Filam 10-22

Photo by Mike Grittani

Letter from the Editor

The inherent simplicity of Donald Trump ’ s fraud case

Ofall the legal cases that are being raised against Donald Trump, there is a certain elegance in the civil litigation brought on New York State Attorney- General Letitia James.

Unlike criminal cases where intent needs to be proven “beyond reasonable doubt”, that threshold is much lower in a civil case. In this one, the only thing you have to prove is that he cheated, and this the former president does in spades. What is the proof? Trump’s own tax and regulatory filings.

One striking example is Trump’s triplex apartment, which in his filings is just a shade under 11,000 square feet at only 10,996. In 2015, he calculated it as 30,000 square feet in size and valued it at $29,738 per square foot for a total value of $327 million.

Why is that important?

A bigger apartment is more expensive, can be sold for more, get insurance for a larger amount and you can borrow against that apartment at a higher rate.

As the case outlined, Trump and his children signed off on this shady habit in many of his properties the last 20 years or so. In the cop and prosecutor procedural “Law and Order”, that is plainly a pattern of behavior by Trump, his family and a compliant set of lawyers and accountants to game the system.

The only problem with this case is it may take years to prosecute.

When Trump and his children were finally put on the stand to answer the practices under oath, they invoked their right against self-incrimination, otherwise known as the Fifth Amendment, more than 400 times by Trump alone and several hundred times by the two sons and Ivanka. That is fine and dandy in a criminal case.

In a civil case though, invoking the 5th can be taken against you as an indication of guilt. A jury can use the 5th as a strike and a sign you are guilty of something.

There is also the matter of stripping you of economic power, which this case can poten tially do. The Trump organization can be dismantled and prohibited from doing business in New York as a bad actor. Trump could set up in another state. True. But what major bank (we know Deutsche Bank is there) would honestly get into bed with Trump knowing he is a radioactive pariah when it comes to money.

Maybe the oligarchs around Vladimir Putin would and have done so, but this could effectively drop him below the superrich club he so craves.

If there is anything a corrupt, would-be dictator would detest more is being relatively poor. Putting the Donald in jail is an arduous task although the Mar-a-Lago case appears to be cut-and-dried and has nothing to do with mind melding classified documents.

Fraud is fairly straightforward. And in this, it looks like Donald Trump is guilty as sin.

Contributing Writers

Tricia J. Capistrano

Joel David

Wendell Gaa Maricar CP Hampton Angelito Cabigao

Ludy AstraquilloOngkeko

Mariel Padilla

Lindy Rosales

Vicky Potenciano-Vitug

Danielle Vania Bonus

Putting Trump in jail can be an arduous task. Photo: White House

How a Filipina journalist fell out of love with UK’s royal family

By Stella Gonzales

LONDON

-- Like many Filipi nos, I was enamored with the UK’s royal family.

I distinctly remember sitting in front of the TV in our apartment in Manila to watch the fairy tale wedding of Prince Charles and Diana on July 29, 1981. We had no classes that day because our college professor said we would learn more from watching that event than by attending her lecture.

I was in Wales, taking a journalism course, when Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. I travelled to London the next day and went to Kensington Palace where people were mourning and laying flowers in front of the gates. I was teary-eyed. It took days before Queen Elizabeth responded to Diana’s death; before this, a pro-monar chy tabloid, in a dig at the Queen, wrote the headline: “Show us you care.” Another said: “Where is our Queen?”

I was still very much a fan of the monarchy when I moved from Manila to work in London in 2011. Like millions around the world, I watched the wed ding of Prince William and Kate, and Prince Harry and Meghan on TV. I even bought a souvenir lip balm marking Harry and Meghan’s nuptials.

I remember asking my boss one morning if I could take an early break from work because Prince Charles and Camilla were at Borough Market for the dedication of the market’s bell. I took blurry photos of the couple and was giddy with excitement when I came back to the office after.

When family or friends came to visit me, I would take them on a tour of Buck ingham Palace or Windsor Castle so they could see the majestic halls and rooms and marvel at the beautiful centuries-old paintings and the magnificent ceilings and carvings.

But my ardor for the monarchy waned over the years. I learned more about the country and its colonial past, listened to arguments on why the UK should no longer have a monarchy, and saw with my own eyes the rise of social inequality.

Many people -- although surveys show they are not the majority -- believe the monarchy should now be abolished. They say the monarchy is a relic of the past. It perpetuates privilege and an outmoded class system. The automatic inheritance of the Crown does not jibe with the principles of democracy.

The monarch’s wealth runs into hun dreds of millions of pounds, yet one in five people in the UK, according to 2022 data, are in poverty. An entire team prepares

luxury meals for the Queen’s corgis, even as too many poor households have to go without food for a whole day.

The monarchy also showed that it could be tone-deaf at crucial times; the Queen’s much-delayed response to Diana’s death was one. It took years for the monarchy to finally remove Prince Andrew from official royal life in the wake of the sexual assault allegations against him. Before that, the palace had stood steadfastly behind him even when

people were questioning his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and why he kept that friendship even after Epstein was convicted.

And then, of course, there is the monarchy’s relationship with Meghan. Did some members of the royal family and even staff really treat her badly because she is half-Black? One may or may not believe what she and Harry said in their Oprah interview in 2021, but their outspokenness reminded people of what Diana said in 1995: she did not receive much support from the royal family when she had depression.

Some people asked on social media why she, like any grandmother would have done, did not personally intervene to patch up the strained relationship in the family. Some royalists, however, coun tered that she was the Queen and thus should not be expected to act like your own grandmother: stiff upper lip and all that, even in one’s own family.

I understand why some people cried at Westminster Hall where the Queen was lying in state. But not everyone is grieving over her death, and they should not be expected to have an emotional connection to the late monarch and join the hours-long queue at Westminster.

In my London neighborhood, people went on with their normal lives: the high street weekend market was full as always, noisy children played in parks, people watched (the very few) football matches and had a few pints of beer at the pub. There was no sense of sorrow or gloom.

On the day of the Queen’s funeral, much was said about how London “stood still”. Yes, it mostly did, but people really did not have much choice: shops, grocery stores, pubs, restaurants and entertainment venues decided to close. Sporting events including even children’s games were cancelled, and unfortunately so were medical screenings and operations. Out of “respect” for the Queen, several food banks, which Britain’s poor rely on for their meals, also closed.

Stella Gonzales is a Filipina who has been working as a journalist in London since 2011.

The author in a visit to Windsor Castle in 2012. On the left is St. George's Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest on September 19.

Queen Elizabeth’s funeral procession: London stood still but not everyone is grieving.

How my Faith, family walked me on my journey to becoming a writer

By Mark Polo Eyo

When I was offered the extraordinary privilege to become the Communica tions Lead for NaF FAA, I asked myself if I was ready to play that significant role in ampli fying our voice through writing for our Filipino American community. I felt the heavy burden of following the great footsteps of master communi cators and writers who came before me. Upon pondering, I realized that my life journey had prepared me well for this great responsibility.

My Faith. My faith has significantly impacted my life growing up in the Philippines.

I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, when I was 10. This is the same religion people used to call “Mormons”, because of The Book of Mormon. Our faith has 833,045 members in the Philippines alone, which means 1 in every 132 Filipinos is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our worldwide membership is close to 18 million.

I grew up reading The Book of Mormon and the Holy Bible in English regularly. I learned to read and pronounce complex English words from the scriptures. Read ing several church materials exposed me to a variety of ideas and helped improve my writing skills.

I grew up in the church. During Sunday meetings, I became comfort able sharing and speaking about God and His teachings with members and non-members alike. I also gained the crucial communication skill of actively listening to other people’s opinions and ideas. Through this experience, I observed firsthand the reality of Theodore Roosevelt’s pow erful quote, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Most importantly, I developed the skill of communicating with God through prayer. These basic communication practices laid the foundation for the skills I need as a writer in this modern day.

My Church-service Mission. At age 18, I decided to serve a full-time church ser vice mission. It required me to leave home to teach people about Jesus Christ. I was assigned to serve in Negros Occidental, where I learned two additional languages. To teach the wonderful Negrense people about God, I became fluent in Hiligaynon and Cebuano. Learning to speak fluently in these two languages did not come quickly, but it did eventually come. It came after a month of countless prayers, practices, and conversations with native speakers. This is the principle I apply when I write today. I write because our Filipino American voice needs to be heard, and people must learn about our great history.

My Mentors. My writing journey was paved by mentors who taught me how to express myself in writing, from my English teacher, Mrs. Andrea Soliman in the Philippines at Juan R. Liwag

The author was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines when he was 10, the same religion people used to call ‘Mormons.’

My father, Antonio Eyo, taught me the value of sacrifice through his example as an Overseas Filipino Worker for almost 26 years. His example taught me that producing the best write-ups will require sacrifice. It is in the example of seeing my mother, Lourdes Eyo, work diligently until very late at night preparing for the Business and Accounting classes she will teach the next day that I learned not to give up when tired. It is in seeing my younger brother, Mikee, exemplify humility as he navigates his new role of being a young father that I learned to humble myself and be not afraid to ask for help if needed. Finally, with our bunso Macky’s example of showing patience and grace as he navigates a lot of unknowns as he decides which career path to pursue, I learned the value of learning how to enjoy the rain instead of waiting for the rainbow.

Whether through faith, life, or school, I believe anyone can find inspiration in their life journey to become a better writer and communicator. We have a great Filipino American history that deserves to be preserved and shared for generations to come. These include stories of sacrifice and resilience that will inspire the Filipinos of tomorrow. It is our responsibility to write our history in this great American history – a history book in which we are almost always forgotten.

As Jose Rizal once said, “To foretell the destiny of a nation, it is necessary to open the book of her past.”

Memorial High School; to my English and Political Science professors Dr. Neil Andersen and Dr. Brian Hough ton, during my undergraduate years in Brigham Young University-Hawaii; to my graduate school professors at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Dr. Kurt Sandholtz and Dr. Rob Christensen in the MPA Program. My mentors taught me that writing requires patience just like a journey.

Writing requires planning, research ing, brainstorming, drafting, receiving feedback, and lots of revising. When done correctly, it is not just the ability to report events and express ideas, but also the power to unite people and shape the future.

My Family. My journey to becom ing an effective communicator and writer would not be complete without my family.

Let us write to teach and inspire future Filipinos. The feeling of waking up every morning to write history motivates me to write, even when I am tired. I have the sense that the things I write might one day help shape the future of our great Filipino American community.

Mark Polo Eyo is the Communications Lead for the National Federation of Filipino American Associations. He is a native of Gapan City, Philippines, and currently resides in Orem, Utah. He is a graduate of the Brigham Young Univer sity Marriott School of Business Master of Public Administration Program.

Mark’s family at the LDS Philippine Temple in Quezon City.

Mayor Eric Adams makes historic attendance at TOFA

By Rasmin Diaz & Cristina DC Pastor

There was unmistakable excitement as the honorees shuffled in, the piano played, and the mayor strode to his seat. It’s a historic first for any sitting New York City mayor to attend a Filipino event.

On September 16, The Town Hall was luminous with New York City dignitaries and exemplary Filipino Americans celebrating the 12th The Outstanding Filipinos in America awards with their families and friends. It was almost filled to capacity with more than 1,200 guests garbed to the nines, women in care fully pinned hair and men dressed in Barong and glitzy suits.

Mayor Eric Adams saluted New York’s “vibrant Filipino population.” They have always been part and thriving “in our metropolitan melting pot,” he states in a certificate presented to TOFA.

Executive Producer Elton Lugay, who founded TOFA in 2011, said the idea then, as it is now, was to “use the event as a platform to celebrate our achievements in America.” On this evening, 28 national honorees, 8

Lifetime Achievement Awardees and three Global Awards recipients were met with long, thunderous applause echoing throughout the iconic hall where Billie Holiday, Celine Dion, and previous TOFA recipients Lea Salonga and Jo Koy had performed. “They make all of us proud,” he said.

TOFA’s resident emcee Boy Abunda announced the 28 honorees who happily marched to the stage to share their stories -- and claim their tro phies: Hate crime survivor Vilma Kari and daughter Elizabeth Kari (both advocates against Asian violence); dec orated U.S. Army officer Col. Odelia Tablit; first openly gay FilAm mayor of Boynton Beach, Florida Mayor Ty Penerga; Bergenfield, New Jersey Mayor Arvin Amatorio; Commissioner Anne del Castillo of the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment; Jessica Caloza, first Filipina com missioner of the L.A. Board of Public Works; Kelly Ilagan Coldiron (former White House Liaison executive direc tor); Eight-time Emmy Award-winning producer Lisa Lew; Hollywood actor Reggie Lee; Live Nation PH Director Rhiza Pascua. Social media sensation

Bretman Rock; ultramarathon runner Gerald Tabios; Vallerie Castillo-Ar cher, first Filipino executive chef at LA’s Yamashiro; ‘Miss Saigon’ veteran actor and musical theater producer Miguel Braganza; R&B artist and entrepreneur Garth Garcia; concert producers Robert and Melissa Men

doza; UERM Medical Foundation founder Dr. Emilio Quines; pediatri cian and concert singer Dr. Winston Umali; Family physician Dr. Alicia Almendral; skincare and wellness doctor Dr. George Homer Mendoza. Philanthropist and founder of 101 Heroes Foundation in L.A. Edwin

New York City Mayor Eric Adams graces the 12th Annual TOFA (The Outstanding Filipinos in America) Awards on September 16 at The Town Hall. He receives a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the Farah Delance Foundation, charitable event partner of TOFA. Photo by Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

TOFA Class of 2022

Photos by Boyet Loverita & Troi Santos

Santiago; Philippine National Bank General Manager Eric Bustamante; community organizer Eddie Echavez; physical therapist Dr. Maria Clarissa Ramos; nursing director Dr. Maria Ruth Lopez; nurse practitioner Dr. Georgio Dano; Humanitarian and fitness mentor Deekie Gaerlan; and spa

and beauty entrepreneurs Richard and Imee Maghanoy.

The Presidential Lifetime Achieve ment Awards were presented to individuals whose reach, influence and good name have inspired the commu nity toward certain goals or actions. They are: Ambassador Mario de Leon

for government service; Brendan Flores for community service; Steven Raga for politics and advocacy, Ruben and Janet Nepales for journalism; Rod Mercado for business; Alexis Mon santo for fashion; Rely Manacay for arts and culture; and Juliet Payabyab for volunteer service. Their certifi

cates carried the signature of Presi dent Joe Biden as pointed out by PIX 11 morning news anchor Hazel Sanchez, herself a TOFA awardee in 2017.

Two newsworthy personalities and a broadcast pioneer are the three Global Awards recipients. Highest-ranked junior tennis player Alex Eala; Phil ippine network GMA Pinoy TV repre sented by Joseph Jerome Francia; and Dubai-based celebrity fashion designer Michael Cinco.

“I share this award with my parents who struggled financially and sacrificed a lot of their life yet still supported me to achieve my dreams,” Cinco said in his acceptance speech.

“Filipinos are really world-class,” was a reaction that echoed throughout the evening.

“The best and the brightest,” remarked Consul General Elmer Cato in a video address from the Philippines. He said Filipinos truly shine in the global arena because of “our excellent work ethics, integrity and ingenuity,” qualities that “make us truly exceptional.”

Spectacular dance performances rendered by Parangal Dance Company, Tribu Cebu and Kinding Sindaw gave the evening its color and Filipino spirit. Actress Lydia Gaston of ‘Easter Sunday’ fame and the TOFA Performing Artists comprising 20 local talents sang to a live band under the musical direction of Maestro Bobby Ramiro with TOFA theme song scoring by Gene Juanich. The 12th TOFA Awards was presented in part by Financial Rescue and the Farah Delance Foundation.

The TOFA Board with founder Elton Lugay. From left, Vince Gesmundo, Miles de la Cruz, Chris Labaco and Frances Capistrano

PIX 11’s Hazel Sanchez snaps a photo with Lifetime Achievement awardees

Resident emcee Boy Abunda

Global Awards honorees Michael Cinco (with glasses), Dubai celebrity fashion designer; and GMA Pinoy TV executive Joseph Jerome Francia (2nd from left). Congratulating them, from left Bessie Badilla, Alexis Monsanto, David Tupaz, Miles Dela Cruz and Vince Gesmundo.

TOFA Performing Artists comprising 20 local Filipino singers

From nerd to communist cadre, the arc of Edjop’s life

By Allen Gaborro

Rare is the man who is so driven by conviction and ideology that he sacrifices a comfortable bourgeois existence for the austere and dangerous life of a clandestine radical. That is exactly what Edgar Jopson did as a prominent student leader at the Ateneo University and as a leading communist figure during the darkest days of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship.

Benjamin Pimentel, himself a former Atenean, goes into the sociohistorical conditions and personal circum stances leading up to Jopson’s decision to join the Communist Party in the Philippines in his book “U.G., An Underground Tale: The Journey of Edgar Jopson and the First Quarter Storm Generation.”

“U.G.” paints a portrait of Jopson as a very young man, a portrait which does not envisage the path that he eventually chose for himself. Pimentel reveals that Jopson -- or “Edjop” as he was affec tionately known -- was a devoted Catholic during his high school days at Ateneo. At one point, Edjop even entertained thoughts of entering the priest hood. We also learn that his short physical stature made some potential female dates problematic and that he was perceived as a “nerd” by other stu dents. Like many other college-aged Filipinos, he fancied a career in business upon his graduation.

This was Edjop’s story before he was engulfed by the Philippines’ political storms. Motivated by an overriding sense of social justice and equality, Edjop left his life of relative simplicity to get involved in the tumultuous world of political struggle. In 1969, Edjop was elected as the president of Ateneo’s student council. By 1970, he won another election, this time as the president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), the country’s largest student organization.

As the conscientious and expressive intellectual that he was, Edjop took on a moderate stance when it came to navigating the turbulent waters of the First Quarter Storm student uprisings in 1970. However, he was pounced upon by Filipino radicals for keeping to that stance. Considered to be prone to debilitating compromise rather than be com mitted to revolutionary theory and praxis, those radicals labeled Edjop as a “reactionary” and as a “clerico-fascist.”

If anyone was ultimately responsible for con verting Edjop from a left-leaning pragmatist into a card-carrying radical, it was Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.

‘UG, An Underground Tale: The Journey of Edgar Jopson and the First Quarter Storm Generation’

Published October 1, 2006 by Anvil Publishing, Inc.

By Benjamin Pimentel

In “U.G.,” Pimentel cites a cadre, known only by the name of “Marcel,” as to the reasons why Edjop apostatized his reformist philosophy. According to Marcel, it was the failure of the 1971 Constitutional Convention and the 1972 declaration of martial law that dissuaded Edjop once and for all from seeking peaceful reforms. That certainly makes sense for those two events were the political handiwork of Ferdinand Marcos who was surreptitiously vying for an unconstitutional third presidential term.

Indeed, Edjop incurred the wrath of Marcos when he demanded that the president sign a

document in which he promised not to seek a third tenure. Marcos’s contemptuous response to Edjop’s demand became the stuff of Philippine political lore: “You’re only a son of a grocer.” Pimentel writes that Edjop enlisted in the Commu nist Party in 1973. This was anything but a slamdunk decision for him as the Philippine Left, under constant pressure from Marcos’s security forces, was not in the best shape.

Edjop would consequently begin his life in the shadows. Working fervently to advance the Communist Party’s socio-political agenda, Edjop assumed several aliases as he found himself continuously on the run. By 1979, he would be designated as one of the most wanted people in the Philippines. Edjop’s adversaries would finally catch up to him in 1982, when he was killed in a military raid in Davao City.

“U.G.” is an industrious reworking of a subject that is quite familiar to its author. Pimentel after all, has composed other pieces about Edgar Jopson in the past. His book comes off as an intriguing annal of a courageous individual and his heroic crusade against social inequality and political persecution.

It was dictator Ferdinand Marcos who was responsible for converting Edjop into a card-carrying radical.

‘Meet the Author’ with Jaime FlorCruz

By Ambassador Mario Lopez de Leon Jr.

of the Ateneo Alumni Northeast Inc and the Fil-Am Press Club of New York organized an informal “Meet the Author” event with Jaime “Jimi” FlorCruz, former Bureau Chief in Beijing of Time Magazine and CNN. During the event, Jimi, who was joined by his wife Ana, shared his personal and campus experience amidst the great historical, social and economic transformation that happened in China.

Members

One of the 15 Filipino student leaders who partici pated in a study tour in 1971, Jimi said he opted to stay involuntarily in China when he learned that he was among those in the blacklist of the Philippine Gov ernment at that time. Philippine passports then were stamped “Not Valid for Travel to the People’s Repub lic of China.” Among those who stayed with him were four others including Chito Sta. Romana, who later served as Philippine Ambassador to Beijing and Eric Baculinao, NBC News Beijing Bureau Chief.

Having arrived amidst the turbulent Cultural Revolution, he served in the countryside as a farm worker like the rest of the population. He also stud ied Mandarin at the Beijing Language Institute for three years which served him well when Mao Zedong passed away in 1976. Jimi noted that the Chinese people mourned more the death of Mao’s Premier, Zhou Enlai, who helped minimize the excesses of the Cultural Revolution.

The reformist Deng Xiao Ping took over after Mao, and reopened higher education to the youth. Jimi passed the tough entrance exams to study history at the prestigious Peking University with the famous Class of 1977. Among his schoolmates were the cur rent Premier Le Keqiang, and politician Bo Xilai who rose to be minister of Commerce, but was later jailed. There were many other schoolmates who became prominent entrepreneurs, dissidents and scientists, such as Wang Juntao, a whiz nuclear physicist who was unfortunately jailed and exiled to the U.S.

According to Jimi, his unexpected long stay and studies in China eventually opened opportunities for him to assume positions in journalism. Jimi was the editor of the school newsletter at the Philippine College of Commerce when he left Manila. He started with Newsweek, and later Time Magazine and CNN, where he was Beijing Bureau Chief till 2014. As a journalist and correspondent, he covered milestone news such as the death of Jiang Qing (Mao’s widow), the Tiananmen Square protests, and various geopolit ical developments on the rise of China as an economic powerhouse.

Published July 12, 2022 Earnshaw Books. 218 pages

FlorCruz: From student activist to CNN Bureau Chief, Beijing. Photos by Nanding Mendez.

Listening to Jimi gives one a ringside view of the massive changes that unfolded in the post-Mao era. He was an adjunct professor at Peking University before the pandemic happened. His book “The Class of 1977” aims to provide the reader more intimate details of his extraordinary personal and campus journey, particularly as he aptly described his book “How My Classmates Changed China”.

Ambassador Mario Lopez de Leon Jr. served as Consul General in New York from 2011 to 2016. He finished college with a bachelor of arts degree in Social Psychology (honorable mention) from the Ate neo de Manila University, where he also graduated in high school. He also attended the Ateneo School of Business for his MBA.

Friends from Ateneo and NYC media discuss the book at Tito Rad’s in Queens. Ambassador de Leon is seated to the right of FlorCruz.

Classical pianist Victor Asuncion to aspiring artists: ‘Never stop learning’

By Maricar CP Hampton

Three years ago, prolific classical pianist Victor Asuncion met a young vio linist by the name of Adrian Nicolas Ong in New York City. He learned that Ong was already a “young artist to watch” back in the Philippines and that he was gathering praise wherever he performed.

The FilAm Music Foundation gave Ong the opportunity to realize what his goals were. He was invited to perform at a dinner soiree at the Manhattan resi dence of Ambassador Claro Cristobal, then consul general in New York.

“He did not disappoint,” raved Asuncion. “He is incredibly gifted both technically and musically, and is also very humble and open to learning.”

The foundation that saw the potential in Ong has been nurturing a dozen other talents touted as next-generation Filipino classical musicians. It is cele brating its fourth year with a concert at Carnegie Hall. Asuncion, its founder, is pleased to see how a speck of an idea 20 years ago had become a purpose worth pursuing.

“I think it has always been in my mind: the idea of giving back,” said Asuncion sounding reflective.

As he recalled how the foundation came to be, his mind returned to the time he came to the United States in 1993 as a member of the UP Madrigal Singers whose founder and conductor Andrea “OA” Veneracion suggested “it was time I left the country to pursue musical studies abroad.”

He was then an in-demand piano player who played at gigs here and there and that he was a gifted student at the Philippine High School for the Arts. That he played “for the money” may have felt good at the time but Asuncion was eager for something more meaning ful and worthy of his time.

In the U.S., he went right back to school not resting on his laurels as a prolific pianist. To support his edu cation, he gave piano lessons to FilAm

children and came to meet the families that would form his network of emo tional, social and financial support.

“Benny and Anita Jongco, and their amazing children Melissa, Kristen and Robert welcomed me into their home and treated me like family as I waited for the school year to begin,” he recalled. “Tito Benny and Tita Nanette rallied their friends to come to my support by organizing concerts, fundraisers, even garage sales to help me come up with funds to support my living expenses as I continued my studies. They also provided a home for me during the holidays when being alone in a foreign country was the toughest.

“There’s Dr. Mars Custodio and his widow Tita Cora Custodio. Their unwavering support has always motivated me, and Tito Mars’ sudden demise pushed me to really turn my dream into fruition.”

He managed to complete his mas ter’s degree in Piano Performance at the Manhattan School of Music in 1999, and later his doctorate in Musical Arts: Collaborative Piano at the University of Maryland at College Park in 2007.

The foundation was inspired by the kindness of families who saw the passion and brilliance in Asuncion. As his way of “paying it forward,” he created the FilAm Music Foundation in 2018 and registered it as a not-forprofit. Eleven young musicians of Filipino descent have been plucked from all across the country and offered assistance by way of training, introduction to other professional musicians, and private lessons.

The 11 are Adrian Ong, Ezra Escobar, Jay Julio, Carla Fortmann, Lorenzo Medel, Marian Mayuga, Brent Taghap, Michelle Mariposa, Stephen Joven Lee, Nathaniel Taylor, and Amanda Laborete.

On November 6, the foundation is holding a concert at Carnegie Hall.

Asuncion with Austrian cellist Jeremias Fliedl, one of the winners of the Queen Elizabeth Competition.

Young artists after a concert. From left: Asuncion, violinist Marian Mayuga, mezzo soprano Michelle Mariposa, and pianist Stephen Joven-Lee

The Fil-Am Young Artist Showcase will feature a pair of young fellows, Stephen Joven Lee and Nathaniel Taylor, who will be performing chamber music along with the more established artists such as soprano Margarita Giannelli and Asuncion. He will be by the keyboard providing masterful accompaniment and cheering.

“Mentorship is part of what we do,” said Asun cion in an interview with The FilAm. We present them in performances, as well as offer some type of assistance in their quest for career advancement.”

| Reading notes at 13

Music may be his first love, but jealousy was his motivation.

“I was envious of my sister,” he said. “My dad bought her a piano I was so interested in the sound (it produced), but I was forbidden to touch it. My sister then was taking lessons, so I started copying what she was doing. I was playing by ear for the first two years until I learned to read notes when I was 13.”

“I’ve always found music in general to be mov ing whether it be tender, sad or angry emotions but of all the genres, classical music really spoke to me and really grabbed my attention,” he said.

His favorite classical musician is the late Amer ican cellist Lynn Harrell, a Grammy winner for chamber music performance. They met in 1999 when Asuncion began playing recitals with him at

the Aspen Music Festival and School.

“He was a force in my life,” he said. “Every musical decision I make is influenced by what I learned from him. He was a friend, a confidante and a father figure.”

It saddens him that Filipinos do not have the same exposure to classical music unlike other nationalities who regard classical music as a springboard for their cultures. He saw its emergence in the Filipino consciousness when Imelda Marcos was first lady in the 1970s and 80s, funding the building of cultural centers and discovering young classical-trained tal ents. “That doesn't exist anymore,” he said as if in a lament. He has performed in concert halls in Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, France, Italy, Germany, and has played with world renowned classical artists.

“As a performer, I have had the privilege of per forming with some of the most amazing musicians at some of the most amazing venues. I am not exactly slowing down per se, but I do see now the value in being more selective with the opportuni ties that I commit myself to,” he said.

He would love to see the foundation grow even bigger and reach a point where endow ments will allow it to accomplish its mission and help more young people.

To aspiring musicians, he offers this morsel of wisdom: “Stop comparing your progress to others, their ability to your own abilities, whether they’re better or you’re better. Compete with yourself and yourself alone. And never stop learning. Be a student for life. But above all, be a kind and decent human being.”

Columbia’s Erwin de Leon among notable LGBTQ leaders

Dr. Erwin de Leon, a Columbia University faculty member for the M.S. in Nonprofit Management, has been listed among Crain’s Notable LGBTQ leaders. The recognition came in time for his one-year celebration as the Chief Diversity Officer at the university’s School of Professional Studies.

Crain’s New York Business’s Notable LGBTQ Leaders list recognizes top lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer executives that are making significant contributions to advancing equality and diversity within their workplaces.

“Hailing from disparate sectors and industries, they are united by their clarity of purpose and appreciation for the LGBTQ activism of prior generations,” writes Crains. The honorees are individuals who have made their accomplishments within the last 18 months.

“Since accepting the newly created role…De Leon has evaluated existing policies, resources, and processes while developing new ones,” writes

He is Chief Diversity Officer at Columba University’s School of Professional Studies.

Crains. “An educator and author, he has produced written materials, convened talks on DEI topics, and served as a liaison for students.”

De Leon is a research fellow at Knology, a think tank based in New York, and a member of the

Empire State Bioethics Consortium. He has been part of many organizations championing equity. He has worked with Educators for Social Respon sibility and the Human Rights Campaign, and was an executive committee member of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, the organization that led the effort to secure the Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino American WWII soldiers.

“Representation matters,” says De Leon. “As an immigrant and brown Asian, I am grateful to be included in this list.”

As Chief Diversity Officer, De Leon led the formation of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) committee at SPS. DEIA’s mission is to foster an environment where stu dents, staff, faculty, and alumni feel included, seen, and heard. The committee was formed in June 2021 with more than 20 administrative staff and faculty. In January 2022, students and alumni representatives also joined the group.

THE FILAM | 11 In a personal essay he had written for The FilAm, he lamented how only 37 states recognized same-sex marriages. And while he and his partner are embraced by family, friends and professional colleagues, “as a gay couple we remain at the margins not by choice, but by society’s anxieties and its laws.”

With pharmaceutical executive Ariel Porcalla, his partner of 23 years. Photo by Jeff Ebert

2022

| October 1 & 2

Lumpia Festival

Canal Street Market, NYC

| October 2

Aegis: Live in New York

Sheraton La Guardia 135-20 39th Avenue

Queens NYC

| October 2

Praise & Worship

Holy Spirit Church 971 Suburban Road Union N.J.

Calendar of Events

| October 21

Rocktober Battle of the Bands (by International Women Artists) D’Haven 58-02 37th Avenue Woodside, NYC

| October 21

Klasical: An evening of traditional Filipino music with soprano Sweet Samaniego Buchanan and Miguel Braganza Kalayaan Hall

Philippine Center NYC

| October 23

Gary V Reenergized Town Hall

123 West 43rd Street NYC

| October 28

Celebration: FAHM with Raul Sunico and Mheco Manlangit Merkin Hall, Kaufman Music Center 129 W 67th Street NYC

| November 4

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

| November 10

Jo Koy at New York Comedy Festival

Madison Square Garden 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, NYC

| November 20

One Night Only with Marco Sison; Ferlie Almonte as emcee Clarion Hotel

815 Route 37 E Toms River, NJ

| October 2

Festival of Faith: Celebration of Filipino Saints

Holy Spirit Church 971 Suburban Road Union, N.J.

| October 9

1st Filipino American Festival (with the Harvard Square Business Association)

Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA Church Street parking lot

| October 16

Aaliwin Kita: The Concert with Fe De Los Reyes, Joey Albert and Jam Morales

White Eagle Hall

337 Newark Avenue

Jersey City Tickets at jctcenter.org

| 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

| November 12

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

2023

| March 11

Jo Koy World Tour

Capital One Arena Washington D.C.

Lawyer Licelle Cobrador is Maryknoll’s youngest Amazing Alumni Achiever

Immigration and human rights lawyer

Licelle Cobrador has been named one of 10 Maryknoll/Miriam Amazing Alumni Achievers for 2022, the youngest awardee in the Triple A’s 21-year history.

The Triple A Award created in 2001 honors alumni who have made “per ceptible impact on the lives of people despite obstacles and adversity,” according to the school’s website. They are known to exhibit the Maryknoll/Mir iam “spirit of trailblazing and making positive change.”

Cobrador, an immigration attorney who has a private practice in New York City, attended Maryk noll High School from 1992 to 1996. She obtained her law degree from the Ateneo de Manila Univer sity in 2004. After passing the Philippine Bar, she was an associate in Rodrigo, Berenguer & Guno, a leading law firm in Makati City.

She passed the New York Bar and served as an associate in a law firm and worked as a senior lecturer at the University of the Philippines Manila. Under a scholarship, she pursued further studies on intellectual property at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law while working as a law clerk in various New York law firms.

She established the Cobrador & Associates, PLLC in 2017 with her legal director Mampi Ghosh, focusing on business immigration, extraordinary ability visas and asylum. Their first location was in Long Island City, Queens. In 2021, they opened their Manhattan office.

“Maryknoll/ Miriam had a significant part in my formative years,” she said in a statement provided to The FilAm. “The Maryknoll/ Miriam spirit has always been that of compassion and generosity. Our goal was to contribute to building a society of truth, justice and peace. I learned to value integ rity above personal convenience or gain.

“This glorious institution encouraged critical thinking, and this was where I learned to love the art of debate. They celebrated our debate team’s wins in the same way they celebrated the victories of athletes and other talents. Maryknoll/ Miriam also emphasized service to others, caring for the environment and strengthening relationships.”

As an immigration attorney, Cobrador has been

Cobrador, HS ‘96: ‘Maryknoll was where I learned to love the art of debate.’

a frequent supporter and volunteer speaker on topics such as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, human trafficking, Temporary Pro tected Status (TPS), and “Know Your Rights”. She is currently the executive director and vice president of the Filipino American Legal Defense Fund, and has led free immigration clinics to provide legal advice to Filipino nationals in need of assistance.

She has, since 2020, served as a volunteer lawyer at The Migrant Center of New York, a Roman Catholic ministry assisting immigrants seeking a legal path to citizenship. There, she has offered her time and expert counsel for free to immigrants through personal consultations or webinars. Its Executive Director, Fr. Julian Jagudilla, OFM, wrote that “Atty. Cobrador’s selfless service to others has epitomized Jesus’ Gospel call to love the less fortunate among us.”

“The sound foundations I learned from Kinder garten to High School prepared me for what’s out

there in the world,” Cobrador said of her Maryk noll education.

This year’s Triple A honorees also include trade advocate for Mindanao Development Edylinda Balaoing-Pelkmans; medical administrator Glenda Faye Ledesma-Pereira; Mildred Christine Flores Piad, a civic and business leader; pulmonary specialist Ma. Bella Reyes Siasoco; banker Teresita Bautista-Tan; science educator Ma. Lourdes Bar tolome Bautista; Ma. Aurora Araneta-Gutierrez, a farmer and environmental advocate; visual artist Pamela Gotangco; and Mary Joy Ruiz-Molleston, an addiction medicine specialist. – Cristina DC Pastor

At her law office in New York.

FilAms of Boston excited to welcome

Hauser Leader Leni Robredo

The Filipino American community in Boston is eager to welcome former Vice President Leni Robredo who was recently announced one of five Hauser Leaders at the Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership.

The Hauser Leaders Program brings dis tinguished leaders from across the public, nonprofit, and private sectors to CPL to engage with students, faculty, and the wider Harvard community, according to a press statement.

Robredo, the 14th vice president of the Philippines (2016-2022) and chairperson, Angat Pinas, Inc., is one of five Hauser Leaders for 2022 that also includes Jane Harman, president emerita, Wilson Center and U.S. Rep resentative; David Ignatius, Foreign Affairs columnist, The Washington Post; Michael Lomax, president & CEO, United Negro College Fund; and Dov Seidman, founder and chairman of The HOW Institute for Society.

“At a time when many challenges stem from leadership shortcomings, these Hauser Leaders bring to campus living examples of principled and effective public leadership,” said Deval Patrick, co-director for the Center for Public Leadership and professor of the practice of public leadership. “Though from different experiences, these leaders share values, values applied in practical ways, that they can now share with the Kennedy School community.”

Patricia Aldaba Lim, one of the founders of Boston Strong for Leni/ Kiko, said the group is excited about Robredo’s selection as a Hauser Leader

and looks forward to seeing her in Massachusetts.

“We’re pretty stoked about the Hauser Leadership,” she said when reached by The FilAm. “As soon as the announcement came through the chatter on my social media feed we’re buzzing. Many are hoping she would make time in her schedule to meet us.”

Boston Strong was one of the groups in the Northern USA that campaigned for Robredo in the May 2022 elections. The group started fundraising through projects like the Tailgate Lugaw Party, the Lutong Bahay Grab-and-Go, Zoom talk; and the April rally in the historic Boston Common Park.

Robredo conceded the race to Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. but said the “fight does not end with the elections” and that “there is a bigger battle ahead.”

A Hauser statement described Robredo’s “colorful” term as vice president.

“During her term, Robredo rein vented the Office of the Vice President of the Philippines, transforming it from its traditional role of performing purely ceremonial functions to an advocacy centered office. At OVP’s helm, she launched the poverty alle viation program called Angat Buhay (“uplifting lives”), energizing private sector partners and providing a space for them to help some of the poorest, farthest, and smallest parts around the country. Through such collabora tion, Angat Buhay reached out to hun dreds of communities — from rural areas to the urban poor — and brought much-needed interventions on health, education, nutrition and food security, rural development, women empower ment, and housing.”

Among the previous Hauser Lead ers were Nicholas Kristof, Op-ed Columnist, The New York Times and Pulitzer Prize winner; Vivek Murthy, 21st United States Surgeon General (2021-present); and Maria Ressa, co-founder and CEO, Rappler, and Pulitzer Prize winner.

Former Vice President Leni Robredo: ‘A living example of principled and effective public leadership.’ Photo: Hauser website

A little girl rushes to give Robredo a hug in Agnay, Camarines Sur where she started an Angat Buhay Village housing project for typhoon affected families.

Why Asian Americans are seen as a monolith in health services

By Sunita Sohrabji

AsianAmericans are regarded as one large monolith by the U.S. health care system, say health care experts. And currently, there is no attempt to disaggregate data for AAPI sub-ethnicities, leaving out informa tion that is critical to resolving health care disparities.

Moreover, less than 1 percent of National Institutes of Health funding is granted to researchers working on health care issues specific to the AAPI community, leading to further gaps in information. Asian Amer icans are the fastest-growing population in the U.S., projected to reach nearly 34 million by 2050.

“We are treated as one giant group, but we are not a monolith,” said Dr. Bryant Lin, a Stanford professor of medicine, who in 2018 co-founded the Center for Asian Health Research and Education with Dr. Latha Palaniappan. The two doctors currently co-direct the Center, based at Stanford, with the aim of driving better health outcomes for Asian Americans.

| Systemic racism impedes better data

At an Ethnic Media Services briefing on Septem ber 16, co-hosted by the Stanford Medicine Center for Asian Health Research and Education, Lin noted that disaggregating data was not as simple as just adding boxes to the clinic check-in sheet. “We’re having trouble, even at Stanford. There are definitely issues, given the history of systemic racism, that leads to these concerns about self-re porting,” he said.

“The capacity to disaggregate data for AAPIs within the electronic health records is there. But the political will and the leadership across health care systems is still lacking,” said Dr. Winston Wong, a Scholar-in-Residence at the UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity.

Epic, the predominant electronic health records system used in the U.S. has a vast capacity to capture trillions of data bits every day, said Wong. But those who manage data collection must have the capacity to ask patients about their sub-ethnicities in a culturally sensitive way, he said.

The critical need for disaggregated data became especially acute during the COVID-19 pandemic. News headlines screamed that the virus was primarily killing and hospitalizing Black and Latino people.

But in New York, which had the highest rates of infection early on in the pandemic, it was actually Chinese Americans who had the highest rates of hospitalizations, reported Wong. “That was never seen as a news headline,” he said, attributing it to a lack of data. And in New Jersey, there was a high rate of hospitalizations among Bangladeshi people.

“This kind of data is only identified at this point by the activists, the community providers, the physicians and nurses who care for that community because they’re providing the culturally competent and linguistically accessible care to these populations,” said Wong, adding that it is not captured at the statewide level, and used as a tool for allocation of resources to hard-hit communities.

| ‘Our community went underground’

Dr. Thu Quach, president of Asian Health Services, noted another fallout of Covid on the AAPI popula tion: an uptick in hate crimes against the community. “Our Asian American populations were simultane ously blamed for the virus and ignored when it came to services because of the racist narratives that were predominantly put out by the former administration that blamed Asians for causing the virus,” she said.

“Many Asian Americans, including our patients and our own staff who were coming into work, were being attacked both physically and verbally in so many ways. So our community essentially went underground,” said Quach. “Nearly three quarters of them said they were too afraid to leave their homes. They were hiding from attacks, but also dangerously missing out on critical care, including getting COVID testing and so many other services.”

Quach also noted that fewer COVID resources were devoted to the AAPI community, because the prevail ing narrative was that it was hitting hard black and brown communities.

“Our community was also impacted. But this was not highlighted in the narrative. So this community continues to suffer in silence,” said Quach.

| New recruitment efforts

The lack of disaggregated data may be due to very low levels of research participation among Asian Americans, said Dr. Van Ta Park, a professor at the University of California San Francisco’s School of Nursing, in the Department of Community Health Systems. Park is also the lead researcher of an NIH/NIA R24 grant called, “Collaborative Approach for AAPI Research and Education.” The goal of CARE is to recruit 10,000 AAPI who are interested in participating in research. CARE is available in six languages.

The CARE registry launched during the COVID pan demic and already has recruited 9,300 participants who speak Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Vietnamese, and Samoan through its online portal. Thus far, the registry has referred more than 500 individuals to 27 studies, said Park. -- -- Ethnic Media Services

Chinese Americans have a greater rate of cancer than the overall population. South Asian Americans suffer staggeringly high rates of heart disease and diabetes. Photo: Ethnic Media Services

Ex-KDP activists publish website documenting anti-Marcos resistance

Former members of Katipunan ng mga Demokratikong Pilipino (KDP), have launched a website dedicated to documenting the work of the national activist organization of Filipinos in the U.S. that brought together progressive and militant elements of the community in the 1970s and 1980s.

Published by KDP Legacy, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, KDPLegacy.org “tells our collective KDP story, and captures the KDP’s progressive perspective for the Filipino Amer ican community located within the broader context of U.S. society and the community’s connection to the motherland,” says Jaime Geaga, board chair of the KDP Legacy. “This history can easily be forgotten within a generation unless it is written and documented. The website attempts to ensure that what we fought and strived for will be remembered.”

Rene Ciria Cruz, founding member of the KDP and former editor of its Ang Katipunan newspaper, notes that in the ‘70s and into the ‘80s, “left-wing North American-born and immigrant Filipi nos waded into the thick of the difficult struggles for democracy and social justice in the Philippines and here. It is our hope that the site will serve as a sig nificant repository of lessons for today’s progressive activists who are striving to better the human condition.”

KDPLegacy.org is designed and organized in different sections, each featuring the various areas of work KDP focused on. They include “KDP History,” “Supporting the Struggle for Democracy and Independence in the Philippines,” “Lobbying in Congress,” “Justice in the U.S.,” “Immigrant Rights,” and “Anti-Racist and Solidarity Work.”

Complete issues of Ang Katipunan (AK) have been digitized and easily accessible. Published from 1974 to 1987, AK articles covered develop ments in the Philippines, exposing the

injustices of the Marcos dictatorship during martial law. It covered the resistance of the national democratic movement and the New People’s Army along with other democratic opposi tion activities. The AK documented the extensive anti-Marcos opposition movement in the United States and efforts of the anti-Marcos forces to oppose U.S. support for the dictator. It also covered organizing against discrimination against Filipinos and other minorities in the U.S. The AK carried ongoing coverage of liberation movements across the globe. Finally, the AK published cultural work of poets and photographers of the time, in its VOICES columns.

The website also contains an exten sive selection of KDP publications, which tracks developments in the Philippines and the US during the ‘70s and ‘80s. A list of resources includes videos, photos and books, notably “A Time To Rise: Collective Memoirs of KDP Members”. In addition, the Voices section of the website holds video inter views with many activists reflecting on their experiences in KDP.

A major feature of the website is the “Domingo and Viernes Murders”, which documents the Marcos-ordered killing on June 1, 1981 of two KDP activists, Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes. At the time of their deaths, both were leading members of the KDP, Seattle Chapter and newly elected officers of Local 37.

In light of aggressive efforts by the Marcos family to whitewash the history of the Marcos dictatorship in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the KDP Legacy website “holds a significant value for students of Philippine history

and the Filipino community in the US during the martial law era,” adds Melinda Paras, a founder of the KDP.

“It’s worth noting that the 50th anniversary of Martial Law is being commemorated this month, which serves as a reminder that we need continued vigilance in protecting the

Filipino people’s human and demo cratic rights.”

The KDP Legacy Board of Directors is composed of Jaime Geaga, Jon Melegrito and Melinda Paras. The website design is by Ces Rosales and co-editors of the site are Jaime Geaga and Melinda Paras.

Activists organize a campaign for immigrant rights.

The website ensures that ‘what we fought and strived for will be remembered.’

Mothers are hailed as queens in their households

By Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, PhD

Tributes have been paid to Queen Elizabeth who left this terrestrial world at age 96, her demise marked by pomp, pageantry and lots of affection from people around the world.

And why shouldn’t it be. Her 70-year reign likely will never be matched by any monarch anywhere. It demonstrated her ability to adapt and modernize, to maintain "stability" alongside "continuity," during her seven-decade reign.

In June 2022, Queen Elizabeth marked her platinum jubilee 17 months before the passing of her husband, Prince Philip. Two days before her death, she welcomed Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss, the 15th to head the British government during her long reign. Till the end of her reign, Queen Elizabeth became highly revered for her devotion to duty, a model of leadership in what has been defined often enough as "a messy world."

This writer is far from comparing herself to Queen Elizabeth although we are both nonagenar ians in age. I’ve known many queens in my lifetime as well. I’m referring to the Filipino mothers who have families and run households like they were running their own little “monarchies.”

The Filipino woman has held her own wherever she finds herself in the world. She is usually the sole head of her household even as she finds herself in circumstances where she becomes widowed, separated or divorced. She is queen wherever there is family around her.

Her advice or opinion is sought in reference to any undertaking in her household. It could be answers to questions like “Should we buy a new car?” or “Where will Joey go to school?” Archi tects and the househelp cannot move forward without the consent of the mother, the home maker, the queen.

When there are children of school age who

Queen Elizabeth with Prince Charles and Princess Anne when they were children.

depend on their mothers for daily guidance, they cannot clear the path through their fathers alone. Fathers usually defer to their wives for any family decision to carry weight: "Ask your mother.”

As children are wont to do, they let their mothers know their itineraries and schedules ahead of time to ensure there is no conflict and no opposition. As the virtual head of the family, the mother holds the key to an organized household or family event. She does have her own kingdom and everyone has to follow her rules if they do not want to be on her bad side or, shall we say, “royally pissed.”

Yes, the mother does reign supreme in many households. Household helps' salaries are part of her concerns as are duties expected of them. Vacation schedules are handed down by the mother who is in firm control and makes sure she is running a tight ship.

Keeping track of their schoolchildren's assign ments is important to a Filipino mom. It is she who reviews everything and makes sure they

are done within the time allotted. No cramming school work inside the school bus or the family car on the way to school.

The bottom line: the mother is queen and her household is her royal domain. Everyone is expected to follow the rules. No changes can be made without going through her or seeking her approval. Every member of the household is aware of her rules and the consequences for breaking them.

The Filipino mom is a queen too. Stock photo

In ‘Easter Sunday,’ the struggle between Filipino roots and American identity

By Wendell Gaa

If mainstream Hollywood hasn’t had a proper introduction yet to a typical life of a Filipino-American family, it does now thanks to “Easter Sunday” starring the phenomenal FilAm comedian Joseph Herbert, Sr., better known to us all simply as Jo Koy.

This new film comedy unveils the tale of Joe Valencia played by Jo Koy who is an established Los Angeles-based actor and comedian struggling to find balance between career and family, especially in his role as a single dad sharing joint custody of his son Junior with his American ex-wife.

Joe has made quite a name for him self as a “beer commercial guy,” but despite his fame, or maybe because of it, he just can’t seem to find the proper amount of time to bond with his son. Just when Joe seems to have a lock on nabbing a role for a sitcom audition, the producer learns he is half-Filipino, and prompts Joe to try as hard as he can to speak with a “half-Filipino” accent when portraying his sitcom character, whereby Joe deduces that this is just another “ethnic stereotypical” role. Simultaneously, the auditioning process also causes Joe to miss out on a school meeting with Junior and his teachers, much to the chagrin of his ex-wife Catherine (played by Canadian actress Carly Pope).

Joe decides to compensate for lost time with Junior by taking him on a road trip north to the San Francisco Bay area in Daly City, which is unoffi cially known as “Little Manila” (and where this author spent the first five years of his life growing up) to spend a festive Easter Sunday weekend celebration with his large family. What ensues during their fam

ily reunion are moments which every Filipino can easily identify with -- from relatives all spending church services together, to having outdoor picnics, to obsessing over Manny Pacquiao’s glorious boxing days, to karaoke competitions and to having some delicious halo-halo desserts. Joe and Junior reconnect with family matriarch Susan, who affectionately calls Joe “Josep”; Joe’s hard-working nurse sister Regine; cousin Eugene; aunt Yvonne, uncles Arthur and Manny; and aunt Theresa who is engaged in an intense sibling rivalry with Susan.

Joe Valencia’s (Jo Koy) FilAm family: Attending church together and obsessing over Manny Pacquiao

Standup comedy inside a church?

I personally enjoyed every minute of “Easter Sunday,” and the core of the film’s humor really derives from the hilarious interactions which Joe has with his relatives, particularly with mother Susan and aunt The resa, as he tries to come to terms with both his loving affection and loyalty towards his family and his desire to be an independent-minded and successful comedian, a career path which his mother quite frankly frowns upon.

Joe’s efforts to bond with his son, while attempting to further immerse him into Filipino family tradition and culture, is also amusing and adoring at the same time, and seeing them both subtly struggle between their Filipino roots and American identity really hits home. One neat sub-plot also involves Junior’s bud ding crush on bubbly FilAm girl Tala (played by Broadway musical talent and Tony nominee Eva Noblezada of “Miss Saigon” fame), who further

assists Junior with the intricacies of Pinoy culture.

The rest of the supporting cast are tailor-made for this film, particularly Tia Carrere as “Tita” Theresa, whose thick Filipino accent was a pleasant

surprise given how I’ve mostly seen her speak with straight-out American accents in her other Hollywood film roles. Lydia Gaston, who was born in New York, adeptly nails the role of mother Susan in such a way that is

cutely comical yet not overly stereo typical and demeaning for a Filipino family matriarch. Seattle-born FilAm Brandon Wardell, a real-life comedian himself who portrays Junior, has won derful onscreen chemistry with Jo Koy and their growing relationship is fun to watch. Another FilAm comedian Eugene Cordero, who previously had a small role in the hit Marvel/Disney+ series “Loki” last year, also wittily plays out cousin Eugene whose actions serve a pivotal role in the film’s plot.

Definitely not to be left out is Holly wood veteran Lou Diamond Phillips, who can easily slip into comedic roles as much as dramatic ones.

For a film about Asian families and their social complexities, this movie may not stand out as indelibly as, say, 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians” (of course this could change with the passage of time), but at the very least, “Easter Sunday” is solid proof that Holly wood is finally paying attention to the Filipino-American experience.

Tia Carrere (left) and Lydia Gaston play Joe’s squabbling aunt and mother, respectively.