Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Beijing in early January and it got heavy play in China's state media, touting the nascent partnership between the two nations.
Less than a month later, the Marcos administration would turn around and announce during the visit to Manila of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expanded access for U.S. forces in the Philippines, raising the number of military facilities the Americans could use from five to nine.
Manila's defense department did not say where the new sites would be located. But at least two were said to be in the northern Philippines, according to media reports, within a short distance from Taiwan which China insists is part of its territory. To sweeten the deal, the U.S. said it would spend more than $82 million for infrastructure investments at the five existing sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two countries.
The Chinese quickly slammed the U.S., accusing Washington of “escalating” tensions in the region.
Beneath the diplomatic speak,
Marcos made it clear that the erstwhile cozy relationship his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had with Beijing is history.
Given the way Chinese coast guard vessels have run roughshod over Filipino fishermen and the deep mistrust the Philippine military has for China, the decision by Marcos to swing back to the country’s treaty ally should have been expected. Dismissing the landmark Hague
ruling favoring the Philippines does not endear China to Filipinos.
It was a question of when Manila would run back to Washington’s embrace, not if.
At one time, The FilAm asked a high-ranking former Philippine army officer who the military trusts more: China or the U.S.? Who is the bigger security threat to the Philippines? The reply came swiftly and without prevarication. On trust: The
U.S. The bigger threat to Philippine security: China.
Philippine security officials were candid enough to admit they wanted the U.S. back as a counter to China's aggressive actions over the Spratlys.
As for the U.S., they are back in the Philippines without the burden of having to deal with the Philippine Senate. There will be no treaty to speak of and no need to secure the votes of grandstanding senators. It will not be called a “military base” as the agreement covers rotation of U.S. forces, not permanent basing.
One wit put it as “having bases without the bases.”
No one seems to be paying attention to the protests of the Philippine Left against the bases given China’s questionable actions in the region. The Left is in disarray and, in the view of some Filipinos, a discredited force that cannot seem to go beyond trite sloganeering.
The ramifications of the deal are being glossed over for now. Does this increase the risk of the Philippines being dragged into war over Taiwan? Yes, it does. But make no mistake about it. A dormant partnership is back in place and running at full throttle.
ILAO (bee-lah-oh) is a Filipino word referring to a round tray made from woven bamboo. Pancit (stir-fried noodles) or kakanin (rice cakes) are some traditional items served on a bilao, making them easy to transport and ideal for potlucks -- no need to worry about getting your Tupperware back after the party. Food on a bilao is also symbolic of lively gatherings, food as a love language, and Filipino hospitality.
It is no surprise that registered nurses
Joan Calanog, Jude Canela and Maricris
Dinopol named their business Bilao Restaurant. Located in New York City’s Upper East Side, it made quite the stir because the owners happen to be medical frontliners who opened Bilao at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you consider this an act of heroism or insanity, one can’t help but applaud their bravery as they tread two high-stress occupations in one of the most competitive cities in the world. Three years into the pandemic, they generously share with us what they’ve learned running a business.
TF: Where did you meet each other?
Joan/Jude/Maricris: We all met at work as staff nurses in Mount Sinai Hospital. We've known each other for more than five years.
TF: Many business ideas remain ideas that never come to life. What kept you motivated to make yours a reality?
Joan/Jude/Maricris: It took us at least a year of concept planning and strategy. We got very lucky that the calling of opening a business during that difficult time (pandemic) came to reality. We had reservations but we felt like it was the right time, place, and situation. A “we have nothing to lose" and gaining something (the experience of having a business) mentality was our motivation.
TF: Describe the customers who regularly come to Bilao Restaurant.
Joan/Jude/Maricris: Surprisingly we were able to market our dishes to almost everyone since we opened, especially to non-Filipinos. We have some dishes that non-Filipinos really come back for like our Chicken Adobo.
TF: Describe the day you opened Bilao Restaurant.
Joan/Jude/Maricris: On our opening day we were overwhelmed. We did not expect that we will get so much support from our friends, colleagues, and even the community. It was truly heartfelt.
TF: When did you know that your business was successful?
Joan/Jude/Maricris: On our first six months of being open. We can consider that it was successful because we were able to take in customers fully, on a daily basis.
TF: What are some setbacks and how did you learn from them?
Joan/Jude/Maricris: Unavailability of supplies is the biggest setback that we have encountered. Due to inflation, it is still difficult to maintain and find rare ingredients. We learned that prioritization would always be our salvation whenever we have to deal with things like this.
TF: Random health inspections are conducted in NYC restaurants annually to check if they comply with food safety regulations. I understand that Bilao Restaurant was closed in May 2022 by the Health Department. How did you deal with this and what advice can you give to other restaurants who are subject to these inspections, too?
Joan/Jude/Maricris: We exert extra effort in correcting our citation from the Department of Health. We didn't take it personally or negatively, but instead we took it as a challenge that our restaurant makes room for improvement. Inspections are there for guidance and safety especially for the customers, so for us restaurant owners, our job is to serve our customers with the safest and highest quality of food that we can. For other restaurant owners, take it seriously and appropriately. Think of it as if that there is always something to improve at your restaurant with or without inspection.
TF: How do you work at the hospital, manage your business, and still be friends at the same time?
Joan/Jude/Maricris: We are just grateful that we are able to manage our time wisely. Time management is the key for us.
TF: How do you keep your energy and positivity after a long shift at the hospital and the restaurant?
Joan/Jude/Maricris: Each one of us reflects daily and we make sure that we always have enough energy reserved. The positive inputs about the restaurant always encourage us. The way we handle things, whether for the business or our profession, is that there is always a solution to any problem whether big or small.
TF: Bilao Restaurant is turning 3 years old this year. What is your promise to your customers?
Joan/Jude/Maricris: We promise to continuously provide authentic Filipino dishes and always share the traits of Filipino hospitality that will make our customers feel at home.
Before 1973, U.S. citizenship was a requirement to take the bar examinations to practice law.
However, in 1973, the US Supreme Court in the case of In re Griffiths ruled that American citizenship should not be required to take the bar examination to be admitted into the practice of law.
Jaime Santos has been in Philadelphia since 1965 working as an Estate Planning Officer in a bank. He graduated from the University of the Philippines with a law degree in 1959.
When UP was founded in 1908, the Philippines was a territory of the United States, so that a UP law degree was deemed to be equal to that of a law school in the USA.
Jimmy, as he is called, migrated to Philadelphia with his wife Zorina who graduated from Far Eastern University with a medical degree and an undergraduate degree from St. Theresa’s College. She worked as a physician at the Philadelphia General Hospital.
Jimmy is the younger brother of Dr. Eduardo Santos, who became a U.S. citizen after migrating to Minnesota as a medical doctor. He petitioned Jimmy to come to the USA as a permanent resident. Since he was already a lawyer in the Philippines having passed the bar exam in 1959, he had no problem getting a job working in a bank in Philadelphia.
He started to apply to take the PA bar exam in 1971 because his work was equal to that of a U.S. lawyer but was receiving less than his American lawyer counterpart.
The PA Bar Examination denied his application. He applied a second time in 1972. Denied again. The third time in 1973, he applied again. By that time In re Griffiths was promulgated. The PA Bar Examiner Judge Wilkenson told him that he could take the bar exam. Jimmy passed it on his first try.
The PA Bar Association recently honored him for being a lawyer admitted to practice 50 years ago.
Attorney James Santos was born in Bacolor, Pampanga in September 13, 1935. His father, accountant Antonio Santos, was the La Mallorca-Pambusco treasurer,
and his mother Luisa (nee Pasion) was an entrepreneur who started selling vegetables in the market which grew into a grocery store, a clothing store, and later a jewelry store.
Jimmy, the third out of six children, studied at Pampanga Trade School and became the best wood finisher. It made him some money during weekends.
He was admitted into the University of the Philippines and graduated from law school in 1959. As a lawyer, he was retained by La Mallorca-Pambusco bus company, taught in two colleges and handled private civil cases.
He and his wife Zorina have three children: Their daughter Melanie is the youngest and a lawyer. She and her husband Thomas Grant CPA, have four wonderful children. His eldest grand-
daughter was working at Chick-fil-A as a manager in her senior year in high school, he was proud to say.
Their oldest son Jaime Jr. – called John John -- played violin and football in high school. He has a business in consumer electronics. He is married to Leslie who is in real estate, and they have a son Alexander.
Their second son Edward finished communications and is a TV producer.
When Jimmy and his wife went to visit the Philippines in 2020, COVID-19 hit the country and the rest of the world. Sadly, his wife was stricken and passed away in Manila.
Now, Jimmy at 87 years old and a widower, decided to study guitar and take voice lessons. When he was younger in Bacolor, he had asthma and he thought singing with a guitar could cure his condition. He still suffers from asthma but now he could sing with the guitar before an audience. He has performed in three recitals, singing while playing his guitar “Amazing Grace,” “What Child is This?” and the Kapampangan folk song “Malagung Kakun Palsintan.”
Mabuhay, Compañero Jimmy Santos! Columnist Loida Nicolas Lewis and Severino Nico, both UP Law graduates passed the New York Bar Examinations in 1974, thus becoming the first Filipinos to pass the NY Bar Exams without studying law in the USA.
The FilAm contributing writer Allen Gaborro’s review of Loida Lewis’s “Why
in order to adjoin some historical context to the eventual biracial union of Loida and her husband Reginald.
Guys Have All the Fun?” (February 2023 issue) has prompted a rebuttal from freelance writer Blair Walker, who is Lewis’s co-author.
My name is Blair S. Walker and I'm Loida's co-author.
Loida and I have written several books and are comfortable with having our works critiqued by reviewers. While writers can ill-afford to be thin-skinned, we still have an obligation to speak out when subjected to reviews like the one that Allen Gaborro penned about Loida's autobiography.
Gaborro opens by mentioning a 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriages…which has nothing to do with what Loida's book is about! She writes movingly of having married her "soulmate," but it appears Gaborro's main takeaway is that Loida exchanged vows with an African American.
Making one question his impartiality and objectivity, Gaborro immediately takes Loida to task for "boastfully" mentioning some of the material possessions she and her Black husband were able to enjoy. Which is odd, because if you're writing your autobiography and have been fortunate enough to own a private jet and luxurious homes in Manhattan and Paris, wouldn't readers like to know?
It seems Allen Gaborro had an ax to grind when he reviewed Loida's book. Because Gaborro makes no mention of Loida's philanthropy, her bid to become a nun, her activism, her successful stewardship of a $2-billion
multinational corporation, her Philippine upbringing, her lifelong devotion to Catholicism, her incapacitating depression following the death of her spouse, etc.
Gaborro never set out to write a fair and balanced critique of “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?” and it shows. Which did The FilAm news readers a huge disservice.
Blair WalkerI write this in response to Blair S. Walker’s misconstrual of my review of Loida Nicolas Lewis’s memoir “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?” of which Walker is a co-author.
For starters, Walker is incredulous as to my reference to the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that would legalize interracial marriages. He contends that it was irrelevant to the memoir. I used the ruling
I would ask Walker that without the ruling, would that not have had a significantly obstructionist effect on Loida’s and Reginald’s future marriage plans, especially fated to be as they were in a time when interracial relationships were not widely accepted by society?
Walker also seems to suggest that I fixated on the interracial makeup of Loida’s and Reginald’s marriage as if to efface the evident love and affection they had for one another. I focused on their marriage’s mixed-race component in light of the prejudiced social ethos they had to navigate. I wanted to impress upon the reader the conscientious self-awareness, the courageous freedom of choice, and the compelling narrative of how the Lewises persevered and prospered as a devoted couple in overcoming the adversity of racial attitudes.
Walker comes down on my taking some exception to Loida’s expressed gratification about her and Reginald’s lavish holdings and assets. There is no law preventing rich people from talking about their possessions. It’s just that in a world where crushing poverty is stopping millions of lives in their tracks, it can be argued that more consideration should be given by the privileged when they publicly convey their success, book deal or no book deal.
Having said that, I qualified Loida’s “boasting” as “subconscious” and without artifice. To be sure, she is no Imelda Marcos. We can chalk up Loida’s articulations of fulfillment to human nature. Unfortunately, this thought goes over Blair Walker’s head.
Finally, Walker declares I have an “ax to grind” in not including Loida’s other achievements and life experiences in my review. I had to leave out aspects of Loida’s life due to space limitations. To include even some of them would have meant editing out my criticisms which would have rendered my review into the immaculate appraisal that Walker was hoping for and probably expecting as an overconfident co-author.
Allen GaborroIt was in 2002 that cancer may have made itself known to journalist Josie Moralidad Ziman, a new immigrant in the Washington D.C. area.
I“developed an abscess infection in my left breast,” she recalled.
“I didn’t have an insurance at that time. One doctor in Maryland was kind enough to drain the breast abscess and did a surgical incision. I was supposed to be hospitalized during that time but I ended doing it in his clinic because of my financial status. It was a painful procedure because he didn’t use an anesthesia.”
She lived with that condition until 2018 when she was told she had developed Stage 1 breast cancer despite annual mammogram screenings. She underwent a mastectomy procedure a month later.
Josie is thankful to newfound friends
for seeing her though her health debacle. She prays to her Creator most of all for giving her the passion and strength to create the Filipino American Cancer Care (FACC) nonprofit, noting the irony: The community with the most number of nurses has no organization devoted to cancer care.
“The FACC is serving an underserved community that has not received national attention which is surprising given all the success of our community in the fields of medicine and nursing,” she said in keynoting the FACC’s Walk for a Cause fundraiser held at the Philippine Center in New York.
FACC was co-founded by Josie in 2020 in the Washington D.C. area. It is now a full-fledged non-profit with
a devoted board of directors, and an army of supporters and creatives who are mostly cancer survivors or had family members fighting the disease.
vor like Josie. Journalist Marivir Montebon, who walked the ramp modeling some of the clothes by designer Carl Andrada, lost her daughter to colon cancer. Carl’s connection to cancer is
through his mother who perished from liver cancer. Cancer has touched the lives of almost everyone who participated in the February 17 Walk for a Cause, some in fatal or surprisingly
triumphant ways. That’s what made FACC’s event especially poignant.
Josie shared how she felt after visiting cancer patient beneficiaries at the St. Anthony College Hospital in Roxas
City, Capiz: “I realized after meeting them and their families that no child should be left behind in the fight against cancer. Not one of us can just live on our own and within ourselves only. We all have something unique and special to offer by basically giving our time, effort and genuine support to those in need and suffering of cancer.”
Walk for a Cause was able to meet its goal of raising $10,000 for 10 new recipients of $1,000 each, one of them only 1 year old. The patients come from the U.S. and the Philippines; they have no health insurance or need assistance with care and medication. FACC is waiting for more people to come forward. Josie said experienced doctors and nurses are on hand to carefully vet cancer stories and make sure fraud will not snatch checks away from the intended recipients.
Jan Andrada Lane, who is the VP for communication affairs and the Event Chair, expressed thanks to all who came to the fundraiser.
“The fashion show is a celebration of life in all its beauty and color,” she said, adding that everyone who came to watch the show is “living proof that courage can overcome cancer.”
By Sophia Espiritu
Iwas diagnosed with cancer at 9, in the middle of third grade. I had a rare form of cancer that occurred in 1 in 200,000 kids. It all started at 7 years old, with my drinking problem (but it isn't what you are thinking of!). I was drinking a lot of water, having 12 of the 16 oz. bottles a day. After that, I started having headaches all day, every day for a month. We went to many doctors and after 1 ½ years, I got an MRI to see what was wrong.
The back of my brain was very inflamed and I could be blind. As a kid, I was still unable to comprehend the situation while I was admitted to the hospital. I had brain surgery on Monday, and ended up staying in the hospital for almost a month. After I got many different tests, I was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, Langerhans cell histiocytosis. (LCH, according to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, is “a rare disorder in which the body makes too many dendritic cells, a form of white blood cell. These cells play a role in the body’s immune system. They can be found in the skin, lungs, stomach, bone, eyes and intestines. In LCH, dendritic cells build up, forming tumors and disrupting the normal function of tissues.”) I eventually went back to school and was treated with chemo outpatient, spending time in the hospital with my parents. Although I was getting better, I felt worse day by day. But with time, wounds heal, both my emotional and physical wounds from surgery. After 1 and a ½ years, with chemotherapy and monthly ER visits, I was able to get better. I had been praying for this moment, just like my entire family. Finally God granted a miracle for me. Many people in our church, the Church of Christ, would pray with me, especially as I got out of
the hospital that my recovery would be fast. Luckily, these prayers came true in July 2019, the day that I was finally told my brain MRI scans were clear, and that I was cancer-free at last. I cried tears of joy with the rest of my family. No more pain. No more sickness, or metallic taste in my mouth from chemo. No more pricks from drawing blood. There were so many people there for me, encouraging me to keep looking forward and trying hard, and so I want to help people like I was helped.
On my 10th birthday, I did a fundraiser, the Shirt and Share Drive, where I donated 700 chemotherapy shirts to other young kids with cancer in multiple children's hospitals in Long Island, New York. Doing things like that made me happy, which is why I, myself, want to become a pediatric
oncologist as I grow up so I can help children with cancer because I know it first-hand through my experience.
FACC (Filipino American Cancer Care) is an amazing organization that helps people with cancer here in America and the Philippines. I was fortunate to attend the Fashion Gala last year in Virginia as a model. It made me feel beautiful and so normal. According to Oprah, "I chose to rise up out of that storm and see that in moments of fear and helplessness each of us can be a rainbow of hope, doing what we can to excel ourselves in kindness and grace to one another. And I know for sure that there is no 'them' there is only 'us'.”
Please, help these children's “small dreams turn into big realities" for with cancer there is so much you can't do, that you can only dream until you can
have it. It definitely resonated with me. And believe you can beat cancer, it has the word "can" in cancer! So please, support and be generous, open your hearts by donating. FACC, would be so grateful.
Sophia Espiritu, who lives in Holbrook New York, is an eighthgrader at Seneca Middle School. She is the daughter of Roger Espiritu, a USPS mail carrier in Medford and Melody Espiritu, a physical therapist in Ronkonkoma. She has an older brother, David, 22, a Cum Laude graduate in Computer Science from Stony Brook University. Sophia loves to read, write, cook, bake, and travel. She’s editor-in-chief of the Seneca School paper. She’s in all Honor classes. She’s in the Children Worship Service Choir of the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo).
Ilost a friend a few days ago. I met him 15 years ago. Wow, didn’t think it was that long already! This dude was witty, fun-loving, brilliant! He would’ve been 48 years old come February. And why am I spewing out numbers? Because he was a numbers guy, razor sharp analysis of economics from a micro and macro point of view. What can you expect from a Xavier University/Ateneo de Davao graduate! Go Jesuits!
Our conversations run the breadth of headlines from the Wall Street Journal to tabloid stuff on the Kardashians. If he had stayed home, I envision him as that congenial BDO vice president I’m sure Tessie Coson would have hired for something. Sparkling Chinito eyes, loud laugh and engaging smile that tried so hard to please the family generation before his. He had what it took to be that kind of VP in banking. But he set his sights toward the US of A. Because he needed the freedom to be who he truly was.
And so he signed up for hospitality gigs in hotels, resorts, cruise ships. He flourished in the industry, because he could be the showman that he was in his skin. No pretensions. And then in New York, he took on a job working as an assistant to a doctor lady with a string of PhDs, who nourished his spirit some more and truly listened and cared about his dreams. A few years later he embarked on his personal transformation.
"She" received much ire and taunting from family back home. And yet, she never failed to send financial support, paying for an apartment here and there, sending a niece through college or high school, tuition this, braces that, etc. those exact details are fuzzy! But the point is, her heart was so big, she was so kind, and so forgiving, the reactions to her transformation were simply brushed aside and she helped as best she could. She was a generous soul.
We had so much fun picking out her name: Rowena (that’s my secret version of me back home! Call me Weng); Veronique (ay panalo sa scrabble yan!); Magdalena (o diba, that’s what they think I am, hindi Barabas!) Brittney (hit me baby one more time!!). We had
a blast, laughing out loud in the train or on a park bench! But she was so enamored with this 15-year-old actress in one Romeo and Juliet movie, Olivia Hussey. (Olivia, sounds really elegant, and I am a bit of a hussy!) And so it was Olivia.
But a transformation takes time. A
transformation, as I see it, should be a gentle journey that includes constant reassurance and displays of familial love and affection. A simple connection every now and then to ask how things are going. I am a bit old fashioned that way. I’d like a 3- minute hi-hello with family every now and then. And
so did Olivia. But she rarely got her kamustahan minute or two. I believe that with all the hormonal changes going on, there is an emotional wave or ripple or tsunami that can happen to transfeminine individuals. And because of this Olivia was more prone to losing out on intimate relationships. She was more inclined to doubt her abilities. I’m pretty sure there was some form of intimate partner violence in some of her relationships because of this self-deprecation, this self-doubt that could have been avoided had she had a better support system from family in the Big Apple. My finger is itching to point at here and there, but this is not a witchhunt.
Goodnight Weng! You moved in this landscape longing to connect, to love and feel loved, just by being you. I am sure (and glad!) that you gloriously found tidbits of happiness in your true skin. Losing you too soon is our tragedy. Rest in peace, dear Olivia.
Olivia Snow/Rodolfo Manacap was found dead on January 19 at a Best Western Hotel on 30th Street in Manhattan. Consul General Senen Mangalile said the Philippine Consulate General received with “great sadness reports of the death of Rodolfo Mañacap, aka Olivia Snow, a freelance makeup artist and a member of the Filipino community in Woodside, New York.” The NYPD is investigating.
These are excerpts from “Requiem for Olivia’s Dream,” a post written by a friend of Olivia on Facebook. For the full text, go to Facebook: Stella Grace Piscano. Stella Umengan-Piscano, is a New York- and D.C.-based systems analyst and activist-artist, involved in steering people and resources via the international non-profit organization, Rotary International. She is currently the president of Queensborough West Rotary Club, the first all-Filipino club chartered in the 2014 by and for the New York Rotary District. She comes from a family of journalists and broadcast media personalities. She is the proud single mom of four kids and a westiepoo.
For a list of LGBTQ resources, please go to thefilam.net.
The John Laylo case may have happened in Philadelphia thousands of miles away, but a California businessman who heard about the “mistaken identity” killing of the Filipino lawyer was so upset he had to take action.
Richard Maghanoy was reading his newsfeed when reports of the killing caught his attention. John Laylo, a government lawyer from the Philippines, was vacationing in Philadelphia with his mother when he was fatally shot on his way to the Philadelphia International Airport.
Shocked by the brazen act of violence, Richard, 55, reached out to friends in New York City to find out what is being done to find the gunman. He also asked how he could help the family.
“When I learned that the family was needing financial assistance, I just had to do something,” he said when interviewed by The FilAm.
He contacted then-New York Consul General Elmer Cato, who was putting together a fundraiser for Laylo. Richard offered to pay for the cost of transporting the remains to the Philippines plus the airfare for the bereaved mother. While he would rather that his assistance remained away from the spotlight, the Laylo case became an exception.
“The case was sensational that I was approached to speak about my contributions to the family’s fundraising efforts,” said Richard.
A self-described philanthropist and a devout Christian, “paying it forward” is a proverb he lives by.
He remembered how his father, Renico Maghanoy Sr., often spoke about the value of “giving back” when he was a young boy coming of age. "It’s just money, you will earn it in your lifetime. When you have the means to help, do it, is what he would tell me.”
While his mother, Rose Sarte Maghanoy, taught Richard and his siblings
discipline, he said, “My dad taught me how to be a better man.” He is the eldest of nine siblings.
On June 29, 2022 Laylo’s remains arrived in Philippines. Richard was pleased knowing he was one of those who stepped forward and made the attorney’s journey home a respectful last rite. The gunman has remained at large.
Richard said he and his wife Imee find joy in making a difference in people’s lives. The couple, married 27 years, have contributed to several fundraising efforts and have never regretted the depth of generosity to be something others have exploited. They made sure
it would go toward helping others, like friends and classmates in emergency situations or communities ravaged by calamities and disasters.
“I help in any way I can,” he said.
The couple had campaigned for Steven Raga in his bid to become a member of the New York State Assembly for the 30th district of New York.
“He is the first Filipino American to be elected in any state-level position in New York. That means something,” he said. Street of Dreams, is a NYC foundation the Maghanoys have supported. It is led by Miguel Braganza, a celebrated stage actor and dancer who appeared in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of “Miss Saigon.” His pilot project for the arts in the Philippines, encourages the youth to be involved in the arts and to become empowered members of society.
“I am a proud supporter and one of his advisors,” said Richard.
Being selfless comes easy for this entrepreneurial couple. They have the means. They run a thriving skin care business in Los Angeles that caters to entertainment celebrities, socialites, athletes and business elites. Among their notable clients are actors Hilda Koronel, Ruffa Gutierrez, and singers Pops Fernandez and KC Concepcion. Boxer Nonito Donaire Jr. is a regular.
“I was born in Midsayap, Cotabato,” said Richard. “I had a great childhood despite the Christian-Muslim conflict in Mindanao.”
He went to Catholic schools in Midsayap, but it was at the Cebu Institute of Technology - University (CIT-U) where he earned his bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication engineering. He was working as an investment consultant in the Queen City of the South when he met Imee.
After living in Cebu for 20 years the young family decided to migrate. In 2015, Richard and Imee founded iSkin Med Spa, a beauty skincare business located on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. His wife has been in the spa industry for more than 20 years.
“She knows how to operate a spa well enough to run her own.” said Richard who oversees operations and the financial side of the enterprise.
The couple have one daughter, Shannen, who got married last year. She graduated with a Nursing degree at the University of California in Irvine.
“I have been blessed with everything I have now: a beautiful wife, a kind and loving daughter, a growing business, and a trustworthy circle of friends and more,” he said. “It is through helping others that I get to share my blessings.”
As a reporter, I sometimes hear stories that are too wild I had to take a long, hard look at the storyteller to find out what he or she is actually saying.
I don’t mean gossip – or the ‘chismis’ variety – where a person bad-talks a friend known to both of us. I mean a person who talks about herself and reveals in all nonchalance, “Did you know that community leader raped me.” That revelation shared in confidence one breezy afternoon left me momentarily speechless.
Wait, what? What are you saying?
This person who appears dignified in a ‘barong’ in our community events is a rapist? When was this? Did you file charges? Why not? What happens when you run into each other at events? Do you talk, avoid each other?
I stared at her and saw no outrage, just passive detachment.
It’s all in the past now, my friend said brushing the issue aside. She appeared to still carry a wrinkle of bitterness,
but it no longer haunts her and she has emerged, she seemed to be saying, a steadfast person from it. The anguish is no longer the focus of her life.
But why would she even tell me? We were just hanging out at this pleasant coffee shop where you can overstay for as long as there’s a pot of coffee or tea on the table.
I have had many moments of shallow, shooting-the-breeze kinds of conversation with my friends, but when someone blurts, “This person raped me,” I need to shift gears quickly. Meaning: stop giggling and take this person seriously. I don’t know how to do that in a split second.
It upsets me when levity is replaced by a kind of conspiratorial intimacy I’m not prepared to engage in. But I have to listen because the accusation of rape is serious, not a matter to be dismissed, and the “news” got me curious. Then, I have to ask a lot of questions because I need to verify that the story indeed happened and that my friend was not weaving fiction.
Having lived the nightmare for more than 20 years, why is she now opening up? Is it a story she wanted written about? How do I even factcheck? Do I go to the community leader’s friends and sniff around? Is she hinting there may be other victims who were afraid and ashamed to come out because, at the time, they were undocumented and he knew
about their status? That he held that secret, dangled it over their heads, and used it to exploit them?
It’s possible, she found consolation in being able to unburden herself after so many years of silence. I’m glad to be able to lend an ear several years later knowing there is no time frame to the unburdening process. Her story is a secret we both now share.
March 4
Moira: Live in New Jersey
Margaret Williams Theatre
2039 John F. Kennedy Blvd. Jersey City
Contact Dennis Almario for tickets: 201-993-0828
March 11
Jo Koy World Tour Capital One Arena Washington D.C.
March 25
Andrew E. U.S. Tour 2023 Patapsco Arena
Baltimore, MD
April 1
Parokya ni Edgar: Pogi Years Old Melrose Ballroom
36-08 33rd Street
Long Island City, NYC
Contact Vince: 347-705-2967
April 24 to 25
Post Acute Care...Superheroes in Scrubs (31st Annual New Jersey Association of Director of Nursing Administration Long Term Care, Inc. Conference in New Jersey)
Bally's Atlantic City Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, New Jersey
May 12
Maria: Honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary & a Mother’s Day Celebration (by the Filipino Apostolate, Archdiocese of Newark) St. Aloysius Church
691 West Side Avenue Jersey City
May 13
Padayaw: Padayon Pagsayaw (meaning Continue Dancing) by PAFCOM
Conlon Hall 18 N William Street Bergenfield N.J.
May 16
Limang Daang Biyaya: Celebrating the 500 Years of Philippine Christianity (by the Filipino Apostolate, Archdiocese of Newark)
Epiphany Roman Catholic Church
247 Knox Ave
Cliffside Park, N.J.
May 27
Celebrate the Power: Pentecost celebration (by the Filipino Apostolate, Archdiocese of Newark)
Our lady of Mercy Church
40 Sullivan Dr. Jersey City
July 16 to 23
44th PNAA National Convention & Cruise
Aboard Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas
July 16 to 24
Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour Contact the Philippine Consulate General in New York for details
May 14
Deadline to apply to PAFCOM
Scholarship
Contact for details: Pafcomnj@gmail. com; 347-932-6631
October 24 to 27
Journeying Together: 4th Assembly of the National Association of Filipino Priests USA, New Jersey-New York
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Filipina/ x/o American Studies
Two-volume set
Edited by Kevin Leo Yabut Nadal, Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales & E.J.R. David
So gently written, the novel “Storm Across My Cherished Bamboo Bridge” (Austin Macauley Publishers, 2022, 215 pages) is hard to put down as it emerges victorious against the harrowing brutality of murder, betrayal, and survival.
It’s author Gene del Carmen’s first book as a novelist. And oh my, I was touched by its transformational and relational value as a narrative of an immigrant family. Embroiled in perhaps the most horrible human chaos (murder, Mafia, poverty), Douglas and Agnes have transformed themselves into luminous persons that they can become.
Hard work, remorse, forgiveness, and love…the recipe to overcome any adversity in life is carefully put in by Del Carmen in this book. I think that Del Carmen’s lavish background in Theology played up well in the pages of his book. It is truly inspiring.
Using the allegory of the storm-battered bamboo bridge, Del Carmen reveals his rootedness with Asian values of family love. No human tragedy (or for this
matter, storm) could crush the resilient bamboo. It will bow to the wind’s ferocity and won’t break. The might of the human spirit rising from the storm is the essence of the story.
One gets to see the faces of love and inclusion here: George, the Greek business assistant, and his Guatemalan girlfriend Dolores who are Douglas’s extended family.
There’s Guang, Douglas’s childhood friend, who exemplifies betrayal and transformation in jail. And Meiling, Douglas’s only daughter, a Filipino-Chinese, sweet and smart but totally unaware of her parents’ dark past.
Brace yourself for Meiling’s relentless search for her mother Agnes. That touched a chord in my heart.
But I shall not tell you all. At the crossroads of his heart, will Douglas return to his lost love Agnes or will he pursue Natalie who forgave him for the crime of killing her father?
It’s so thrilling! I halted all my daily chores to eagerly finish this book. It’s worth all the tears and thrills.
Get a copy of this beautiful novel from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Gene del Carmen was a short story writer for comics and TV scripts in Manila. He is the celebrated author of “The Manny Pacquiao Effect” and holds an MA in Theology. He has retired as a corporate accountant and works as a realtor in New Jersey where he lives with his wife Arielita.
Actors Jose Llana (“The King and I,” “The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee”) and Conrad Ricamora (“How to Get Away with Murder”) will join the Broadway production of “Here Lies Love,” (HLL) which tells the story of former First Lady Imelda Marcos's rise to power and subsequent fall at the hands of the Philippine People Power revolution.
“Here Lies Love” will begin performances June 17 ahead of an official opening night on July 20. The musical was created by Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner David Byrne (concept, music and lyrics) and Grammy winner Fatboy Slim (music).
Llana portrays Ferdinand Marcos, the 10th president of the Philippines whose 20-year dictatorship spanned 1965-1986. He was the husband of Imelda Marcos. He lived in exile in the United States until his death in 1989. He said, “This is a dream: to be a Filipino actor, playing a Filipino character, telling a crucial part of Filipino history, which is also part of American history. I'm honored to return to ‘Here Lies Love’. We built a family creating this show 10 years ago, and now we get to do it again on Broadway. See you on the dance floor!”
Ricamora portrays Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, a Philippine senator, opposition leader and Marcoses' primary critic. His assassination in 1983 ignited the People Power revolution which finally ousted Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos from power.
“Working on ‘Here Lies Love’ allowed me to embrace my Filipino heritage––all that Pinoy pride! This is a huge moment for increasing representation on stage, and I’m so excited and proud to bring this revolutionary show to Broadway,” Ricamora said.
Both actors received Lucille Lortel Award nominations for their performances at the Public Theater off-Broadway.
Developed and directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, with choreography by Olivier Award nominee Annie-B Parson and additional music by Tom Gandey and J Pardo, the show’s home at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street) will be transformed into a dance club where the audience is immersed in the story.
An international casting search is now underway for the remaining company of 20+ actors.
From its world premiere at The Public Theater in 2013, “Here Lies Love” has enjoyed popular and critical acclaim. The show returned to The Public in 2014-2015, debuted at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2014, and most recently opened at Seattle Repertory Theatre in 2017.
“Here Lies Love” is produced by Hal Luftig, Patrick Catullo, Diana DiMenna for Plate Spinner Productions, Clint Ramos, and Jose Antonio Vargas, with Aaron Lustbader serving as executive producer.
Costume Designer and Producer Clint Ramos, who has been involved with HLL since 2006, said the show gives him “an opportunity to make art around a ‘real and vital past’ during a ‘real and vital present.’”
Tony Award-nominated Producer Vargas, who founded the immigration organization Define American, said, Filipinos despite being a large immigrant group have remained “invisible culturally.” As one of the producers, he said he is “thrilled to help break barriers on what has historically been an exclusive stage: Broadway.”
Tickets will be on sale to the general public beginning March 27 at Telecharge. com or by phone at 212-239-6200.
Actors Jose Llana; Conrad Ricamora. Photos by Billy Bustamante
Romance scams occur when a criminal lies about his/her identity and uses romantic interest to manipulate or steal from the victim. Thieves use different variations of these scams to deceive unsuspecting daters. One common variation used is sextortion, where scammers encourage victims to send intimate images of themselves then demand money to keep it a secret and threaten to expose the victim to their contacts if payment isn’t sent.
“In this digital age when many seek romantic connections online, it’s important to know who’s really on the other end,” said Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez, who oversees the New York State Division of Consumer Protection. “Romance scams can hurt financially and emotionally. I encourage New Yorkers who are looking for love online to follow basic safety tips to protect themselves and their hard-earned money from scammers.”
Although almost any age group can be lured into romance scams, the following groups are most frequently targeted:
• Teens (especially teen boys)
• College students
• Men and women over age 40
• Seniors, especially widows, widowers and recent divorcees
Common elements of the scam:
• Fake Profile Pictures: Scammers create the illusion of someone you would be attracted to and trust. They create profiles on a wide range of online platforms including social media, dating sites, messaging apps and porn sites using pictures from the internet for their profile and may disguise their voice on the phone.
• Build Trust: Scammers are patient and will communicate for weeks or months until they’ve earned your trust.
• Unavailable to meet in person: Scammers may propose an in-person meeting, claiming they will travel to see you, but there will be a last-minute emergency preventing it from happening. Be suspicious of anyone who says they want to meet but then always makes excuses for why they can’t.
• Request Money: Scammers often start by requesting small amounts of money and paying it back quickly to build trust. Eventually, the scammers will request a large sum of money, usually as a loan, to be wired to them for things ranging from business investments, property, debts, illness and more. Once they receive the money, the scammer will often ask for more or create a new reason they need to borrow money. This will continue until the victim becomes suspicious, at which point the scammer will usually stop all contact and disappear.
• Request Explicit Images or Videos: Some online encounters end in unwanted behaviors including extortion. Scammers may request or coerce victims into sending intimate, explicit images or videos of themselves. They may even coerce victims to perform intimate acts on camera.
How to protect yourself?
• Never give or loan money to someone that you have not met in person. Do not give out personal information, including payment and banking information.
• Use trusted online dating sites, but still exercise caution. Beware of online interactions that quickly ask you to leave a dating service or social media site to communicate directly.
• Be cautious of people you meet online who say they are an American abroad or a deployed soldier.
• Schedule a video-chat early in the relationship to ensure they are the person they are presenting in their profile.
• Research anyone in whom you have an interest. Ask questions. Look them up online. Verify details where you can.
• Do a reverse image search of the person’s profile picture. If it is linked to another name, it’s likely a scam.
• Familiarize yourself with privacy settings of all your online platforms and consider limiting who has access to your personal information, contact lists and location.
• Turn off or cover your web cameras when you’re not using them.
• Talk to your children and teens about online safety and online luring. Many sextortion incidents occur on Instagram or Snapchat. Remind them that pictures or videos can be saved by others and used later for blackmailing. Check out additional resources on the FBI website.
New Yorkers who have fallen victim to a romance or sextortion scam should report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3. gov. For more information, call the New York State Division of Consumer Protection Helpline at 800-697-1220. The Division can also be reached via Twitter or Facebook.
new
for preschoolers ages 3-6 starring a playful trio of marsupial siblings—Malik, Zadie and Zeke—who live with their grandmother, debuted on PBS KIDS on February 6.
The series introduces computational thinking concepts that will help young viewers solve meaningful problems, learn flexible thinking and how to express themselves—all while using the practices and processes at the core of computer science.
“The Wombats are all about exploring the world around them and, much like preschoolers, their curiosity and love of adventure know no bounds,” said Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager at PBS KIDS. “Computational thinking is a way of approaching problems in strategic ways, helping young children respond and adapt to the world around them. We’re excited for viewers to explore these foundational skills and mindsets while having fun with their new marsupial friends.”
“Work It Out Wombats!” takes place in the Treeborhood—a massive treehouse complete with secret passageways, gondolas and rope swings. The residents of the Treeborhood—wombats, snakes, moose, kangaroos, iguanas, fish, tarsiers and eagles—bring varied skills and abilities, assorted ways of thinking, and different family structures and traditions to this diverse and vibrant community of neighbors, a place where even the adults join in the play.
“Malik, Zadie and Zeke are passionate about their goals, but they don’t always know the best way to go about meeting them,” said Marcy Gunther and Marisa Wolsky, executive producers at GBH Kids. “But in every story, we see the Wombats using computational thinking, a powerful toolkit, to work it out.”
Creative producers Darlene Mortel Edouard, Ph.D. and Kareem Edouard, Ph.D., who have expertise
in cultural and visual studies, intersectionality, and STEM engagement, help ensure that all aspects of the series are looked at through the lens of culture and inclusion.
Dr. Darlene Edouard's work centers around identity and helping young people recognize who they are
and how they fit into the world. With her expertise in cultural studies, visual culture, and Asian and Filipino American studies, her focus is to make sure every character and story are culturally authentic and reflect the lived experiences of young audiences.
She also shared some of her own Filipino culture in the creation of the Philippine Eagle family—JunJun, Kaya, Amado, and Gabriela— featured in the series. She has been closely involved in the development of these characters, from casting actors with Filipino backgrounds to listening in on voice record sessions to make sure all words in Tagalog are pronounced correctly and verifying that the design of the characters and their homes reflect their Filipino heritage. For example, the eight-pointed yellow sun on JunJun’s shirt is also on the flag of the Philippines and JunJun’s family home has a big wooden spoon and fork hanging on the wall, just like those found in many Filipino families’ kitchens!
Marcy Gunther and Marisa Wolsky are executive producers for GBH Kids. Luis Lopez and Juan Lopez are executive producers for Pipeline Studios. Marina Bers, Ph.D., a leader in the field of computational thinking and professor at Tufts University, is the content director. For more information, follow PBS KIDS on pbskids.org, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
I failed or almost failed out of a few core STEM courses in my biology undergrad — including calculus. I barely passed my core major GPA requirement to graduate, and scored a middling overall GPA.
Today, I hold a doctorate in biostatistics from a top public health school, and completed a postdoc in health behavior at a top medical school. And in 2022, I was recognized by both Forbes and Fortune for my innovative work in health data science.
How did I get here?
My undergraduate life as a curious, involved, but immensely distracted science major was academically frustrating and anxiety-ridden. I’d been fascinated by neurobiology and consciousness since high school. But in college, I just couldn’t bring myself to focus, to do the work.
And with every passing year, I grew more and more involved with student theatre, both backstage and in front of audiences — a trend that negatively correlated with my academic performance. Even as my grades collapsed, my growing interest in all things thespian ignited a years-long journey of deep experiences and friendships.
I began soul-searching. I’d hit academic rock bottom — but in those depths, had discovered an insatiable, addictive affinity for the performing arts. I felt aimless and stretched thin, but also more alive than ever. Should I have switched majors? Was it too late? What the heck was I supposed to do with my life now, at the end of college?
One of my favorite inspiring quotes that has kept me going over the years is by Einstein: “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” He also said: “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
That curiosity, a stubborn persistence to bring direction and stability to my professional life, and some really, really good luck — statistically significant, in fact! — brought me to a cognitive studies course in the last semester of my senior
year. There, I was able to find true satisfaction in little but very hard-earned wins in trying to understand the concepts and applications of statistics, one of the most challenging and counterintuitive fields I’d ever encountered.
I liked the challenge of it (and the possibility of a career path) so much, I would go on to earn a master’s in applied statistics two years later. I would also eventually return to school to earn a
doctorate in biostatistics — which came with its own challenges. I was initially rejected from all 10 schools to which I’d applied, but with UNC Chapel Hill’s guidance, I took classes outside of work to improve my chances of admission. They accepted me when I reapplied after two years.
Like many undergrads (particularly from immigrant backgrounds, mine being the AANHPI variety), I’d internalized that my grades were everything. Without them, I would be lost.
But my early and profound academic failures taught me the invaluable life lesson that this was completely false! I’d come out shaken but OK, and was able to slowly but surely find meaning and purpose. I am thankful that I had a great support network of family and friends — and am lucky to have had no serious or sustained mental health challenges.
I’m also lucky that I’m able to occasionally get completely, utterly obsessed with stuff I find interesting or challenging.
As a young adult, I attended Star Trek and X-Files conventions, and lost myself in music composition projects. Then came student theatre, statistics (which led me to grad school twice), and bass guitar in my early 20s. And during my doctoral program, I got quite a bit into rock climbing and Krav Maga. Today’s obsession: the digital-age data science and statistics of the individual. I call this wide-ranging field esametry (derived from “isa”, Filipino Tagalog for “one”), which sits at the intersection (and fuzzy union) of n-of-1 trials, single-subject research, functional data analysis, digital phenotyping, time series modeling, causal inference, and digital health.
So I say, find a way to your passions — may they serve you well.
George Balanchine once said: “I don’t want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance.” Statistics is my dance. What’s yours?
Eric J. Daza is a biostatistician in data science at Evidation, a digital health company. He earned a master’s degree in applied statistics at Cornell University and a doctorate in biostatistics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2022, he was recognized by Forbes as one of 16 Healthcare Innovators That You Should Know, and by Fortune as one of 10 Innovators Shaping the Future of Health.
Eric was born in Parañaque, Metro Manila. In 1988, he and his family moved to California and settled in Los Angeles. He was 9 years old. His father Nilo is from Catanauan, Quezon province, and attended the University of Santo Tomas. His mother Elvira is from Caloocan City, Metro Manila, and attended St. Theresa’s College. Both are MBA graduates from the Asian Institute of Management. This piece originally appeared in Medium.com and is being republished here with permission.
