FilAm 11-22

Moving on orstaying angry

Someone we knew to be a Leni Robredo crusader has just accepted a posi tion in the government of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

It’s not a Cabinet-level rank but an equally important one. His decision to join the Bongbong government has split his friends in the liber al-progressive community: “Why would he do it?” versus “Country needs him.”

There is an angst-driven debate roiling Filipinos which deals with conscience and guilt, duty and principle, pragmatism and idealism.

When someone who fought the Marcos dictatorship all those years ago and still detest, maybe even hate with a passion, what the family stands for, should he or she consider working for his son’s government?

The whole argument stands on the phrase: “I am doing this for the country.” Then the shadings come in, fast and thick. Those who say it is time to move on feel strongly they can do more by doing what they can within this administration. They look at the situation and believe a campaign of continuing opposition would not really serve any purpose.

For them, be they corporate titans, thinkers, political strategists, or writers, working with this admin istration is a better option than a

virulent drive on the streets to deny any success to Marcos Jr. Who is to gainsay that their sense of pragma tism is all wrong? If anything, one can sense among Filipinos a strong desire to get on with the life of the Republic.

He won, decisively they say, and there is a strong belief that working for a better life is better than an endless revolution.

We can understand the allure and seductive reasoning of a country back to a semblance of normalcy. In this, they are countered by those who strongly believe that the

Marcos family is remorseless in their entitled belief that they owe no one an apology for the transgressions of their family. There is a principle, basic and true, heard from all who believe that in the fight against wrong, one cannot cower in the presence of evil.

The Marcos dynasty symbolizes what is wrong with the country. For anyone who fought the dictatorship, that is simple truth. It is the reason thousands of our youth – from Edjop to Evelio Javier – were slaughtered by the heavily armed elements of the old regime.

For the same reason of doing this for the country and its posterity, why should Filipinos who possess a moral compass and a conscience accept Marcos Jr. as our leader and symbol of our nation? The acceptance of things as they are is a rationalization of desperation, the notion of accepting an easier path because the struggle for principle is much tougher to tread.

The bottom line for them is that when it comes to Marcos Jr., the proper question is whether he is a legitimate Philippine leader in the moral sense of the word. Questions about alleged tax evasion have remained unresolved.

A hero once said: ‘The Filipino is worth dying for.’

Isn’t the country worth infinitely more than a flawed expediency of going ahead with life and accepting the weaknesses of our people? Most of us react with studied cynicism because the shameful answer is we have no intention of dying for the nation we so casually love.

Every generation must answer that question. Some have to do so several times. When it comes to a choice between pragmatism and idealism, one hopes the reply is the latter. We owe the country no less.

President Marcos Jr. signing bills in Malacañang. Facebook photo

Imee Marcos returns to NYC after 36 years in hush-hush event

By Cristina DC Pastor

he so-called “Super ate ng pangulo” walked into the Philippine Center the evening of September 30, stepping into the consulate building again after 36 years from the time the Marcos family was chased into exile in 1986.

“Lumang luma na itong Philippine Center,” Imee Romualdez Marcos began, speaking before an audience of about 50 enthralled community leaders. She spoke very intimately like she was in a pajama sleepover with old friends from high school. “First time kong pumasok dito in like a hundred years. Babalitaan ko yung nanay ko na medyo kailangan bumalik siya dito.”

The community leaders guffawed, applauded and lapped up freewheeling banter courtesy of the elder daughter of dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and brother of current President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

She came dressed in a colorful blazer and boots, jokingly grousing about the cold weather and saying she’s happy to be back in “rambunctious and lively” New York. “Alam niyo naman ang Washington D.C. nakakaantok,” she said making a playful comparison of the two cities.

Her carefully selected audience – only so-called “Level 1 community leaders” -- was privy to a hush-hush community dialogue with the chairperson of the Philippine Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Imee presented herself as multiple public personas from govern ment official to martial law revisionist to powerful presidential sister to standup joker. That she managed to be all these is a trait honed from decades (interrupted by almost eight years of exile) of being in the public eye and being a Marcos-trained political charmer. She spoke in Tagalog sounding like she was “one of us” and sprinkled her talk with language one hears on the street or social media. She sounded very relatable – and funny to those in attendance.

“Sa kabila ng pagkatalo niya dito…ang lalim ng hugot,” she harrumphed. If she sounded gloating like she was rubbing it in the face of Leni Robredo, she did not continue. She thanked New York for

her brother’s political triumph and said, “Maraming salamat sa inyong suporta.” (Actually Robredo won in New York over Marcos.)

Imee said she just came from D.C. where she met with her counterpart Sen ator Bob Menendez, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“First time kong maging chairman ng foreign relations committee. Palagay ko nilagay ako diyan para palayasin ako sa Senado,” she wisecracked. “Biro lang.” She said that was her father’s old role in the Senate.

She said she heard rumblings from the community about the J1 exchange visitors visa which does not lead to permanent residency. “Mabilis pa sa alas kuwatro eh sinumbong ko na sa ating mga senador, mga totoong senador sa Wash ington. Pag-aaralan pa kung pano puwe deng baguhin. (Baka) may exploitation diyan sa J1. Kunyari exchange yun pala pag-aalipin.” If she was suggesting the J1 visa may be used in human trafficking, Imee was obviously giving her audience crumbs of hope they wanted to hear. She tried to correct herself to say the H1 visa is probably the way to go for foreigners who want to remain in the country.

She talked about the nurses who are known as “mga bayani ng Covid.”

“Parang nakaka-tense,” she said. “Kailangan bang mamatay ang mga bayani? Wag naman tayong pumayag non. Kawawa naman.” Everywhere in the world people are grateful to Filipino nurses, doctors and all our health workers who are our best exports, she added.

She asked her audience if they’ve seen “Maid in Malacanang,” a movie about the frantic last two days of the Marcoses in the Philippines. It started as a joke, the movie, she said.

“Biro biro lang kami… sige gawa tayo ng sine, lokohan lang. Pito-pito, pitong araw na shooting pero nadagdagan ng konti. It resounded with the audience and became a blockbuster.” She said proceeds from the movie will go toward reviving the Marcos-era nutribun project started by her father in the 1970s.

One community leader asked if she could help bring to New York a cultural dance troupe from the Philippines so they could show the community here an authentic cultural presentation. Imee pooh-poohed the idea saying it’s hard to get funding for such projects out of Manila, budget being a touchy subject in her brother’s administration. Another idea she did not encourage is the con struction of an airport in Cagayan de Oro. Imee said Lauag has an airport but has no people. She said before a city can have an airport it has to have enough traffic to make sure the business is sustainable.

Obliging offers of photo ops from the community leaders, Imee said she was having a good time to be in the company of a “small but elite group.”

This is my first time in the U.S. after 36 years,” she said smiling with a mock grimace. “Ang tagal kong hindi bumalik dito mula nung 1986. Ang tagal…kasi may nangyari nun…”

Photo op with community leaders. Photo: Joycelyn Aligarbes

The event program

She speaks to community leaders of New York as multiple public personas -- from government official to martial law revisionist to powerful presidential sister to standup joker.

Rebecca Kersch creates the Filipino Venmo

I was waiting outside a dimsum restaurant to have lunch with a friend and her employer. Then a very young Filipina-looking, but tall woman asked me: “Excuse me po, are you Mrs. Lewis?” I said yes and asked: “Are you Rebecca, the business owner of TANGapp?” She excitedly nodded yes with a bright smile and said her teammate, Carissa Villacorta, was a minute away. I was so surprised as she was so young looking, did not look older than 30, and had already built a business from the ground up: TANGapp - the Filipino ‘Venmo’.

That was the first time I met Rebecca Kersch. We had a lovely lunch that day and she told me passionately about her background, vision, and she helped me use TAN Gapp. She is Filipina, Dutch, and Amer ican, and the CEO and founder of the company TANGapp, where U.S.-based Filipinos can download the app and can send home as little as $5 to receivers who have the app in the Philippines. Rebecca’s vision for TANGapp is to become the international ‘Gcash’ or ‘Venmo’ for 10 million Filipinos over seas and for the 1.5 billion unbanked globally. Rebecca founded TANGapp to connect remittances to domestic last mile daily payments under one brand and one app. Filipinos in the U.S. and their loved ones in the Philippines are TANGapp’s target customers.

Rebecca started TANGapp because of her own Tita Baby, who was a migrant worker. She observed that her aunt sent home almost everything she earned and paid an average of 8 percent with companies like Western Union. Since 8 percent is about one-twelfth, it meant that in a year of living and working abroad, her tita was working one whole month, to pay for Western Union to send home what she earned that year. Saddened and appalled by these fees, Rebecca decided during her masters at Harvard to dive more into the problem. She did not find solutions well enough and so she decided to build the solution herself. When I asked her more about it, she said:

“I come from a family of Filipino migrants. We started TANGapp so people like us, and millions of other OFWs, have a simpler, safer, quicker, and cheaper way to send money back home in an otherwise lengthy and expensive process. Sending

money to the Philippines should be as easy as sending a text message regardless of where you are or what you earn. TANGapp allows a send of as little as $5, easily, cheaply, and quickly, and that’s how TANGapp seeks to help people like my tita.”

Since starting the company in 2020 in a short two years it has completely taken off. I read articles about TANGapp and Rebecca in Esquire and Tatler and after trying the app myself to send money to a receiver in the Philippines, I could not believe how simple it was, how fast, and how cheap. They charge a transparent standard 3 percent fee whether you send $5 or $500 and they offer LIVE exchange rates - the best in the market. Just like Venmo, the receiver (in the Philippines) needs to download the app too, to receive the remittance. Simpler than Venmo, TANGapp sends the money directly to the receiver’s PH bank or ewallet like Gcash or Maya.

It brought me a lot of hope to see a young Fili pina woman, a Harvard graduate, who speaks and understands Tagalog, in addition to the three other languages she speaks, to choose to build a solution that helps Filipinos everywhere. She also shared her Filipino ancestral heritage and told me her Lola had to fulfill first lady duties when her mother passed away when she was still a teenager, as her father was the governor of Albay. Additionally, her Lola took care of her eight younger siblings.

When she met her husband, Rebecca’s Lolo, life unfortunately did not get easier. WWII hit and Rebecca’s Lolo fortunately survived the Bataan death march. However, throughout their lives, Rebecca said they taught their (grand)kids to take care of our community. Rebecca kept repeating that she has big ancestral shoes to fill and she hopes she is making her Lola and Lolo proud.

Seeing how at such a young age she is already helping thousands of Filipinos to save a lot of money and time with TANGapp, by choosing TANGapp we help a Filipino-founded app improve and grow.

TANGapp seeks to help people like Rebecca’s Tita Baby and other migrant workers who send remittances back home

With Carissa Villacorta (left) and columnist Loida Nicolas Lewis

Guest Editorial: A tribute to working New Yorkers

By New York City Mayor Eric Adams

In order to make the world a better and fairer place, first, we agitate, then, we negotiate and finally, we legislate. We experienced the rewards of this threepronged approach last week, when I announced that the Adams Administration has provided 1,000 taxi medallion owners and drivers with more than $225 million in taxi medallion debt relief. And we expect to help thousands more.

Going all the way back to 1907, taxicabs have been a lifeline for this city. No matter the weather, or the time of day or night, drivers are there for New Yorkers when we need them. But recently, medallion debt has hit owners and driv ers hard, and pushed many to despair. Men like Kenny Chow, who came to America from Taiwan, and tragically took his own life when he could no longer keep up with payments on the loan for his $750,000 medallion.

But taxi owners agitated, and found purpose from Kenny and his fellow drivers’ pain. Now, regardless of their original loan amount, over 3,000 owners can have their medallion debt reduced to $170,000 and monthly payments will be capped to $1,234.

This puts money back in the pockets of these every day heroes, it puts dinner on the table, it helps them pay their mortgages or for their children’s education. My administration is committed to providing relief to our taxi medallion owners, and to supporting all working New Yorkers, including the 65,000 deliveri stas who bike around town bringing us food from our favorite restaurants.

New York City is pioneering first-of -their-kind hubs where our food delivery workers can take shelter from inclement weather, rest, and recharge their cellphone or e-bike batteries. We will be repurposing existing infrastructure, such as unused newsstands, and designing the hubs with input from delivery workers and local communities.

I worked with Senator Schumer on the hubs program (as well as Taxi Medallion Debt Relief), and $1.1 million in federal grant funds will be allocated to Los Deliveristas Unidos. This is yet another example of people power, and of the transformations that can happen when working New Yorkers organize. It’s also a great example of ‘Getting Stuff Done,’ and thinking creatively.

On Wednesday, October 5th, we said goodbye to one of New York’s best and bravest. Lt. Alison Russo of the FDNY’s Emergency Medical Services was stabbed in an unprovoked attack near EMS Station

49 in Astoria, Queens. We are forever grateful to her 24 years of service, and along with her family, and her FDNY brothers and sisters, mourn her passing.

Her killer, who has been apprehended, suffers from serious mental illness. Health Commissioner Vasan and I, along with the newly-created Mayor’s Office

of Community Mental Health, are working hard to make sure vulnerable New Yorkers receive the care they need, and that senseless tragedies like Lt. Russo death never happen again.

Stay strong, New York. Together, we will build a better future.

Relief for NYC taxi drivers: $225 million in medallion debt reduction

Photo exhibit on martial law opens in NYC

Fresh from a successful one-month run in Miami, Florida, a photography exhibit on martial law in the Philippines opened on October 15 & 16 at Bliss on Bliss Arts Project in Sunnyside, Queens.

Titled Golden Years: Weighing Philippine Martial Law 1972-1981, the exhibit showcases around 90 vin tage photographs which appeared in various Ameri can newspapers during the Marcos administration. The photos were collected from the archives of U.S. newspapers. Some bore crop marks and comments by photo editors, and all had the original caption printed recto or end verso. Majority of the photos were transmitted from the Philippines to press agen cies via wire or radio telegraph with a considerable number printed in the studios of the photographers. Accompanying the photos and their original captions were infographics and timeline that provided context to this period in Philippine history.

Launched at the Glenn Hubert Library of Florida International University on August 20, the exhibit commemorated the 50th anniversary of Philippine martial law. The show was designed to evaluate the military rule imposed by the late Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1972, which lasted officially until 1981, and remained the de facto policy

of his administration until his ouster by a peaceful people’s revolution in 1986.

The show’s title is an ironic take on how the family labeled their rule as the “golden age of Philippine economy and society,” contradictory to the reports and documentations from that period. The same rebranding was credited to have helped the candi dacy of the late president’s son and namesake, who was elected to the presidency this year.

Victor Barnuevo Velasco, who curated the exhibit, emphasizes the role of the foreign press in docu menting that period.

“First published in the U.S. papers, these photo graphs are source documents, away from the censor ship, intervention, and influence of the Philippine government at that time. They are snapshots of history -- as they happened. The distance of the publication from the location of the events offered objectivity that normally only came with the passage of time,” he said in a press statement.

Velasco also emphasized that these were source documents produced before the era of digital manip ulation and transmissions through the internet.

“Aside from being testaments to the dedication and artistry of the photojournalists, they also offer a glimpse of how past technologies were utilized by

press agencies to make visual information available in a timely manner.”

The first of its kind in the U.S., what was initially planned as a local event soon became a touring exhibit as other U.S. cities requested to host. New York is the first stop of a year-long national tour.

The photographs formed part of a private col lection promised to the Albay Arts Foundation in the Philippines. The exhibit is sponsored by Bliss on Bliss Arts Project, Malaya Northeast, AF3IRM, Dakila, Active Vista, and the Northeast Coalition to Advance Genuine Democracy in the Philippines. It is open to the public by appointment until November 18.

Reservations for viewing may be done by visiting the FB Page ‘GoldenYearsML.’

ML Day (AP WP Wirephoto)1972; “A young Filipino newsboy holds up a copy of the Philippines Daily Express Sunday in Manila. The Express was the only newspaper allowed to publish since President Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law Saturday.”

Exhibit curator Victor Barnuevo Velasco. Facebook photo

(Keystone Press Agency, Inc.; 1970) “Police stand guard in front of one of government buildings after clashes with students who were rallying against imperialism, feudalism, and corruption.”

Punyeta! Toronto-based clothing line uses sexist Tagalog words

AFilipina-owned clothing line that aims to “celebrate, own, and reclaim” Filipina identity was founded in Toronto in 2019. “Historically sexist and derogatory terms,” such as Maldita, Maarte, Lakwatsera, Ambisyosa, are front and center of the Pinay Collection of shirts, bags and accessories.

Founder Jovie Galit said Pinay Collection is about taking back words that were once used to put down Filipinas. Words like Maldita or bratty and Lakwatsera, a woman who goes out too much, are just some of the Tagalog words that have been used to shame and silence Filipinas.

“I was born and raised in Nueva Ecija, Philip pines and came to Canada in 2011 as a young adult,” said Jovie. “My immigration journey has molded the person I've become and the person that I am for my community. Pinay Collection is more than a brand, it’s a commu nity that builds support around our shared pain and histories as Filipina/xs, and to take back words meant to make us feel small and to make it our own.”

The collection includes sweaters, tees, bags, hats, and other accessories, encouraging Filipi nas in the diaspora to be bold and unapologetic in reclaiming these historically harmful and hurtful words.

“This line was always about confronting the words that our titas (aunts) and nanays (moms) used to make us millennial Filipinas feel some kind of way as we were growing up,” said Karla Villanueva Danan, a Pinay Collection support. “I'm most amused by the fact that when I strut around my Punyeta bag or Maarte sweater, the titas are all over it. I love how Pinay Collection has been bringing healing and laughter that many of us Pinay daughters have carried since childhood.”

Unlike other Filipino clothing lines that use Barongs, Ternos, or traditional textiles to show connection to Filipino culture, Pinay Collection features bold Tagalog words on their merchandise. Over the years, Jovie said it has proudly amplified Filipina narratives worldwide through a movement that centers around joy, beauty, and resistance. She said her work as a “multifaceted creator” lies in the intersectionalities of art, entrepreneurship, and social justice.

“Outside of my artistic role, I have extensive

experience developing community work and advocating for newcomer and Filipino families within so called Canada -- work that continues to ground me and my entrepreneur ial values,” she states in her company website.

Jovie came to Canada when she was 18.

During her first three to four years, she lived in Listowel, Ontario, a small town of about 7,000 people. At that time, there were only about 20 Filipinos. “It was really isolating,” she said.

“I did not see anyone who represents me. I did not see community. I only knew my mother and my brother. I would not speak because I feared that no one could relate to me or to my experiences. It took about six months before I had the courage to take the bus because I did not know what to do with those tokens. I did not know where to pay. I did not know if I should be saying para, I did not know how to stop the bus. I feared that the bus driver would make fun of me, just by having that presence in that bus. So it's a lot of anxiety and fear molded into one ball of mixed emotions.”

She trained as a hand lettering artist and has been focused on designing clothing through the art of calligraphy. This work has inspired her to launch Pinay Collection in the fall of 2019.

“Our goal is to build a brand centered around vulnerability,” said Jovie. “A brand that high lights Filipina/x stories that's been longing to be shared and witnessed. A brand that builds and nourishes a deeply connected community. A brand that centers the unheard and embraces the beauty in our ‘imperfections.’”

Pinay Collection founder Jovie Galit wearing a Punyeta sweater.

Lakwatsera tote bag

Pekpek Power acrylic pin

Short film drama written by an Igorota wins festival awards

using her legal name and never got far despite her experience as a performer. She used the American-sounding Logan as her last name upon the suggestion of a music producer. She finally decided to adopt the stage name Lao which is easy to remember and is a shorter version of her legal name.

The film also written by Joyce, won four awards: Best Acting Ensemble at the New York International Film Awards; Best Male Director, Best Drama Short and Best Short Film at the Rango and Golden Beach Film Festival. Her co-creator, Buali Shah, is the film director.

The story is about Eva -- played by Joyce -- a woman in her 30s who is arrested for protesting and put under house arrest in an apartment controlled by the government. She eventually accepts her fate and earnestly waits for the day of her release when she unexpectedly develops a relationship with a fellow prisoner next door, Gabriel, played by Buali Shah. Although they have not seen each other, the relationship grows from their conversations through Eva’s bedroom wall.

Joyce wrote this film at a time when Covid was spreading around the country amid the lockdown, the Stop Asian hate campaign and before the Black Lives Matter marches. She was quite shocked that the details she wrote on the film was happening while she was planning to start the film production with her producing partner, Buali Shah and her team.

Joyce and Buali, Filipino and Pakistani Americans respectively, have been friends and colleagues for about eight years and have been producing films for a while. They could not see enough Asian-American representation in film, TV and media most specifically from the communities they represent. When the pandemic hit, they decided to do a project together in the hope both communities will get noticed.

Joyce’s legal name is Joyce Laoagan. She is Indigenous-Filipino American, an Igorota from the Ibaloi tribe born and raised in Baguio City and Benguet, Philippines. Early in her career in New York City, she would audition

Growing up, Joyce experienced discrimination even in her own home city because she is indigenous. “This drove me to be ambitious and strive for more in life,” she said. “I chose to be in the arts because it is where my interest lies and there are very limited indigenous faces in the industry.”

Coming from a traditional family, the arts is not a career that is encouraged. She was initially considering becoming a lawyer or a medical doctor but then decided to take her Masters in Music. She became a dancer and a musician and recently graduated with her second MA in Arts Administration from Baruch College.

Her interest in acting and production started when she competed at a talent contest in the U.S. some 10 years ago. Even though she had an agent, she noticed that most of the casting calls are for non-Asians or if they are for Asians, the roles are mostly for East Asian actors who can speak either Chinese or Japanese.

As a Filipino, she was advised to get rid of her slight accent to sound totally American or learn Spanish and audition for Latina roles.

“I thought it was interesting that they wanted me to sound totally American. Although I initially went to this ridiculously expensive accent reduction coach, I reflected on what the casting directors told me and I decided to pursue the entertainment industry as myself. I did not want to take away opportunities from the Latinspeaking actors. So, I just wrote and produced my own thing.”

“Eva’s Gabriel” is her fourth short film.

“Even though this film is not focused on my Igorot and Filipino identity, I and my producing partner, Buali who is a Pakistani-American, showed that we can also play characters and roles that are not culture-centric. We can also play and write roles that are typically played by white and other BIPOC actors,” she added.

The film also stars Anna Bredikhina, Mugisha Feruzzi and Sonny Chatrath. It is produced by Real Ally Productions, a collaborative project between Real Reel Productions and the Ally Artists Group.

Joyce Lao wearing her traditional Benguet clothing.

As an actress, she was advised to get rid of her slight Filipino accent to sound totally American. Photo by Phoenix Jackson

“Eva’s Gabriel,” a short film drama starring Joyce Lao, an Igorota from the Ibaloi tribe in Baguio, received multiple awards in the film festival circuit this year.

Cozy mystery novel set against the backdrop of the Filipino Christmas

By Lynn Topel

The “-ber” months have arrived, and that’s Filipinospeak for the beginning of the Christmas season.

FilAm cozy mystery writer, Mia P. Manansala, clev erly works the Filipino love for Christmas in her latest book offering called Blackmail and Bibingka where her lead, Lila Macapagal deals with the return of the prodigal cousin, Ronnie, whose mom runs Tita Rosie’s Kitchen. As Ronnie tries to prove that he is not just a schemer and a swindler and tries to regain his family’s trust, a mysterious death takes place at Shady Palms Winery, where he had hoped to start producing lambanog. Now accused of murder, Lila has to help clear up the family name and hope that Ronnie is truly innocent for Tita Rosie’s sake. Hopefully, she gets to do this before the Simbang Gabi and the Shady Palms Winter Bash rush begins.

I had the opportunity to corre spond with Mia with regards to her unabashed display of Filipiniana in her stories. Though her parents hailed from Cavite and Quezon City, Chicago born-and-raised Mia did not grow up with a lot of stories from “home”. She sought out information on her Filipino heritage as an adult. She can understand some basic Tagalog now, but she and her brothers were encour aged to speak English growing up.

“My parents and grandparents spoke Tagalog to each other at home, but they never taught me or my brothers the language,” she said. “My parents worried that we’d struggle in school, so they only spoke to us in English when we were younger. My mom regrets it now, but I’ve gotten to the point that I can understand a basic Tagalog conversation and respond in English if I need to.”

Despite that, Mia never lost sight

of who she is. Though not fluent in Tagalog, she has learned the language of Filipino food instead and this was her bond with the homeland. She has mentioned in previous interviews that food was her father’s “love lan guage”. In fact, her favorite Filipino food is kare-kare with LOTS of rice and bagoong, and her favorite sweet treats are ube crinkles.

Mia also lets us in that it was her mom who introduced her to the culinary cozy mystery genre—a food-themed mystery subgenre that features lightheartedness (none of the gore) and an amateur sleuth.

“She’s the one that got me into them, starting with Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series. Later on,

Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop Mysteries showed me that it was possible to have diverse culinary cozies and I knew I had to write my own.”

Mia has been rolling out one book after another. And, it seems the public cannot get enough! In fact, Mia happily announces that she had been signed on for three more books with Berkley after Blackmail and Bibingka. That means the adventures in Shady Palms, IL are not quite over yet. Mia elaborates on where she gets inspiration for her stories: “Arsenic

and Adobo plays with cozy mystery/ rom-com tropes, Homicide and HaloHalo was me wanting to understand the Filipino obsession with beauty pageants (and also because I love the movie Miss Congeniality), and Blackmail and Bibingka came from an online news article about a particular incident that happened in the Philip pines around Christmas.”

With so much Filipino-ness in her books, does she ever wonder if non-Filipinos would be able to get the little quirks and idiosyncrasies?

Chicago born Mia P. Manansala: Instead of Tagalog, she learned the language of Filipino food. Jamilla Yipp Photography

‘Parol’ on the cover speaks of the Filipinoness of this book.

“Not really,” she replied. “I was more concerned with making sure that I wasn’t holding the reader’s hand and explaining too much—I rely on a mix of context clues and direct explanation, and anything they still don’t under stand they can just Google. For me, it was all about the narrative flow and figuring out when/why/ how to explain a particular food or concept since there are many different ways to handle it.”

And the response had been overwhelmingly positive. Readers who’ve never tried Filipino food before are suddenly ready to try them, and are learning more about the culture. Mia has added glossaries and pronunciation guides to help with readers when they come across the Filipino words sprinkled here and there throughout her books. These do not just include foodrelated words, but concepts

like utang na loob and balikbayan box. Even her characters’ names are characteristically Filipino with Lila Macapagal as the main sleuth in the series and a cousin named Bernadette Arroyo (no relation to the political dynasty of the MacapagalArroyos!).

Blackmail and Bibingka is set for release on October 4th! You can’t miss the parol on the cover of her latest book (another “calling card” that you’re a Pinoy!). Blackmail and Bibingka also gives you a sneak preview of her next book in the series called, Murder and Mamon coming out summer of 2023! Mia has truly carved a special niche for herself and a name in the culinary cozy mystery genre.

Lynn Alejandrino-Topel is a teacher based in Maryland. When not teach ing, she does book reviews and is busy checking out the food scene around the Maryland/Pennsylvania area. Find her on Pinterest as @themamatravels.

Received a package you did not order? It could be a ‘brushing scam’

Have you received a package you did not order online? The package has your correct name and address but the sender is not someone you know, or worse, there is no return address? And you thought, ‘What the fudge?’

The New York State Division of Con sumer Protection (DCP) has warned about a “brushing scam,” which is becoming popular all over the country. The practice targets a recipient and turns them into a “verified buyer” upon delivery of the fake merchandise. The purpose is to generate “fake positive online reviews of the merchandise in the recipient’s name,” says the DCP.

| How it works

Here’s how it works, according to the DCP: A person receives a package(s) containing items which were not ordered or requested by the recip ient. While the package may be addressed to the recipient, there is no return address, or the return address could be that of a retailer. The sender of the item is usually an international, third-party seller who has found the recipient’s address online. Successful delivery of the item then turns the

recipient into a verified buyer on online market places. The scammer uses the verified buyer’s information to then post a false positive review

of a product online and boost the 5-star ratings of the product, encouraging legitimate shoppers that the product advertised has received more positive ratings than it has. Since the merchandise actually received is another product that is cheaper to ship, the scammers perceive this as a profitable pay-off. To avoid being victims of brushing scams, the DCP offers the following tips:

1. You don’t have to pay for it . Federal law may allow recipients to keep items they received but did not order. Recipients are under no obligation to pay for unsolicited merchandise and can consider it a gift. If you don’t want the item, you can donate it or simply dispose of it and do not have to return it.

2. Report it. If the item received is organic (seeds, plants or food), report it to the USDA. Unsolicited seeds or plants should not be planted as they may be invasive plants, noxious weeds or carry diseases that could cause damage to econom ically important crops. Seeds may be sent to the address below for destruction.

Office of the State Plant Health Director of New York

c/o Christopher Zaloga 500 New Karner Road Albany, New York 12205

For more consumer protection information, call the DCP Helpline at 800-697-1220, Monday through Friday or visit the DCP website at www. dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection.

She has carved a special niche in the culinary cozy mystery genre.

May not be your lucky day. Stock art

Calendar of Events

| November 2

Filipino American Heritage Night: New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Madison Square Garden 4 Pennsylvania Plaza NYC

| November 4

Triumvirate Live in Connecticut with Jaya, Gladys and Geo The Stamford Hotel 700 E. Main Street Stamford, CT

| November 12

‘Katips’ special screening Jersey City Public Library Five Corner branch 678 Newark Avenue Jersey City

| November 12

D'Balayan East Coast USA 10th Anniversary Gala Astoria World Manor 25-22 Astoria Blvd. Queens NYC

| November 16

An Evening of Filipino Art Songs (Kundiman) with Medel Paguirigan, Baritone

Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church 619 Lexington Avenue NYC (Entrance at 54th Street)

Free concert

| November 20

One Night Only with Marco Sison; Ferlie Almonte as emcee Clarion Hotel 815 Route 37 E Toms River, NJ

| November 5

| November 4

Carboloading: Reception for Filipino NYC marathon runners Philippine Center Kalayaan Hall 556 5th Avenue, NYC

| November 4

Hip Hop Octoberfest U.S. Tour D’ Haven 58-02 37th Avenue Woodside, NYC For tickets & sponsorship contact Ivan 917-456-2990

Mrs. Philippines-USA 2023 Coronation Ball Russo’s on the Bay 162-45 Cross Bay Blvd. Howard Beach, N.Y.

| November 5

Triumvirate: Live in New York D’ Haven 58-02 37th Avenue Woodside, Queens NYC

| November 6

Fil-Am Young Artist Showcase (by FilAm Music Foundation) Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall 154 West 57th Street

| November 10

Jo Koy at New York Comedy Festival Madison Square Garden 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, NYC

| November 16

Lotus Ball 11: Maya’s Hope 11th Anniversary Gala The Players 16 Gramercy Park South NYC Contact person: Aida Tagle 646-371-5425

| November 22

Lani Misalucha: Live in New York! Town Hall 123 West 43rd Street NYC

| December 13

2nd Annual Filipino Heritage Night with the NJ Devils Prudential Center 25 Lafayette Street Newark, N.J.

2023

| March 11

Jo Koy World Tour Capital One Arena Washington D.C.

2 Filipino actors get breakout roles in Jeffrey Dahmer series

managed to escape. He survived and is said to be living quietly as a family man, but suffered severe sexual assault. The brothers are said to come from an impoverished immigrant Laotian family and tried their best to help the family any way they could. Dahmer approached them, like many others, with offers of cash in exchange for photo sessions.

Kieran Tamondong, 20, and Brayden Maniago, 19, portray the Laotian broth ers who became victims of the sadistic serial killer from Milwaukee who committed murders from 1978 to 1991.

The portrayals of Tamondong as Konerak Sinthasomphone, and Maniago as Somsack Sinthasomphone have been attracting good reviews. Some are predicting “Monster” will be the duo’s breakout film.

Let’s get to know the two fast-rising stars.

Los Angeles-born Kieran Tamondong is skilled in martial arts. He started learning Karate when he was just 5 years old. He is known to represent the U.S. team in international karate tournaments.

Because of his agility and quick-on-the-draw swiftness, he won roles in action films like “Warrior” (2019) and “The Paper Tigers” (2020), a comedy about three aging Kung Fu masters. In an interview, he said, “I felt like this is the one sport (martial arts) that I wanted to do."

One of his favorite foods is Chicken Adobo. He portrayed Konerak Sinthasomphone, the then 14-year-old Laotian boy who was one of 17 people killed by Dahmer. The film shows him naked and bleeding as he flees Dahmer’s apartment only to be sent back by two responding cops who believe it is nothing serious but a “domestic situation” between lovers. He died after Dahmer drilled a hole into his skull and filled it with hydrochloric acid.

Patrick Tamondong, his dad and biggest fan, said the movie was “tough to watch” but he is proud of his son for doing a great job telling Konerak Sinthasomphone’s story.

“I’m also heartbroken for Konerak and his family. He was just 14 years old! Calling the cops couldn’t save him. Everyone failed him,” writes Patrick on Facebook.

| Brayden Maniago

Konerak’s younger brother, Somsack Sinthasomphone, played by Brayden Maniago,

Maniago, 19, is an up-and-coming actor and a model. He attended the California School of the Arts San Gabriel Valley. He trained in Intentional Acting under Loren Chadima and went to the Caryn West’s Space for Actors. Like Tamondong he has Martial Arts skills, having studied Muay Thai, Taekwondo, and Eskrima. His resume states that he dances hip hop, plays the ukulele, and skateboards. He has appeared in reality TV shows, such as the “Try Not to Eat Challenge - Odd Food Pairings in People vs. Food,”

The “Monster” series is the most popular show on Netflix but reviews tilt toward director Ryan Murphy seeming to romanticize the notorious serial killer.

The man they call the Monster. Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer. Photo: Netflix

Kieran Tamondong; Brayden Maniago. Photos: IMDb and www.braydenmaniago.com

Two young Filipino actors are cast as Jeffrey Dahmer’s brutalized victims in the true crime series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”

Medel Paguirigan, RN: Amid the pandemic, a baritone is born

By Cristina DC Pastor

For nearly four decades, Medel Pagu irigan diligently forged a career as a New York City nurse until his retire ment in 2022. As he rose the ranks from hemodialysis nurse at Brook dale Hospital in the late 1980s to his final role as Corporate Senior Director in Nursing Education at New York Health & Hospitals, he kept within himself a yearning long hidden and unexplored: To be a chorus singer

On November 16, Medel will get a chance to unleash his vocal prowess as a baritone. He will be performing in a solo concert, “An Evening of Filipino Art Songs (Kundiman)” at Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church on Lexington Avenue. It is a free concert, and he is inviting the Filipino community of New York to an evening of pure and elegant Kundiman music.

“I did not choose nursing as a career,” con fessed Medel, 60, when interviewed by The FilAm.

He was not harboring any regrets, just looking back at the twists and turns that led him to nursing as a profession. Since he was a child, he received classical training in piano that included music theory. He thought growing up that his piano and music lessons were preparing him to embark on a career in music especially after he passed an audition at a leading Philippine conservatory in 1978.

“One night, my (mother), my first music teacher, talked to me and told me they cannot afford to send me to the conservatory,” he recalled. “I was devastated and questioned why all the prepara tions when it’s not going to happen?”

Several years of music training down the drain, he proceeded to accept a scholarship at a nursing school In the Philippines. It was the only option on the table.

“It was a painful decision, but reflecting on it, it’s my passport to live in NYC, which is the only America I knew, and live an independent life!”

In New York, he was a nurse at major hospi tals, among them New York Presbyterian (as hemodialysis staff nurse), NYU Medical Center (as senior staff nurse, Operating Room), and Mount Sinai (as senior manager, Nursing Educa tion and Research).

Living in NYC allowed him to reignite his love for music by joining Filipino choruses and N.Y.-based choirs like the Collegiate Chorale, the New York Choral Society and Cantori New York which performed choral standards, operas,

concerts and commissioned works at the world’s best venues.

One of his unforgettable experiences was per forming as part of a chorus at an Andrea Bocelli concert on many occasions where a chorus is needed in his repertoire.

“Performing with Andrea Bocelli as part of a chorus is the same as a regular concert in terms of

preparation and technique,” he said. “The only difference is he is a high-profile artist and sells out a performance every time and that’s the magical component of the experience. He also has a wider audience…His audiences are always hyped up and energetic that it is easier to return the energy through our performance.”

Actually, Medel said he did not receive any formal voice training despite all the music classes he attended growing up. The long lull amid the pandemic and the boredom that came with it led him to remote vocal coaching from the Philippine Madrigal Singers. There, he met soprano Katrina Saga, a vocal coach and a former Madrigal singer.

“I took solace in taking remote classes until now as a retired person. I was lucky to learn under the tutelage of McCloskey Technique-cer tified Katrina Saga,” he said. “These classes helped me transition from being a chorus member to a soloist which have different skill sets and training.”

Medel finds encouragement and joie de vivre from Brian Logan, a lawyer and teacher, and his partner of 14 years. They met in Nantucket when they were both separately vacationing in 2008. The classic limerick provided the initial spark until they realized they shared more inter est other than humor.

“He introduced himself as the man from Nan tucket and I told him that’s why I came here. The rest is history!”

He has done chorus for Andrea Bocelli concerts.

With Brian Logan, his partner of 14 years, whom he met in Nantucket.

Enjoying the company of friends from the Ilocano American Association of New York.

Yazmin Wilkinson: A girl with a happy heart

By Vicky Vitug

Five-year-old Yazmin Wilkinson, a beautiful Filipino-Belgian girl was named a top model at Belgium Kids Academy. At age 1, she was learning alphabet and numbers from her Fil ipino mother Diana. The girl who speaks three languages -- Dutch, English and Filipino -- is now learning to speak French, too.

Yazmin hasn’t always been this lively and confident girl. About three years ago, she looked very different. She was pale, thin and had no hair. Something happened sometime in 2019 after the family returned home to Antwerp after a vacation in the Philippines.

Parents Carl Wilkinson and Diana Mendo za-Wilkinson noticed that Yazmin looked sickly and was always sleeping. A doctor prescribed antibiotics, but they did not bring the fever under control. The doctor ordered blood tests for Yazmin. After she took the test, the parents received a call from the lab telling them to go immediately to the hospital because her hemoglobin value was dangerously low and her blood was “too watery.” It was, they were told, an indication of “either a viral infection or cancer.”

Further tests revealed Yazmin may be suffering from Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. ALL is a type of cancer common in children where the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells preventing the growth of healthy cells, which can lead to infection, anemia, and bleeding, according to Medicineplus.gov.

She was undergoing chemo treatments up until her second birthday.

“It was heartbreaking to witness our baby undergo blood transfusions, chemo treatment, but our family needed to remain steadfast,” said Diana, a full-time mom.

This intensive regimen went on for six months, followed by one-and-a-half years of non-intensive monthly treatments.

Despite the exhausting hospital visits, Yazmin remained a pleasant, happy toddler. She hardly cried and was always smiling at activities and things that gave her joy and people she liked. She recalled a time, while undergoing chemotherapy, Yazmin’s face lit up when her music therapist passed by.

“The mere presence of her music therapist made her grin with joy,” she said. “When others would have cried in pain, she automatically opted to smile at the sight of her music therapist. She is gifted with a happy heart.”

Yazmin had prayer warriors in Diana’s relatives from New York, New Jersey and Philippines who prayed with the close-knit Wilkinsons every time the girl would undergo delicate procedures. Thanks also go to her in-laws who were always ready to help.

“The late father of my husband was the one who always gave us a ride to the hospital so that Carl won’t miss work. Yazmin cannot use public transportation. Because of her situation, she cannot be exposed to too much bacteria,” said Diana.

And, how their prayers were answered: At 3 1/2 years old, Yazmin was declared in full remission. After few months, while still in recovery, she

joined a children’s choir which performed Belgian and English songs in front of a large audience. Today, this fun-loving girl has made many friends in school, including kids from higher grades who adored her. Her singing, dancing, playing, her laughter and her smiles continue to fill their home with joy.

The family – father Carl, mother Diana, and elder brother Matheo -- is beyond grateful for the return of Yazmin’s good health.

“With God’s blessings and guidance Yazmin will have a chance for a longer life, brighter tomorrows…and more awards,” said Diana with laughter.

A top model in her school

The Wilkinsons celebrate Yazmin’s 5th birthday: Parents Carl and Diana and brother Matheo.

A pleasant toddler even through chemotherapy

Young people, minorities report biggest losses in crypto scams

By Jenny Manrique

The promise of hefty returns is what initially drew Jeffrey Vaulx, a second-grade special ed teacher in Memphis, Tennessee to go in on a cryptocurrency investment opportunity introduced to him by a Facebook friend.

Vaulx would soon discover that he had been taken by a scheme that data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shows is part of a billion-dol lar industry in the United States.

Vaulx set up an account on a website that he says, “looked legitimate.” He then transferred $500 cash to his friend, who was supposed to pur chase the cryptocurrency – a form of unregulated digital money where transactions are verified through digital ledgers. His investment quickly grew to $8,000. Though to access that newfound wealth Vaulx learned that he would have to pay an additional fee of $500.

That’s when he says the red flags began to appear. “I went back to my friend’s website and saw it was all a hoax,” he recalled. “Fraud was in the back of my head.”

Vaulx was among a panel of speakers during a September 9 media briefing

organized by Ethnic Media Services and the FTC.

Experts at the FTC stress that most cryptocurrency scams start with an unsolicited message, either through text, email, or social media. “Social media and crypto is a very combustible combination,” said Cristina Miranda, consumer education specialist at the FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection.

“Just know that a lot of these scams start off with tips or secrets on online message boards,” Miranda added. “There’s not going to be a whole lot of detail about what you’re investing in, because scammers are always trying to get you to be emotionally invested.”

According to the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel Network, an online resource for tracking scams, from January 2021 through June 2022 cryptocurrency scams have cost consumers over $1.3 billion. Nearly half of those victimized say the scam began with an ad, post, or message on social media.

Young people aged 18-35 and minority populations are among the groups that have reported the highest losses. These groups, Miranda explained, typically exist “outside the traditional financial ecosystem, they typically are unbanked and most open to using these emerging payment technologies.”

The unregulated nature of cryp tocurrency — which exists outside traditional financial systems — has made it both more attractive to small time investors and opened the door to a ballooning scam industry.

And because transactions hap pen digitally, with no middleman involved, getting money back for vic tims has proven to be difficult, said Elizabeth Kwok, assistant director of litigation technology and analysis for the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Kwok added that because cryptocur rency is not backed by any government there is significant volatility in the market. “There is nobody overlooking the system… If there’s a run on a partic ular exchange, no entity is going to step in and make sure that consumers can get their money back.”

Since 2021, Bitcoin — the largest cryptocurrency by valuation — has fallen from a high of $60,000 per coin to as low as $22,000. The entire crypto market has dropped from a valuation of over $3 trillion to just over $1 trillion today.

Kwok noted the Biden administra tion is working to impose some regu lation over the crypto market. “They are aiming for a more coordinated regulatory environment,” she said, pointing to an executive order from the president in March that directs federal agencies to implement policies and regulations for assets including cryptocurrencies.

The IRS currently taxes crypto assets as physical property like a car, and if they are used as an investment, the Securities and Exchange Commis sion gets involved, Kwok said.

“Education is really the first line of defense when it comes to avoiding problems in the marketplace,” said Rosario Mendez, senior attorney with the FTC Division of Consumer and Business Education.

| Where to Report Scams

Victims can report scams directly to the FTC through its website in English and Spanish, as well as through the website of the regulatory agency Com modity Futures Trading Commission and the US Securities and Exchange Commission. -- Ethnic Media Services

Cryptocurrency scams have cost consumers over $1.3 billion. Photo: Unsplash

Harvard Square welcomes 1st FilAm festival celebrating FAHM

The first-ever Filipino American Festival in Harvard Square was held on October 9 at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The event was held in celebration of Filipino American History Month and organized by the Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance (HSPAA).

The event was held as part of the Harvard Square Business Association’s 43rd Annual Oktoberfest and Honk Parade described as a “unique, irreverent, family-friendly annual tradition where musicians and spectators reclaim the streets for horns, bikes and feet”!

The Philippine Consulate delegation was led by Consul Ricarte Abejuela III, who joined HSPAA organizers in the Honk parade which lasted for almost two hours starting from Davis Square to Harvard Square. The spectators were amazed by the Filipino-American contingents from Cebu Inc, Gingoognons in the USA, and the Mutya Philippine Dance Company of Philadelphia, with their color ful costumes and graceful street dancing.

The 43-year annual event takes place on Church and Brattle streets and has been hosted in the Square every year since 1978.

Several live music stages were set up throughout the Square, featuring an array of bands from Cambridge and beyond. Filipino artists and bands, including social media sensation EZ Mil, performed on a stage in a Church St. parking lot, alongside booths set up by local Filipino-owned businesses serving Filipino dishes. Also participating in the FilAm festival was Tourism Representative Francisco Lardizabal who had a booth promoting top destinations in the Philippines.

The project was conceptualized by the HSPAA led by Catherine Uy and Satrick Uy. The Harvard Square Alliance estimated the number of total attendees at 80,000 people.

“Harvard Crimson,” the student newspaper of Harvard University, reported how Sunday’s Oktober fest entertained “overflow crowds with beer, sausages, and music.”

“The event coincided with the…first-ever Filipino American Festival in Harvard Square…Filipino artists and bands performed on a stage located in a Church St. parking lot, alongside booths set up by local Filipi no-owned businesses,” reported the Crimson.

Filipino American festival joins Cambridge’s 43rd Annual Oktoberfest & Honk Parade. Photo: Harvardsquare.com

Members of the Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance march down Church Street.

Street performers from Cebu, Inc. dazzle with their Sinulog dance and colorful costumes. Photo by Cathy Uy

A FilAm gala at The Plaza

By Lindy Rosales

Filipinos love a good party. Especially if that party meant dressing up in traf fic-stopping Ternos and Barongs and the venue was a hotel known to be frequented by the moneyed and the mighty.

On October 17, some 300 Filipino Americans trekked to the grand ball room of The Plaza on Fifth Avenue for an evening of dancing, stepping out with friends they haven’t seen for more than two years of pandemic-im posed hiatus, and just listening to good old fashioned Filipino music.

“It was well-attended,” raved a New Jersey doctor who attended the $550-a-plate gala organized by the Hiraya Foundation for Filipino-Amer ican Heritage Preservation and the Philippine Consulate General.

The cultural program featured the Philippine Ballet Theater dancing to Jose Mari Chan’s pop songs, followed by a Rigodon de Honor where part nered members of the community danced to 15th-century Spanish-era music before breaking out into more modern moves. “Baile Filipiniana” was the theme of the evening.

Dr. Romulo Aromin, chairman of the board and one of the founders of Hiraya Foundation, explained the concept behind the gala was to sup port the Philippine weaving industry.

“Sininglahi is one of the prime events of the Hiraya Foundation for Filipino-American Heritage Preser vation. In this particular event, we are zeroing in on really underlining the natural weave because we will be supporting their sustainability and viability,” he said. “The Sininglahi will be happening every year. The support of the weaving industry is going to be an ongoing project.”

For this reason, he said, the founda tion invited two prominent designers from the Philippines, Cora Manimbo and Ulysses King, known for using natural fibers in their creations. He said Cora uses Pina textile from Aklan while Ulysses’s handpainted

Barongs are made of Pina cloth from Lumban, Laguna.

“We are what we wear,” said Nora Galleros, a member of the foundation, and dressed in a Manimbo creation.

In consideration of the younger gen eration, Aromin said the foundation decided to headline the Philippine Ballet Theater. “The main feature is how to celebrate another aspect of

what we do, and that is really looking at the young generation, at how they can project their loves and hope, through the skill of ballet,” he said.

“Hiraya is actually doing a cultural promotion and preservation. So maki kita nila dito ang ating mga sariling kultura,” added Aromin.

The other members of the foun dation, aside from Aromin, who is chairman of the board, are nursing educator and administrator Dely Go as president; CPA Nora Galleros as treasurer; lawyer Lawrence Safran as secretary; and architect Jovito Rabelas as public relations officer.

Aromin described the members of the foundation as selfless individuals who are doing the work for the love of the Motherland. “Yung tinatawag nating pagbibigay sa ating Inang Bayan without expecting anything in return.”

The Philippine Ballet Theater dances to Jose Mari Chan music

A lovely night of music and catching up with friends. Photos by Lindy Rosales and the Hiraya Foundation for Filipino-American Heritage Preservation

Emcee Cher Calvin echoed Aromin t hat Sininglahi “aims to be an annual fundraising event for the various efforts of heritage conservation here and in the Philippines.”

Permanent Representative to the United Nations Antonio Lagdameo delivered the key note address. “It is always a pleasure to be among kababay ans. I believe there is no coun try in the world today without Filipino migrants,” he said.

Deputy Consul General Arman Talbo’s message was a ringing salute to the number and strength of the Filipinos in New York State: He said, “120,000 Filipinos live in NYS. Tonight, let us celebrate you.”

The Philippine Ballet Theater dance series impressed many in the audience. CEO and community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis said

approximately 30 dancers from the PBT flew to NYC for the gala and that their performance was “beautiful and breathtaking.”

Co-chair of the event Deli Po-Go gave a pre-recorded message where she spoke about the objectives of Hiraya Foundation. She said, “The aim of Hiraya is really to unite all of us, and to really preserve our culture and heritage. Heritage is the hallmark of the Filipinos, and for our country the Philippines, and its history.”

The Rigodon de Honor with a hip hop twist was choreographed by Shiran Ybanez. Halfway through the square dance, the men exited and left the women to break into their own moves to pop music. People hooted and cheered their friends doing their thing on the dance floor.

“They murdered the Rigodon,” someone was heard muttering as a joke.

The menfolk wear handpainted Barong made of Pina fabric.

Joyce Lao Film by Igorota actress wins awards

Photo: Hiraya Foundation