close friend. Two years later, they got married. as she recounted more hilarious anecdotes from her wedding day.

The reception followed at Guapo’s of Georgetown, where the party of six feasted on Nachos, Quesadillas, and similar dishes with overflowing Margaritas and Cervezas.

“All along that I have been doing some historical engagements in Washington D.C., he wasn’t on my mind, nor did I know that he was a Navy veteran,” said Jan. “He proposed at a time I was on a reset.”

She said, “Yes! Why not!”

“Life is too short,” she would tell friends who were mostly stunned by the quickie nuptials. “In these times of uncertainties, I was certain I was ready to get settled.”

John was born in Washington D.C., the son of an Assistant District Attorney for the D.C. Federal Court of Appeals who passed on in his 60s. John has THE FILAM |

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remained a bachelor and took on the responsibility of looking after his widowed mom. He works in financial services.

“He is very kind and has a big heart. He is always positive, very friendly, very calm and respects the opinions of people and doesn’t discriminate based on race and gender,” said Jan of her husband.

Jan is a community leader in New York. One of her advocacies is for the 1944 Battle of Sibuyan Sea to be given more importance in history books. Jan’s three adult daughters were happy to hear their mom has found love anew. “They are happy when I’m happy.”

The couple believed the pandemic has brought them together. At a time when most people are being kept apart by a deadly virus, Jan and John found closeness that gives their “shared destiny” both balance and bliss.

Two Filipino music artists invited to join the Oscars Class of 2021

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he Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 395 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures, according to a statement from the Academy. Industry insiders say the move to expand membership will promote racial diversity as the Oscar awards appear to favor mostly white actors and artists.

The statement said membership selection decisions are based on professional qualifications, with representation, inclusion and equity remaining a priority of Academy Aperture 2025. The 2021 class is 46% women, 39% underrepresented ethnic/ racial communities, and 53% international from 49 countries outside of the United States. There are 89 Oscar nominees, including 25 winners, among the invitees.

“Eight individuals have been invited to join the Academy by multiple branches. These individuals must select one branch upon accepting membership.

“To enable steady future growth and to ensure the necessary infrastructure, staff resources and environment to support all Academy members, the number invited to membership was limited to roughly half that of recent years.

“The Academy’s Board of Governors voted on branch-specific guidelines to be applied in determining this year’s new membership invitees.

Oscar winners and nominees were considered without limitation by applicable branches. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2021.”

Among those invited to join the Class of 2021 are R&B singer and songwriter H.E.R, and Manila-based composer Len Calvo.

H.E.R. – real name: Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson -- was born in California to a Filipina mother and an African American father. She won the 2021 Oscars’ Original Song Award for “Judas and the Black Messiah,” a film about the 1960s leader of the Black Panther Party in Chicago. In the Bay Area where she used to sing, she was known as Gabi Wilson. Her album, “I Used to Know Her,” earned five Grammy nominations. This year, she grabbed a pair of Grammys for Song of the Year and Best R&B Song for “Better than I Imagined.” One of her songs was used as the soundtrack in the Netflix series “Dear White People.”

She explained to James Corden how she became a singer and why music is such a big part of her life.

R&B singer H.E.R; composer Len Calvo. Instagram photos

The list of invitees in the Music category.

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"I'm half Filipino and Filipinos love karaoke," she said. "So yeah, I love to sing, I've always been around music my entire life and I just gravitated towards instruments." She plays the guitar.

Composer, music arranger, and singer Len Calvo, who is based in Manila, is also set to join the Music Branch of the Academy Class of 2021, according to a statement from the Film Development Council of the Philippines. She has won numerous musical scoring awards from the Film Academy of the Philippines and the Gawad Urian. She received acclaim for her work in “Pan de Salawal,” the story of a gifted girl with mysterious healing powers who formed a friendship with her older neighbor. Many of Calvo’s films are Philippine productions and have screened in the international film festival circuit.

Her latest, “Finding Agnes,” is being aired through Netflix.

COVER STORY

Teacher Ronie Mataquel: Back to school with excitement, dread

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By Mayette Geraldino & Cristina DC Pastor

onsider Ronie Mataquel one of the thousands of public school teachers excited to return to work a year after the global pandemic put a pause on New York City life.

Ronie, a Math teacher at John Bowne High School in Queens, is one of nearly 75,000 public school teachers in New York City. A rarity if one were to consider that he belongs to underrepresented ranks: He is male, and he is Asian. Asian male teachers comprise a tiny fraction of 1.5 percent – or 1,200 as of 2015-16 data – of the NYC teaching population, according to NYC Men Teach.

But Ronie is not just a Math teacher in high school. He has other teaching positions he juggles: He is an adjunct lecturer at Queensborough Community College and Brooklyn College and recently hired as site coordinator of Philippine Christian University Transnational Education Extension program in the United States.

“I am excited to meet my students but a little cautious about the fall semester,” he said when interviewed by The FilAm. “The Delta variant is currently surging in the U.S. I am scared that we’re going to have another COVID outbreak if we rush it too fast.”

Ronie is a highly regarded leader in the Filipino American community.

He co-founded the United Federation of Fil-Am Educators, also known as UNIFFIED, with Lumen Castaneda, a senior colleague who has encouraged and supported his leadership goals. He was president of UNIFFIED from 2013 to 2014. He was elected to the Philippine Independence Day Board of Director from 2016 to 2018. During that time, he became the PIDCI Parade Chair in 2017. He was one of the organizers of an international educators’ summit in New York, Maryland, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Philippines. He initiated

the Roof Over Their Head project for Typhoon Haiyan Victims, the Feed A Child, Build a Community Feeding Program, and the Gabay sa Kinabukasan Scholarship grants.

Despite the demanding responsibility being a co-founder of UNIFFIED, Ronie established another flagship during the pandemic. The UNIFFIED Multicultural Adult Literacy Program, in partnership with the MMCC-Pelham Cornerstone, provides citizenship, basic language lessons and high school equivalency virtual classes to diverse populations. He serves as the program director.

UNIFFIED is possibly the largest Filipino American teachers organization with 20 chapters in the U.S. and at least 71 in the Philippines ‘Life is a learning process.’ and other countries.

“Community service is already my lifestyle. Never in my wildest dreams would I have even begun to imagine that community service could be such a rewarding experience,” he said.

||From poverty to leadership

Ronie rose from poverty to teacher leadership through sheer hard work, the strength of his faith, and street smarts he acquired from growing up in the remote village of Sibalom in Antique all the way to the dangerous streets of NYC. In Sibalom, he would wake up worrying what clothes to wear from the few shirts he owned and stress over what food to pack for lunch, if there was ever any. He would then walk to school for an hour, and walk back home. But rise from adversity he did until he found himself in New York City where he carved a career and began a family.

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When he was parade chair in 2017 of the Philippine Independence Day Parade on Madison Avenue.

In NYC, he was recognized as an exemplary educator judging from the many awards he has received from community organizations including the 2018 Fil-AM Teacher of the Year from the Philippine American Community of

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the East Coast, Inc. In 2017, the United Federation of Teachers union of nearly 200,000 members conferred on him the Excellence in Education Award. A similar recognition was given by the New York Family Magazine in 2018.

Ronie believes “success is a journey,” and along the way comes a series of obstacles.

“I believe no one is born with skills, knowledge and experience. Everything is a learning process coupled with perseverance, hard work, sacrifices, love for work and prayers,” he said.

Ronie came to the U.S. in 2002 and his first stop was in Sacramento. He moved to NYC a year later to join the teaching staff of John Bowne High School. As he acquired greater skills and confidence, his enriched experience has brought him to other schools, including the Lander College for Men, a division of Touro College, a private Jewish university.

“Leaving (the country) in order to live is a way that brings unfathomable pain,” he said.

“However, it is an experience worth trying.”

Born in Sibalom to parents Nicolas Mataquel Sr. and Rosemarie Lumauag, Ronie thought at first that education would bring more hardship to his family because of the costs involved. It did not happen that way. Through a barangay scholarship, he finished his grade and high school education with outstanding performance.

He continued to receive the scholarship

until he finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education at the University of Antique. He then obtained his Masters of Arts in Education major in Elementary Mathematics through the Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines (MTAP) Scholarship Grant. He completed his Doctor of Education major in Educational Management in 2019 and currently completing his Doctor of Philosophy in Development Administration major in Educational Governance at the Philippine Christian University, Manila In 2001, he married Justeena Casareno, a first-grade teacher at Pembo Elementary School in Makati, while he was a sixth-grade teacher in the same school. The following year was the start of his journey to the U.S. The couple is blessed with three smart daughters Chaille Angela, 19; Danielle Suzanne, 16; and Maxine Grace, 6. Danielle recounted that her dad loves her very much because he used to braid her hair in pigtails when she was in kindergarten.

“I am nothing without my husband,” Justeena chimed in. “We went through very rough years, but he never gave up.”

The Mataquels of the Bronx: Ronie and Justeena with daughters (standing) Chaille Angela, 19 and Danielle Suzanne,16; and (seated) Maxine Grace, 6.

Ma-Yi, 4 theater companies awarded $1.5 M Mellon grant

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ive national theatre companies announced on June 28 that their landmark partnership has received a $1.5 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to create Generation Now. This partnership -- Penumbra (Saint Paul, MN), Ma-Yi Theater Company (New York City, NY), Latino Theater Company (Los Angeles, CA), Native Voices at the Autry (Los Angeles, CA), and Children’s Theatre Company (Minneapolis, MN) -- will develop 16 new plays by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Asian American Pacific Islander writers for multigenerational audiences.

Generation Now is guided by a deep respect and advocacy for the intelligence and agency of younger audiences. The consortium also strongly believes that “if we are to have an extraordinary theatre culture in this country, we must start young, and it must be inter generational, inclusive, inspiring, transformative, and lifelong,” it said in a statement.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Through their grants, they seek to “build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive.”

“Theaters serving multigenerational audiences are often the first places audiences encounter live theater,” said The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Arts and Culture Program Officer Susan Feder. “Yet despite decades of activity that has resulted in the

The all-Filipino musical ‘Felix Starro’ was a Ma-Yi Theatre production. Alan Ariano (left) plays a faith healer and Nacho Tambunting his young assistant who is tempted to stay illegally in the U.S. Photo by Richard Termine. commissioning of original stories and adaptations of classical and contemporary ones, the field lacks a repertoire that includes a plurality of voices and stories from emerging and established artists of color. The Mellon Foundation is delighted to be supporting the 16 artists who will be working with these THE FILAM |

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five eminent theaters to co-develop new plays and musicals serving audiences for whom culturally relevant voices and stories could be formative. We look forward to the development of a significant body of artistically rigorous new work to be produced in multiple venues across the country.”

Playwrights—both established and emerging—will be selected by Latino Theater Company, Ma Yi Theater Company, Native Voices at the Autry, and Penumbra, all with expertise in creating artistically excellent, culturally specific theatre, in collaboration with Children’s Theatre Company as the co commissioner with expertise in creating dynamic and powerful multigenerational theatre.

Ma-Yi Theater Company was founded in 1989 for the production and development of new plays and performance work for the Filipino American audience, according to its website. In 1998, responding to the growing need for a developmental venue for Pan-Asian American texts, Ma-Yi expanded its mission to include works by Asian American playwrights of all ethnicities and origins. Its founders Ralph Pena and Jorge Ortoll continue to lead the company as Producing Artistic Director and board member, respectively.

Its numerous productions include Haruna Lee’s “Suicide Forest,” Jessica Hagedorn and Fabian Obispo’s “Felix Starro,” Mike Lew’s “Teenage Dick” and “Bike America,” Qui Nguyen’s “The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G” and “Soul Samurai (with Vampire Cowboys),” and Hansol Jung’s “Among the Dead.”

Calendar

of Events

||October 30 ||August 20

||August 22

Fiesta in America People’s Ball Contact Nanding Mendez at sepmgzn@yahoo.com or call 212-682-6610

The Band of Brothers Connolly’s Klub 45 121 West 45 Street Between 6th Avenue and Broadway 3rd floor

Halloween Festival: ‘EZ Mil Panalo’ Live in DMV Crescendo Studios 8109 Lee Hwy Falls Church, VA

||August 4 and August 11 The Future of Nursing 20202030 Webinar Series Register here: https:// www.nationalacademies.org/

||August 14 to September 19 Konsulado on the Go: Consular Outreach Mission August 14 to 15: Niagara, NY August 21: Burlington, VT August 22: Manchester, NH September 4: Albany, NY September 18 to 19: Pittsburgh, PA For details: newyorkpcg.org

||August 21

Gensan Celebration: Sister Cities Signing between General Santos City and Jersey City J. Owen Grundy Pier Park Exchange Place, Jersey City Contact Darlene Borromeo: 973-931-9833 Rowena Randman: 516-698-6036

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||September 11

Starlite Royalty Pageant 2021 Celerity Theater at Claridge Hotel 123 S. Indiana Avenue Atlantic City, NJ

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||2022

August 11 to 13 FANHS National Conference Seattle University

Reuniting with the grandkids after the long lockdown: A Lola’s indescribable joy

By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, PhD

It all seemed eerie. When March 2020 arrived, so many changes happened around us.

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n many households, rooms were transformed into office spaces. Regular school terms were set aside and children were educated electronically.

Everyone was talking about ‘vaccination’ – when to get it, where, how long to wait, and whether to get it at all.

Getting a vaccine was a public health issue that has become a political debate. Travel came to a halt.

So many facets of life were put on hold.

Through these trying times, members of the older generation were not seeing their families, especially their grandchildren, on a regular basis. There were no weekend visits “from the kids,” no kisses and most certainly no hugs. Lolos and Lolas received their irreplaceable comfort just knowing the youngsters are OK conveyed through phone calls, texts or Facebook messages. They continued to be in touch with queries about how they were getting along; how their wishes were to be positively answered; when they would be certain of their travel plans to visit their elders who reside on separate coasts.

Liberty came in installment when word arrived that vaccinated people started to seek the streets and parks as numbers moved on with their unmasked faces that spoke of joy and relief. Youngsters rushed into their grandparents' warm embraces.

Restaurants were described as "booming." Most welcome sights included how baseball and basketball stadiums worked to replace cardboard cutouts with real fans. Most everyone who noticed the "returnto-normal" spoke of how they had looked forward to going back to their offices.

COVID is not yet defeated but thanks to science, mankind is winning.

As a mother of three, grandmother of six and great grandmother of eight, my feelings about the slow return to normalcy is indescribable.

The littlest ones who were cautioned not to rush into their elders' arms now realize how they knew they had to follow rules given by their parents.

Letting them know the value of wearing masks had to be part of the day's reminders. When they were allowed to greet their elders like they used to, instant joy became theirs.

They no longer had to be restrained as they went on accompanied by THE FILAM |

their spontaneous actions.

No words can ever describe aptly how it means to see there is no longer any hesitation from the younger generations to greet their elders like they used to. They now rush to return the long-sought hugs accompanied by their smiles and gleeful faces. As the older grandkids take their places after living up to their professional commitments, it is so heartwarming to see them no longer via video nor speak to them via phone lines. They arrive on schedule and are not hesitant in letting their 13

elders know how long they had sought the time to make it to their folks' home despite the brevity of their visits.

Ours has been a long wait. But the latter has been rewarded with those vaccines that have signified their utmost value.

Real-world data reports indicate thus far how the vaccines are 99.9 percent effective in preventing lengthy hospital stays and deaths.

Word has been spread how lifesaving vaccines desperately needed have been sought around the world. What should not be shunted aside at least for now is how senior citizens won't stop being grateful to science for the heroic sacrifices of those who pulled their efforts together for the common good: to save lives.

We, who had seen war in our midst decades ago realize the heroic sacrifices made for enormous numbers of the population-at-large. But nothing can affix a price on elders like us who do not cease to be remembered by their grandkids who seek travel just to greet us personally. Gratitude indeed knows no bounds.

There is one signal reminder that the past 12 months plus has given mankind: The world went to war.

Covid has not been beaten yet. But mankind is winning. The victory is not that distant from today when elders and other seniors are still grateful to see how their presence is needed in what was recently a world of gloom.

This writer is one that will always be thankful in remembering how members of her younger generation rallied to her boundless loneliness separated by miles and miles of distance made shorter by listening to the concerns and longing of the grandchildren who provided assurances that when travel would be declared safe, the miles would no longer appear that distant. Thanks to the achievements made by medicine and science.

EDGESTONE REALTY www.kpedgestone.com (732) 307-3200

LOOKING FOR A REAL ESTATE AGENT CALL ME TODAY!

Gene Del Carmen

Free vaccinations for NYC’s older adults through mobile vans

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he New York City Department for the Aging has announced that select reopened senior centers will host mobile vaccine vans through August as part of the City’s ongoing efforts to reach the estimated 25% of older New Yorkers who remain unvaccinated. Vaccinations at mobile sites are free for all New Yorkers over the age of 12, and do not require an appointment. With the ongoing threat of the Delta variant and uptick of COVID-19 hospitalizations among unvaccinated people, City health officials are urging all unvaccinated New Yorkers, especially older adults who are most vulnerable to severe illness, to get their safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

“Even as the City continues to reopen, the pandemic is still not over. Many barriers to vaccination have already been addressed. Vaccine information, support, and access are widely available to all New Yorkers,” said Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez. “It is now up to each of us to do our part to keep ourselves and our loved ones protected and safe. I got vaccinated for my 92-year-old mother. Who will you do it for?”

Through August, mobile vaccine sites will visit different senior centers across the city every week and operate on location for several days (full schedule below). Mobile sites may offer the Pfizer and J&J vaccines. Staff will assist patients with booking their second dose appointment at standing city sites for those who chose the Pfizer vaccine. In the last month, mobile vaccine vans and buses have visited 18 senior centers, helping vaccinate nearly 600 individuals.

“The COVID-19 vaccines are life-saving and the most important tool we have to protect New Yorkers from avoidable suffering,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi. “The mobile vaccine vans for senior centers are another way the City is bringing the vaccine to New Yorkers.”

This initiative follows other continuous vaccination outreach efforts for older New Yorkers, which have included over 11,000 free rides to vaccination sites, and over 18,500 vaccine doses administered through the City’s in-home vaccination program.

"Getting vaccinated is the most effective way New Yorkers can protect their health and their loved ones. It's easy, you will not be asked about your immigration status, and you can use your IDNYC to get the vaccine," said Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Raquel Batista.

"Mobile COVID-19 vaccine vans have made it

Riverstone Senior Life Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 99 Fort Washington Avenue, Manhattan 10032 CPC Nan Shan Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 133-14 41st Avenue, Queens 11355

||Dates: 8/11-8/13 BronxWorks Innovative Senior Center 8am-6pm 80 East 181st Street, Bronx 10453 Samuel Field Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 58-20 Little Neck Parkway, Queens 11362 ouncil Center for Senior Citizens Neighborhood C Senior Center 8am-6pm 1001 Quentin Road, Brooklyn 11223

||Dates: 8/18-8/20 Anderson Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 120 Anderson Avenue, Staten Island 10302 Sunnyside Community Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 43-31 39th Street, Queens 11104 Hamilton-Madison House 8am-6pm 50 Madison Street, Manhattan 10038

The seniors will not be asked about their immigration status. possible to bring vaccines directly into hubs in every corner of our city. We applaud this effort to make vaccines even more accessible to and convenient for older New Yorkers."

SCHEDULE FOR MOBILE SITES FOR AUGUST

||Dates: 8/4-8/6 Encore Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 239 West 49th Street, Manhattan 10019 THE FILAM |

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Rochdale Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 169-65 137th Avenue, Queens 10032

||Dates: 8/25-8/27 Bethune Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 1970 Amsterdam Avenue, Manhattan 10032 Florence E. Smith Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 102-19 34th Avenue, Queens 11368 William Hodson Neighborhood Senior Center 8am-6pm 1320 Webster Avenue, Bronx 10456

‘Black Widow:’ An enjoyable spy family drama

By Wendell Gaa

Having stayed away from cinema houses since the start of the pandemic early last year, I recently joined my office colleagues to see the premiere screening of “Black Widow” at a movie theater here in Ankara, Turkey where I am currently assigned with the Philippine Embassy. “Black Widow” turned out to be just the right film to end my long cinematic viewing drought.

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s the first feature film in the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), “Black Widow” focuses on the back story of the very first female member of the Avengers superhero team whose real name is Natasha Romanoff, played by Scarlett Johansson. The events take place right after “Captain America: Civil War” -- when the Avengers team experiences a massive internal conflict and falling out -- and before “Avengers: Infinity War” when the team is forced to regroup to confront the threat of the galactic tyrant Thanos.

The plot concerns Romanoff’s efforts in hiding from U.S. authorities who are hell-bent in apprehending her for her rogue actions in “Civil War.” In the process of evading her hunters, Natasha finds herself confronting a hideous conspiracy connected to her past and the dubious truth behind her actual family upbringing when she was just a child growing up in Ohio. It is from here where the audience gets to meet the key family members she grew up with: her sister Yelena Belova (English actress Florence Pugh), and her Russian parents Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour of “Strangers Things”) and Melina Vostokoff (English actress Rachel Weisz, wife to Bond actor Daniel Craig).

We further learn how Natasha is robbed of living a normal family life after her family flees the U.S. to escape imprisonment due to their espionage ties.

Natasha and Yelena are forcibly for the purpose of being reared to become members of a super elite female assassin squad aptly called the Black Widows.

These women are trained in a shady operational unit called the Red Room led by the nefarious Russian General Dreykov (veteran English actor Ray Winstone).

Years after having undergone rigorous training and methodical “brainwashing” in the Red Room, Nata-

Sisters and assassins Natasha and Yelena played by Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh, respectively. sha and her sister Yelena, both of whom are now battle-hardened and well-seasoned Black Widow assassins, reunite with much reservation. They soon learn that the hideous conspiracy of the Red Room’s female assassin program is causing trouble on an international scale. The sisters reunite with their parents to face up to the threats posed by Dreykov’s machinery.

I found “Black Widow” to be a very enjoyable superhero action film. At its core, this movie is truly a spy family drama, and Natasha’s history of her own youth and her relationship with her sister and parents form the heart and soul of “Black Widow.” Seeing her both physically and emotionally re-connecting with her family helps us understand more of how the trauma of her past influenced her lifestyle as an assassin. At the same time, knowing how she ultimately chooses the THE FILAM |

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path of being a hero and becoming a member of the globe-saving Avengers team makes her even all the more valiant.

Natasha’s spy family members are all splendidly portrayed here. Johansson and Florence Pugh have a touching and believable onscreen sisterly chemistry.

I am definitely looking forward to seeing Pugh in future MCU projects. David Harbour and Rachel Weisz likewise bring life, humor and dimensionality into their parental roles, and they make one amusing onscreen couple. Although he could have ideally loomed larger in the film as a villain, Ray Winstone does a serviceable job portraying Dreykov as a despicable and reprehensible human being manipulating unsuspecting female assassins into his fold. I personally didn’t find him to be as iconic of an MCU villain as Loki from the “Thor” films and Erik Killmonger in “Black Panther.”

Bryant Park Movie Nights returns on Aug 23

Bryant Park Movie Nights presented by Verizon returns on August 23! Ten movies, selected in collaboration with Vulture, will be screened this summer on Monday and Tuesday evenings through September 28. Bring a blanket and sit on the lawn to enjoy great food, friends, and a feature film.

Lawn and food and wine concessions open 5pm; film begins at sunset.

COVER STORY

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo rallies 20M fans to get their jabs

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ilAm actress, singer and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo is using her voice to speak to young Americans about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

At a press briefing on July 14, Rodrigo, a Filipino American multiplatinum recording artist, faced White House journalists before she was to meet President Biden and his chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci. She was introduced to reporters by Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

“I am beyond honored and humbled to be here today to help spread the message about the importance of youth vaccination,” said Rodrigo, 18. “I’m in awe of the work President Biden and Dr. Fauci have done, and was happy to help lend my support to this important initiative.”

She continued: “It’s important to have conversations with friends and family members, encouraging all communities to get vaccinated, and actually get to a vaccination site, which you can do more easily than ever before, given how many sites we have and how easy it is to find them at Vaccines.gov.”

She recorded a video with Fauci where a fan asked when Rodrigo would have her own concert. Fauci said he would love to go to a concert when the pandemic is over. His last -- a Motown concert with The Temptations and The Four Tops -- was in the 1950s at the Paramount Theatre in New York City. “I’m a really old guy.”

Rodrigo responded with, “Oh my god, that’s incredible.”

With parents Jennifer and Chris Rodrigo. Photo: Disney

The President, the pop sensation, and their aviator shades. Photo: White House

She traces her Filipino roots to her great grandfather shown here with her dad. Photo: Disney THE FILAM |

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After the meeting, she messaged her more than 20 million social media followers how she had the “absolute honor of visiting the White House today and chatting with @potus about the importance of getting vaccinated! even if you are young and not immunocompromised, getting your covid vaccination is the best thing you can do for your health and your loved ones’ health. YOU have the power to save lives.”

Psaki thanked Rodrigo for using her “platform and voice for elevating the important issue of young people getting vaccinated.”

||‘Kind and respectful’ Rodrigo is an up-and-coming pop singer who was quickly compared to her idol Taylor Swift for her musical style, the heartbreak themes in her songs, and her soaring success as a young artist. She was born in Murrieta, California to a Filipino American father, Chris Rodrigo, and mother Jennifer who is of German and Irish ethnicity. “My parents taught me how to be kind and respectful and to always do the right thing,” she said.

She said her Filipino heritage comes from her great-grandfather.

“He came on a boat from the Philippines when he was just a teenager. Can you imagine moving to a whole new country all by yourself?” Rodrigo shared in a May 2017 Disney video in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Olivia and Taylor. Facebook photo A television commercial for a clothing company paved the way for Rodrigo in 2015. The real deal came a year later when Disney Channel offered her a role in the comedy series “Bizaardvark” where she was cast as the guitar-playing teen Paige Olvera.

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In 2019, she starred in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” produced by the streaming channel Disney +. A song she wrote, “All I Want,” became the series soundtrack. The song quickly zoomed to the top of the charts and stayed there for weeks until it became a certified Gold record. It’s been one hit after another with songs like “Déjà Vu” and “Driver’s License” followed by an album titled “Sour.”

“Driver’s License,” which was streamed at least 500 million times on Spotify, has the following lyrics.

And you're probably with that blonde girl Who always made me doubt She's so much older than me She's everything I'm insecure about…

A fan writes, “There is “real pain in her songs.”

Pop music journalists and netizens have noted distinct similarities between her and Taylor Swift’s compositions, which Rodrigo appears to take in stride. She regards Swift as a strong influence and an “inspiration” and dubs herself a genuine “Swiftie.”

“My heritage is a part of who I am,” Rodrigo said in the Disney video on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. “I’m part Filipina on my dad’s side of the family. I’m a Lumpia fan. I’m a daughter and a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter.

I’m American. I’m an Asian-Pacific islander.” – Cristina DC Pastor

Issue 42, August 2021

Lorenzo Beronilla

Photo by White House

The joyful life of an amateur chef

Pop star H.E.R.

Heads to Oscars Class 2021

Olivia Rodrigo

Spreads the gospel of vaccination