Filam October

Issue 44, October 2021

Reagan John Rada

Revisiting FilAm history The Manilamen of Louisiana

Entrepreneur emerges from the shadows

NYPA’s Gil Quiniones A voice for climate action

Letter from the Editor

Whengo brown people missing

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he contrast is striking.

It is also disturbing.

When Gabby Petito went missing, the media coverage went rapidly into overdrive and resembled the feeding frenzy of sharks.

For clickbait and media ratings, it was impossible to ignore. A pretty, 22-year-old white woman disappeared while on a road trip in a van with her fiancé. The “person of interest” is the fiancé, Brian Laundrie, who apparently has a hair-trigger temper. Her remains were found in a desolate area of Wyoming eight days after she was reported missing by her family. The hunt for Laundrie, who had also vanished, took on the breathless quality of a true crime drama.

For observers, the immediate and starkly noticeable fact is how Petito's case drew blanket coverage while cases of people of color who went missing get little notice. Some cases are given short, perfunctory attention by the authorities until the investigation turns cold.

In the Filipino American community, two missing cases that attracted modest attention are now relegated to “cold cases.” One, John Paul Fernandez, a Seton Hall student from New Jersey, went

missing in December 13, 2015. He has been the victim of bullying from high school all the way to college, according to his family. He was a Seton Hall scholar, majoring in Accounting, and was due to graduate in May of 2016. The police did a helicopter search around Natco Lake, a fishing site in Monmouth County, and found no signs of him.

They actually offered the ‘suicide’ theory because a suicide note was found. The family disputed the theory because no body had turned up. After a couple of months, the police made a decision to end the search until new evidence emerges.

Two, Paula del Mundo, a transwoman from Tampa, Florida, went

missing on September 15, 2019, at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas. She was last seen inside the airport premises and not in some vast remote campground.

She was at the airport to get on a connecting flight to Cozumel in Mexico where she had planned to go on vacation. In her last text message to her sister, Paula said she decided to abandon her travel plans and asked her to purchase a return ticket to Tampa. Within hours, she could no longer be reached when a sister tried to call her for her flight details. It would be the beginning of a lingering nightmare for Paula’s sisters.

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

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

Contact Thefilamny@gmail.com

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

Paula’s sisters were grateful for the assistance of the DFW Airport Public Safety unit who did their own search. An all-volunteer group called the Community United Effort (CUE) Center for Missing Persons volunteered to help with the use of K9 dogs, motorized boats, aerial video cameras, and other search tools. Support also came from some LGBTQ activists from Malaya Movement.

Sister Yolanda del Mundo said the difference between Gabby and Paula’s cases is that “Media actively covered the news compelling both the authorities and the public to step into the picture. There was pressure to respond immediately to the case. Gabby Petito's case was easily resolved.”

We are not saying law enforcement has dropped the ball in these two cases. There are valid reasons for terminating investigations where no new evidence has emerged and when human and other resources are somewhat limited.

When attention is laser focused on a missing white girl missing, what does that say of others who have vanished? Are their stories not as interesting, not as valid or not as worthy of our concern as a society?

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Pregnant Berniece Bernabe survives wrath of Hurricane Ida

By Cristina DC Pastor

She went back to the basement apartment to retrieve all moldy baby clothes and washed them.

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erniece Bernabe was in the homestretch of her pregnancy – 35 weeks -- when Hurricane Ida lashed the Northeast and flooded her basement apartment on Grand Avenue in Queens.

“We're just waiting for the baby then this happened. It was bad,” she said when reached by The FilAm. “Everything was floating including our couch and our refrigerator.”

Berniece and husband Jared, an NYPD officer, tried to salvage anything that they could save, including some baby furniture and baking equipment. She has a homebased baking business which she opened when she got pregnant. Her last customer delivery was August.

By September, she and Jared were looking forward to becoming first-time parents.

The Bernabes are among an estimated 100,000 New Yorkers who live in basement apartments which The New York Times headlined “turned into death traps” when the remnants of hurricane Ida made its disastrous landfall in the Northeast, submerging parts of New York and New Jersey.

Ideally, basements are not supposed to be rented out, but city housing regulations allow rental of one-family home basements complying with the requirements of the Housing Maintenance Code, which include, according to nyc.gov:

-There is a minimum ceiling height of 7 ft.

-The walls, as high as ground level, must be dampand water-proofed if HPD determines that subsoil conditions on the lot require it.

-The basement is occupied by only members of the family or families occupying the dwelling…does not include boarders.

-Every room must have at least one window.

-The bottom of any yard or other required open space cannot be higher than six inches below the window sill of any required window in the room.

Basements in a two-family home cannot be “lawfully rented if it would result in changing the status of the building to a multiple dwelling (three-family or more) and would require a new Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Department of Buildings.”

The Bernabes have lived in their basement apartment since 2016. It’s a two-bedroom that rents for $1,500 a month. It used to be just Berniece and her mother who lived there, but when she and Jared got married two years later, he moved in with them. It has been a good home for the most part, close to grocery shops and mass transit that allowed Berniece to easily reach families when she worked as a nanny and physical therapy aide. She is also a member of the TOFA Performing Artists.

While looking for a place in the days following the massive flooding, the couple bounced from house to

house. They stayed with friends, moved to a hotel, then “squeezed in” with in-laws until they found an apartment of their own.

“We just got a new apartment, thankfully,” she broke the good news to The FilAm. The couple is now comfortably settled in their new home waiting for the baby expected in two weeks. A GoFundMe campaign was organized by community organizations with all proceeds going to the Bernabes. The Philippine Consulate received donations of diapers, milk and clothing for the baby.

The first family photo: With husband Jared, an NYPD officer, and baby Elijah.

The couple’s basement full of water.

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Berniece is thankful for all the support, also grateful to the NYPD for providing personnel who helped the couple move their furniture and other appliances. They gave Jared time off to get his family life in order.

Berniece thought she has cried all she could seeing flood waters rising through their basement and swallowing almost everything they owned. Until she came back the following day.

“Next day po na bumalik po kami, I thought po di po ako iiyak. Pero po nung pagbukas ko po ng drawer po ng baby ko hindi po kinaya ng puso ko na umiyak kasi po pinipiga ko yung damit ng anak ko na amoy lumot…

Kaya po kahit madumi sa bahay pinilit ko po makuha para po malabhan ko lang lahat ng damit niya.”

Berniece’s story had a happy ending. She gave birth to Elijah by C-section on September 16. Baby ‘Jumbo’ was 8.2 pounds and 20 inches long.

From undocumented to entrepreneur: The healing of Reagan John Rada

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he life story of Reagan John Rada fits a line in the comma poems of Jose Garcia Villa: “peaks, and, precipices, my, proud, geography”.

Born in Panganiban, Camarines Norte to Romeo and Milagros Rada, he was the youngest of seven children -- six boys and one girl. His parents adopted an orphan girl when she was about 2 years old.

After he completed a B.S. secondary education in computer science, his mother brought him with her to the U.S. in 2000. She made a mistake with the immigration officer when she said she was staying two weeks and her son was staying six months. Oopss! Thus began his life in America as an “illegal.” His mother went back to Manila and left 19-year-old Reagan to fend for himself.

He lived in a small apartment with seven newly arrived Pinoys where everybody worked whatever jobs paid cash.

He found work on weekends with an elderly couple in a luxury apartment in Park LaBrea, L.A. He did back-breaking work for the husband who suffered from spinal injury, lifting his body from bed to wheelchair and moving him around from morning to bedtime. He was paid $150 for 24 hours. When he found a job as an errand boy/runner/cleaning clerk in a jewelry manufacturing firm in downtown L.A., the wife was so mad at him she threw all his clothes and personal items out the window cursing and screaming.

Reagan learned how to make jewelry, repair minor jobs and set stones, specifically adapting drawings into designs.

He could execute a design from paper drawing into three-dimensional jewelry.

His employer RJM, a family-owned company, recognized his talent and skill.

In 2002, the company had contracts for Celine Dion and Elton John to create jewelries to be sold at their concerts in Las Vegas. Reagan was part of the creative, design and fulfillment team.

His design skills won the attention of the late Elizabeth Taylor, who bought their company in 2005 and formed The House of Taylor Jewelry Company (Nasdaq HOTJ). When he told his mother that an actress named Elizabeth Taylor bought the firm where he worked, his mother was thrilled her son would be working for her favorite movie star.

In the next three years, Reagan earned good salary as Director of Fulfill-

real estate. He decided to invest by buying his first rental house in Port Charlotte, Florida. He started buying lots in Florida and in Cleveland, Ohio with business partners. He had dozens of properties at one point all over the United States.

He met Ed, a financial analyst in a hedge fund company who became his best friend. From him he learned about investing in equities, bonds and derivatives.

In one year, he lost the three people who meant so much to him: his parents and his jewelry employer who instilled in him confidence as well as a good business sense. ment and Designs. He occasionally ate dinner with Taylor in the home previously owned by Frank Sinatra.

When Taylor -- she had remained a British citizen -- was renewing her With the legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor. green card, her company learned that Reagan was undocumented and living Rada designed jewelry for The House of in the U.S. for more than seven years.

Taylor Jewelry Company in mid-2000.

Her Company, HOTJ pushed through a plan for Reagan to apply for permanent The years 2014 to 2017 were his golden residence based on his “extraordinary years where everything was going well ability in the arts and sciences”. With in both the jewelry business and in his the help of Senator Barbara Boxer and financial investments. other friends of Taylor, Reagan received But his idyllic situation would come his green card. He cried tears of joy, to an end in February 2018. The owner called his mom in the Philippines and of Piranesi died of cancer. Reagan was opened a bottle of champagne. Finally, devastated. He looked up to this man no more living in the shadows. as a father figure who pushed him to be In 2007, the House of Taylor Jewelry confident, creative and develop a good went public and having been given business sense. generous shares in the company, Reagan On May 4, 2018, he got a call that his was grateful for the unexpected blessmother was hit by a car on a sidewalk outside a school in Sacramento. The ings. next call came from the hospital seeking Then came the financial crisis of 2008. The newly formed publicly traded his DNR authorization. He could not believe what he was hearing. He caught company did not survive the massive a plane to Sacramento praying to God sell-off and eventually closed down in to allow him to see his mother alive April of 2008. Reagan found himself unemployed. And depressed. He decided one last time. By the time the plane had landed, it was too late. to heal his wounds in Manila and flew It took two weeks to prepare the home for the first time after eight years. process of bringing her mother home While touring Asia, he received a to the Philippines. She had a wake in long-distance call from New York. The their hometown where he learned how House of Piranesi owner, who knew generous his mother and father had him and his exquisite execution of fine been to their relatives and friends. jewelry, offered him a job. He flew back Within days after he returned to NYC, to L.A., sold everything he owned and, he received another call from Manila. with two suitcases and a knapsack, His father had died. Although Reagan’s arrived in New York on August 4, 2008. parents have lived separately, his father Reagan developed an interest in THE FILAM |

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missed his mother so much he told everyone, “I want to die.” Reagan went back to Manila the next day to bury his father.

How did he overcome the despair and sorrow of three deaths in one year?

He decided that he would dedicate himself to helping others achieve their dreams through business where he would be the financial partner.

Thus was born his own company, RJP -- Reagan John Projects -- Ventures. He started organizing concerts of wellknown Filipino singers and entertainers. His first event was a sold-out event in Newark of comedian Vice Ganda. In 2019, he promoted 13 concerts all over the U.S. to sold-out crowds.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, he started another business selling grocery items through Facebook with his then driver, Kenneth Dizon as his partner.

He also bought the Cabalen Restaurant in Jersey City and eventually opened a second location in Hackensack. He included a bakery shop in the Cabalen restaurants and named it Bev’s Bakery. He also recently acquired LapuLapu Foods to have a presence in NYC. But the real healing came when he spoke at a court hearing for the woman responsible for his mother’s death. He told the judge that although he was not religious, he believes that “I can do all things through God who strengthens me.” For him, the prayer meant forgiving the woman instead of prosecuting and convicting her.

“It will not bring my mother back.

We are better than the tragedy. And by forgiving her, God makes me stronger,” he said. It was at that moment that Reagan felt relieved of the heavy burden of revenge, retribution and regret. “God tested me to understand what God wanted from me. That moment was the most spiritual thing I have ever done in my life.”

Reagan, who is 41, currently lives in Jersey City and in his weekend home in City Island in New York. He also lives in Fort Lauderdale during the winter. His vision of unity among Filipinos is to create the biggest Filipino American music festival in New York. He would like to see a Philippine Center somewhere in New Jersey so our ‘kababayan’ will have venue for their events and cultural presentations.

Figuring out the ‘safest’ way to film during the pandemic

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p-and-coming New York filmmaker Michael Manese gears up to shoot his fourth film tentatively titled “Asian PersuAsian” amid a coronavirus pandemic that has halted production and possibly the film’s release.

Manese’s project has an All-Filipino/ FilAm cast, all based in New York and New Jersey. The film is made possible by a grant from the Inwood Art Works Filmmaker Fund. It is set to shoot in Upper Manhattan in September, a year after the grant was awarded.

The film tells the story of a public marriage proposal gone haywire. John is all set to propose to his girlfriend when one by one his friends disclose information to him that start to play with his head. "Why are you telling me this now?" seems to be the ongoing theme.

The film’s cast and crew are all assembled but the “biggest challenge” remains the lockdown.

“I first got the grant in the summer of 2020. Unfortunately, obviously, I couldn't do any shooting because of the lockdown,” said Manese whose Angry Doug Films in producing “Asian PersuAsian.”

Within the year filming was on hiatus, Manese got his vaccine and found a cast and crew who were also similarly inoculated.

“The biggest hurdle I'm facing now is trying to figure out the best, the safest way of shooting this project during a pandemic. I'm doing a lot of research online. The SAG-AFTRA site has been very helpful.

I'm also reaching out to fellow filmmakers who have projects lined up,” he said.

The cast is led by actor Philippe Garcesto, who was born in Iloilo City and moved to New Jersey just as he turned 8 years old. He has performed in Off-Broadway and regional theater productions. He trained in Karate and Judo while learning to play violin, piano, and guitar. He attended Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts where he pursued his degree in BFA for Visual Arts. He studied Mixed Media, Performance Art, and Theater. He also started writing original Spoken Word poetry and has published several poems.

Alfiero Supan was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States in his teens. He was initially trained by Marion Tonner of the Oregon Ballet Center.

He also trained in martial arts – such as Karate, Aikido and Wu style Tai Chi -- for over 30 years. He studied acting and theatre arts at Brooklyn College and Rowan College at Gloucester County.

Edgar Eguia is a N.Y.-based actor. He trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting on Broadway. His theatre credits include “Pip's Island,” “The Cheaters Club,” and “The Bad and the Better.” He has appeared

Filmmaker Michael Manese: ‘Asian PersuAsian’ will be his fourth short. on YouTube movies such as “Upcode,” “Meat Lovers,” and “Happy Hour.”

Jeremy Rafal is a N.Y.-based actor, musician, writer, and educator. He was born in the Philippines and raised in Hawaii. Theater credits include his own solo plays “The Boy from Bantay” (FringeNYC), “Funhouse Funk” (NY Winterfest), as well as “I'll Never Love Again” (Bushwick Starr), among other productions. He has appeared on film, TV, and commercials.

Actress Joyce Lao was born and raised in Baguio and Benguet province and moved to New York City more than 10 years ago. She traces her family’s origins to the Igorot and Cordilleran aboriginal people from the Northern highlands and mountains of the Philippines. She attended the Stella Adler School of Acting, and is presently enrolled at The Juilliard School, studying Music, Drama and Dance courses. She has produced, acted and written a few short Jasmin Malave

Philippe Garcesto THE FILAM |

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films that have been screened in the film festival circuit.

She is also the co-creator/producer of a new web series endorsed by YouTube entitled, “These Three Girls.”

Jasmin Malave is a NYC-based actor. Her artistic credits run the gamut from acting, tech, costuming, and choreography. Trained at the Atlantic Acting School affiliated with NYU Tisch, she is an active member of The Story Pirates where they celebrate the words and ideas of children through improv and sketch comedy. In 2019, through The Drama League, she debuted a new work she co-wrote about the modern Filipino American.

Manese’s project is leaning toward a rewritten title.

Another FilAm filmmaker, Jhett Tolentino, announced he is working on a feature film with the similar sounding title, “Asian Persuasion.”

“The current title is something I came up with when I first wrote it expecting that I would have a diverse All-Asian cast (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, etc.),” he said. “Today the cast is all Filipino. My goal, soon, is to come up with a more Filipino-centric title.”

Born in the Philippines and raised in Passaic, New Jersey, Manese studied filmmaking at Rutgers University. He has been doing films for more than 20 years.

"My goal as a Filipino American filmmaker is to bring 'Filipino Chic' into the mainstream," he said. He wished to produce films that that are “thought-provoking, daring, and experimental that can also reach a wide audience.”

Joyce Lao

Jill Jose

Jeremy Rafal

Edgar Eguia

Jhett Tolentino debuts as feature film director in ‘Asian Persuasion’

By Cristina DC Pastor

“Asian Persuasion” is the complicated story of Mickey and Avery, a newly-divorced couple.

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t is also the story of a creative collaboration between a theater impresario and a liquor entrepreneur on a comedic crime story that involves a nutty plot, a romance gone wrong, and catfishing. Theater producer Jhett Tolentino has likened the fiction of Tanduay Rhum representative Mike Ang to the “lovechild of ‘Bridesmaid’ and ‘Hangover.’”

The plot unravels this way: Mickey De Los Santos (played by Dante Basco), who owns a run-down coffee shop in Queens, comes up with an outlandish scheme to end his alimony payments to his ex-wife, the beautiful and stylish Asian-American Avery Chua (Toni Gonzaga), by coaching a potential suitor on how to make her fall for him and remarry her. Everything goes smoothly until Mickey's plot backfires. He rushes to clean up his act to win her back. He might be too late.

“Mike Ang's script is delicate even though it can simply be the lovechild of ‘Bridesmaid’ and ‘Hangover,’” shared Tolentino with The FilAm. “It needs a distinct filmmaker to balance and understand Mike's intention which can easily be misconstrued as misogynistic from a man's perspective and a sell-out from a woman's POV. His goal is neither.”

Tolentino ventured into the role of film director after almost a decade in theater, winning Tonys for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” (Best Play), “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” (Best Musical), and “A Raisin in the Sun” (Best Play Revival). “The Color Purple,” where he is a co-producer, grabbed a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

It is time, he said. “The racial reckoning has empowered me to have my artistic voice and vision unravel. I also want to contribute to our fight for representation.”

“After having done 19 theatrical productions, I realized films have longer shelf life and expansive market reach, which is global. That means the revenue stream is limitless,” he said. On top of the theatrical release, he added, films are available for streaming as Subscription-based Video on Demand or SVOD; Transactional Video on Demand or TVOD, also known as Pay-perView; or Advertising-based Video on Demand or AVOD for additional returns.

“In the theater, once we close, that's it,” he continued. “Licensing is there, but it is never the same

as the original production. Films are also done in just a specific period of time while the theater is live, between 5-8 performances a week for months, if not years.”

||Cast almost complete “Asian Persuasion” has announced its cast led

by Dante Basco and Toni Gonzaga as the couple squaring off over alimony. “I love the title,” he said.

“It is the final title.” Also cast are Paolo Montalban, Celia Au, Kevin Kreider, and Jax Bacani.

It’s been four months since the project was announced. Production is still in the development stage but has been moving at “a high-speed rate,” said Tolentino. “We are aiming to announce the rest of the cast (and creatives) within the next few weeks. Production is set for Summer next year and we strategize to premiere in the U.S. early to mid2023 and the theatrical release after.”

Film is not exactly new territory for Tolentino.

He wrote, produced and directed the autobiographical short documentary “Life Is What You Make It” which was released in 2017. It was screened in 43 international film festivals in 'A fight for representation.'

29 countries and won in 11 countries. It will be available for streaming on August 20th at TBA “As a filmmaker of color and a proud LGBTQ Play Global. He also served as a producer on Isabel member, I am in a quintessential position to take Sandoval’s critically-acclaimed “Lingua Franca” the helm,” he said. “It is always every filmmaker's which premiered at the 76th Venice Film Festival dream to be well-received after his/her directorial and was nominated for the Independent Film John debut. Whatever the outcome, I want them to know Cassavetes Award. that we have given it my best.”

DANTE BASCO Mickey - The Fobulous Filipino Brothers - Steven Spielberg's Hook - Take The Lead - But I'm A Cheerleader

KEVIN KREIDER Caspian

JAX BACANI Jovi

CELIA AU Arden

PAOLO MONTALBAN Lee

TONI GONZAGA Avery - Starting Over Again - You're My Boss - Marry? Marry Me - You Got Me

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Making pre-colonial PHL history educational and ‘enjoyable’

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By Maricar CP Hampton

s an enthusiast of anime, comics, Filipino oral traditions and folklore, an idea came to Arthur Soriano. Why not make Philippine history educational and also entertaining by using comic books?

The idea preoccupied his imagination until several years later when he had acquired the finances, the time, and the right team to bring it to life.

Maharlikan Chronicles hit the shelves during the pandemic when many have stayed home all curled up and reading a book – or a comic book. It has published an issue containing 32 pages; a second issue is in progress. Already, maharlikanchronicles.com is retailing T-shirts and stickers centered around mythical characters like Urduja, the legendary princess who ruled over an ancient kingdom believed to be in Pangasinan province. Arthur’s family hails from the agricultural town of Malasiqui.

“I have always liked comic books, I thought a comic book would be a better medium to share Filipino history than a book,” said Arthur, a businessman from the Greater Austin, Texas area and a history nerd. He is the creator of Maharlikan Chronicles comic books which provides a glimpse into pre-colonial Philippine history.

“To a young person, comics is entertainment while a textbook is equated to schoolwork,” he told The FilAm. Maharlikan Chronicles is not historical fiction.

It is fact-based but presented like a heart-pounding adventure with heroes and scoundrels and lessons on goodness and evil.

Here’s an excerpt: “According to Igorot mythology, there was once a beautiful girl who had two troublesome brothers named Wigan and Ihik. She had many suitors, but her selfish brothers convinced her to refuse them all which made her very sad. After some time she found out that her brothers had lied about all the suitors she had refused. Kabunian, the chief god, saw from up in the sky what was going on and decided he would test the young woman’s heart…”

Here’s another: “Near Davao on the Eastern and Southern slopes of Mount Apo you will find the ancestral domain of the Bagobo who are said to be part of the tribe that brought Hinduism to Mindanao. Their name broken down means ‘bago’ (new) and ‘obo’ (growth) which means new growth or new people. I first learned of this tribe in Sawyer’s 1900 Book ‘Inhabitants of the Philippines’ and they caught my interests because the book stated that the men, women, and children all ride and breed small horses…”

The first edition of Maharlikan Chronicles.

Publisher Arthur Santos with Maharlikan readers.

Arthur believes history need not be boring and can be an “enjoyable” topic for discussion given the right vehicle by which it is communicated. While Maharlikan Chronicles is geared toward young adults, he believes it will appeal to people of all ages “from 6 to 100.” “(I believe) the knowledge should be known by Filipinos of all ages and the images help tell a better story,” he said.

His team of illustrators is led by Faye Villanueva and Kawangis Komiks who are based in the Philippines. His storytellers are scholarly academics whose works are footnoted throughout the pages.

“My focus is pre-colonial Philippine history, so all of the modern wars – such as the Japanese occupation, the Bataan March, and the U.S.-Philippine wars -- are not in my books,” he said.

Maharlikan Chronicles is currently distributed in the THE FILAM |

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Philippines and sells for P30 a copy through lazada. com.ph. The National Book Development Board of the Philippines, which is attached to the Department of Education, is offering them at a discount because the board believes in promoting the culture of reading among young Filipinos. They are also available through the website maharlikanchronicles.com in the U.S. and through Ebay internationally.

“My children and other young people I know love it,” he added. “When I show up for book signings, it’s sold better than I expected.”

His idea is not to replace textbooks with comics, but to supplement children’s understanding of the Philippines’ past by capturing their imagination. His team is currently at work on pre-colonial Visayan history.

“I believe that our pre-colonial history hasn't been in the spotlight and we need to tell our story our way in a more visible medium,” he said.

Arthur said he would like to see his comics books enjoy phenomenal success so that he can provide employment to illustrators, writers, artists and more in the Philippines. “That is my primary goal.”

His advice to aspiring comic book writers?

“Just do it, but make sure you get a mentor who has done it before.”

FilAm history goes back to Louisiana and the Manilamen The first permanent Filipino settlement in the United States is a fishing village in Louisiana.

A historical marker was unveiled November 9, 2019 in St. Bernard, LA. seven years after a first marker was presented in a formal ceremony in 2012.

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istorian Dr. Randy Gonzales, who is co-vice-president of the PhilippineLouisiana Historical Society (PLHS), said the historical marker of 2019 highlights the significance of St. Malo to Louisiana and Filipino American history.

Although the exact date the village was established is not completely certain, accounts from early settlers relate that in the 1830s Filipino seamen -also known as Manilamen -- were living in palmetto frond huts along Bayou St. Malo. By the 1860s, St. Malo was the largest fishing village on Lake Borgne, serving as an outpost for boats fishing further down A mural depicting the Manilamen, the early Filipino settlers of coastal Louisiana. The mural was created by seven the coast.

Filipino artists and donated to the Philippine-Louisiana Historical Society.

“These two markers help us inform the public about our history,” said Gonzales. “We want the The St. Malo Marker will be the second histories of the communities of St. Malo and Louisiana Historical Marker to be placed Manila Village to be integrated into the Louisiana in the state under the sponsorship of the story everyone knows. The next generation PLHS. The first marker was unveiled in shouldn’t be surprised when they learn there was a 2012 and commemorates Manila Village, Filipino fishing village in St. Bernard Parish.” a stilted area central to the shrimp St. Malo was a prosperous community of over drying industry in Louisiana. Located 150 Filipino fishermen who lived in large cypress in front of the courthouse in the Town of buildings constructed over the wetlands. The Jean Lafitte, the Manila Village Marker location provided easy access to prime fishing describes Filipino life in the region after grounds, but it also made the village susceptible the migration of the first settlers. The to storms. Despite being abandoned early in the establishment of the St. Malo Marker keeps 20th century, the village remains significant, with the mission of the PLHS to share the representing the many forgotten settlements that history of Filipinos in the Bayou State. helped shape Louisiana history and culture and a first chapter in the story of Filipino migration to The St. Malo marker will be placed at the Los Isleños Museum Complex at 1345 the United States.

Bayou Road, St. Bernard, LA. “To understand the history of St. Bernard The U.S. Congress, upon passage of House Parish, you have to know about the Filipinos that Resolution No. 780 and Senate Resolution first settled here. They are part of our cultural No. 298 in November 2009, officially identity,” said William Hyland, St. Bernard Parish recognized October as Filipino American historian and director of the Los Isleños Museum History Month. The resolutions were Complex. “Filipinos lived alongside Isleños sponsored by California Rep. Bob Filner and for many generations. They intermarried and The St. Malo Historical Marker unveiled in 2019. Photos: Filipinola.com Senator Harry Reid, respectively. influenced each other.”

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COVER STORY

NYPA’s Gil Quiniones: A recognized leader in the battle vs climate change

By Cristina DC Pastor

One of the chief advocates of New York State’s conversion to electric vehicles (EV) is Gil Quiniones, an Iowaborn engineering graduate from the Philippines.

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s president and CEO of the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the largest state-owned electric utility in the country, Quiniones is leading the battle against climate change and paving the way for a decarbonized New York. With his high position in government and many achievements, he has become one of the state’s “most influential” Filipino American.

“I’m thrilled to be at the center of it,” he said when interviewed by The FilAm. “As a Filipino American, I’m very proud because there are not a lot of FilAms in state government. It is good to be able to represent our ethnicity, our background and our culture.”

One of NYPA’s key initiatives is e-Mobility: decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles through electrifying them. New York has joined with seven other states, including California, Rhode Island, and Maryland, to battle global warming and promote a ‘green’ economy.

The mandate is that in 14 years, all cars, trucks, and public buses in the Empire State should be electric.

“By 2035 all vehicles sold in New York State will have to be electric,” he said. “All cars, trucks and buses will be required to be what they call Zero emission vehicles. That is our priority.”

NYPA’s efforts include the construction of fastcharging stations in major cities and around commuter rail stations. The goal is to develop up to 800 fast-charging stations along major highways by the year 2025. Right now, about 100 such stations are up and running or in construction. “We still have a long way to go, but there is a lot of excitement about achieve this necessary goal,” he said.

His organization, NYPA, is addressing “range anxiety” by spacing the fast-charging stations 50 miles apart so that New Yorkers “can drive electric with confidence.” He explained, “If you are an owner of an EV, you want to make sure you have a place to plug and recharge your vehicle.”

New York City is working with NYPA to construct fast-charging stations at municipal lots and garages

Quiniones helps harvest fresh produce at the opening of NYPA’s first Hydroponic Food Laboratory located at the Uprose Community Center in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Outside his Manhattan apartment. ‘By 2035 all vehicles sold in New York State will have to be electric.’

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in all five boroughs as well as building lower speed charging for apartment dwellers and commuters.

Other big cities, such as Buffalo, Rochester, and Albany, are getting their own charging stations.

At the same time, NYPA is helping the MTA and other transit agencies to convert their bus fleets to electric.

“To make electric vehicle an easier and simpler choice, we are building a lot of regular, not necessarily fast, chargers around commuter rail stations where people can leave their cars, get on a train to work, and come back to their cars fully charged,” he said. A vehicle takes anywhere from 5 to 8 hours to fully charge in a regular station, and only 20 minutes in a fast-charging location.

NYPA has partnered with third-party operators to install and operate the chargers. While these super-fast chargers do cost money, they are on par with the price of gasoline in New York—equivalent to approximately $3.50/gallon, he said.

||Born in Iowa

Quiniones was born in Iowa in the 1960s, the youngest of four children all of them accomplished professionals. Lily, the eldest, is an ophthalmologist in New Jersey; Sebastian Jr. is a general manager at Shell Philippines; Bessie is a pulmonary & critical care doctor; and Gil is a mechanical engineer who is a recognized authority in the U.S. on power and energy issues. Gil is the only American-born among the siblings.

The family lived in the Hawkeye State while their parents were scholars at Iowa State University.

When he was 4, his family returned to the Philippines because his parents were accepted into research fellowships at UP Los Banos. His father worked as a plant pathologist, and his mother was then completing her doctoral degree.

“My parents were always working as professors and researchers,” he said.

It was in the Philippines where Quiniones With wife Paula, a social worker, and teen daughter Sela. received his education from elementary to college.

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New mechanical engineering from De La Salle UniJersey, and attended executive education programs versity, he returned to the U.S. in the late 1980s. at the Columbia University Business School. He He completed graduate courses in engineering worked for a small energy consulting firm after management and technology management at the college, before joining public utility company Con-

solidated Edison where he worked for 16 years as an energy engineer.

“At Con Ed, my role expanded,” Quiniones said. He and three colleagues co-founded Con Ed Solutions, a retail energy supply and services company. He stayed with Con Edison until 2003, or two years after 9/11.

Quiniones was then asked to join the administration of New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, becoming the city’s chief consultant on energy policy. It was his first public sector appointment.

He established and led Bloomberg’s Energy Policy Task Force, described as a “public-private group that developed a comprehensive strategy for meeting New York City’s future energy needs.”

He served in that role for four years before joining NYPA in 2007. He rose through the company from executive vice president, to chief operating officer, eventually becoming president and CEO. Quiniones has known the recently inaugurated Governor Kathy Hochul for many years. “NYPA worked with her very closely when she was lieutenant governor,” he shared. “She is a big supporter of building infrastructure to help accelerate the pace for EV adoption, solar and wind power, energy storage, modernizing the electricity system.

‘Josh doesn’t like asking for money,’ so mom writes to his friends

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y name is Teresita Price. I’m Josh’s mom.

Josh doesn’t like asking for money.

So today, I told him I would ask you instead — and explain to you why he’s so deserving of your donation.

You always want your children to have more advantages than you had growing up. That was very true with me and Josh.

I grew up in the Philippines under the Marcos regime. At one point, President Marcos declared martial law, and our basic freedoms were threatened, including our right to free and fair elections.

I left to pursue an opportunity to work as a nurse in rural America. I was assigned to the hospital in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, and after meeting Josh’s father through a patient I was caring for, we got married and started a family.

I am so proud of the man Josh has become. With such a bright future ahead of him, Josh has already proved himself to be an exemplary public servant.

No doubt, Josh’s years being around his father’s home-town gas station

Candidate for Secretary of State in Arkansas Joshua Ang Price and his RN mom Teresita. ‘A bright future ahead.’ and grocery store laid the foundation for his work with the U.S. Small Business Administration. As Secretary of THE FILAM |

State, he’ll be an advocate for all our businesses — no matter how small of a community they serve.

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I saw firsthand how fragile democracy can be, and I’d like to think my story motivated Josh to serve as an Election Commissioner.

Democracy takes work. And Josh poured so much of himself into the work of keeping Arkansas’s elections free and fair.

After January 6th and all the lying about the election, I feared the worst.

It was like history was repeating itself.

But when Josh launched his campaign to be Arkansas’s top election official, I’ll never forget what he said to me: “Mom, I promise I will fight to make sure what happened in the Philippines doesn’t happen here, not just for you, but for all the people of Arkansas.”

I hope I’ve helped you understand why Josh’s character and experience would make him an exceptional Secretary of State. Can you donate to my son’s campaign today?

Joshua Ang Price is running for Secretary of State in Arkansas. Primary is May 24, 2022, and general election is November 8. Learn more about his campaign at www.joshforarkansas.com.

Calendar

||October 7

11th Annual The Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA) Awards Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall 881 7th Avenue, NYC Text for tickets 212-417-0419

||October 9

First Light Concert: Arnel Pineda & Bamboo Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino 1900 Pacific Avenue Atlantic City, N.J.

||October 9

Miriam Pantig: Timeless Diva 25th Appreciation Night of the Filipino Apostolate of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church Conlon Hall 19 N. William Street Bergenfield, N.J. Contact info for tickets: Marc Pascual 201-314-2424

||October 9

of Events

||October 21

||October 30

||October 22

||October 30

||October 23

||2022, April 15

||October 24

||August 11 to 13

Flesh & Blood: A celebration of Lara Stapleton’s Collection of Stories, “The Ruin of Everything” Von 3 Bleecker Street Bowery, NYC Bagong Bayaning Pilipino: A Fundraising Concert for the FilAm Frontline Healthcare Workers St. Francis Xavier Church 46 W 16th Street (between 5th and 6th Ave), NYC Couture: Courage for a Cure presented by Filipino American Cancer Care Westin Tysons Corner Hotel 7801 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA

Jessica x Temi Hard Rock Café Boston

Vax Ganda: A Dose of Laughter Mohegan Sun CT For tickets contact Cherry Smyth 860-234-4607

||October 15

Just Ice with Aiza ‘Ice’ Seguerra D’Haven 58-02 37th Avenue Woodside, NYC

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Kaluluwa: Filipino American Halloween Kuwentuhan featuring Ninotchka Rosca, Bino Realuyo and Luis Francia Limited seating. Register on Facebook.

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

Jo Koy: Funny is Funny World Tour UBS Arena Belmont Park, Long Island N.Y.

FANHS National Conference Seattle University

‘Shang-Chi’ film: A beautiful, poetic story

By Wendell Gaa

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is a dazzling triumph of the highest order.

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s MCU’s first Asian-led feature, this is a movie which happily exceeded my expectations and is truly the superhero genre’s homage to the best of Asian and martial arts cinema. Visually it is worthy of the production caliber of an MCU movie and just as I felt when I watched some of the most epic martial arts films in modern times -- such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Hero” -- I was mesmerized and transfixed into watching a story with a unique Chinese cultural setting unfold in a beautiful poetic way.

The story unravels how thousands of years ago in ancient China, a man named Xu Wenwu discovers ten rings with mystical powers which grant the user immortal life and super strength. Wenwu assembles an army of warriors called the Ten Rings which he goes on to lead for many generations to forge an empire by overpowering several kingdoms and successive governments. By the late 1990s, in an effort to expand his power, Wenwu embarks on a quest to find the legendary village of Ta Lo which is rumored to be home to mythical creatures.

Upon finding the gateway entrance to the village, he encounters the beautiful guardian Ying Li, with whom he falls in love and then bears two children with her, son Shang-Chi and daughter Xialing. Wenwu then forsakes his life with the Ten Rings army in order to raise his family in peace. But eventually members of the rival Iron Gang, enemies he’s made during his lordship over the Ten Rings, come back to wreck vengeance on his family by murdering Ying Li. To protect his children as well as to maintain the legacy of his organization, Wenwu -- who goes by the name of the infamous Marvel supervillain the Mandarin -- trains the 14-yearold Shang-Chi in the ways of the

martial arts and then sends his son to assassinate the leader of the Iron Gang. Shang-Chi is wrought by guilt over his actions and flees to San Francisco to start a new life, where he adopts the name “Shaun.”

As a young adult, Shang-Chi finds employment working as a valet along with his best friend and fellow Chinese American Katy (comedian Awkwafina). San Francisco seems to provide Shaun with a comfortable life where he and Katy make many new friends and hang out at restaurants and karaoke bars. But Shaun’s hopes for his continued normal and happy life take a turn for the unexpected during what seems to be a routine bus ride to work. He is soon attacked by members of his father’s Ten Rings organization who seek to take the pendant he wears around his neck, which was given to him by his mother before her death.

Realizing who his assailants were, Shaun, who is joined by a determined Katy, departs for Macau on a quest to track down his estranged sister to warn her and to confront the threat posed to the both of them by the Ten Rings organization.

Directed by Hawaii-born Asian-American Destin Daniel Cretton, this film’s plot pacing and cinematography is as equally compelling and hauntingly attractive in such a way that only a great Asiansetting cinematic piece can offer.

The professionalism and experience of the cast and crew is evident given how excellent the fight and stunt choreography are in this film.

Complementing the real-life action here are the impressive visuals which are truly reflective of classic Chinese-inspired designs in the form of period costumes, mythological creatures, stunning mountainous landscape scenery, and the ancient weaponry used by the fighters.

Simu Liu absolutely nails the titular hero role of Shang-Chi, and THE FILAM |

Simu Liu as the superhero Shang-Chi.

Awkwafina as Katy, the best friend and lovable sidekick. his dedication and passion for the character naturally shines through.

I have been a fan of Simu’s work in the Netflix comedy series “Kim’s Convenience” about the life and times of a Korean family in Toronto, Canada, and I am glad to see how his likeability and sincerity flow smoothly well into Marvel’s first lead Asian superhero. I was further impressed to learn how in preparation for the role, he underwent rigorous real-life training in tai chi and wushu combat.

Awkwafina as Katy provides welcome comic relief here as she has done in such hits as “Crazy Rich Asians,” though in a very balanced manner and 13

her character does step up to the plate to help the good guys when necessary.

The onscreen chemistry between Simu and Awkwafina is adoringly humorous and endearing and one can tell how much they enjoyed working on this film together.

Hong Kong legend Tony Leung does bring a measure of depth and nuance to the supervillain role of Xu Wenwu/Mandarin. Although for me the best supporting standout is newcomer Chinese actress Meng’er Zhang as Xialing, who possesses a flavor of raw independence and enigma which in many ways personifies the very mystique which makes “Shang-Chi” so absorbing to watch.

LEARN ABOUT PRECOLONIAL PHILIPPINE HISTORY. O R D E R

A T

www.MaharlikanChronicles.com

Only $4.99

A podcast born during the pandemic to ease boredom, loneliness

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By Cristina DC Pastor

Document Control Manager and an insurance analyst do not a good comedy pair make. But there is something about the chemistry between Jessy Daing and Jesse ‘Jcas’ Castro that brings out the spontaneity and freeflowing conversation that make their podcast “Over a Glass or Two,” a favorite destination for entertainment celebrities.

Since OAGOT went on air at the height of the pandemic, it has invited to its one-hour show the likes of Vilma Santos, Martin Nievera, Regine Velasquez, Angel Locsin and Boy Abunda. Ah Boy Abunda!

That episode just erupted into hysterical laughter when the topic veered toward sex positions and someone confessed to being “like a bat hanging upside-down.” He/she shall not be named here.

For the first time, Angel Locsin addressed body shamers and took the attitude of don’t care. It made national headlines. Meanwhile, Vilma Santos-Recto is contemplating retirement from politics. If it’s not on OAGOT, was it even talked about?

That’s exactly what makes OAGOT an engrossing podcast, according to its ardent listeners. It has showbiz, sex, jokes, some intrigues, some gossip. And plenty of wine. Hosts and guests, if they choose to, make sure there is a glass of vino to calm the nerves and get everyone to spill.

“The concept of the show started from a simple idea,” said writer and co-host Jessy. “Wanting to put a smile in people’s hearts.”

She added: “Our show is pretty much regular people who talk about anything and everything, no holds barred, that’s why celebrities and viewers enjoy our episodes so much. Most of the time we don’t even realize we’ve been talking for almost two hours.”

The podcast (and also a webcast) came out of the pandemic when the hosts and the director – who are all long-time friends wanted to make productive use of their time during the lockdown. JV Valino, the director and overall tech guy, came up with the idea. It has always amazed him to listen to Jessy and Jcas,

the comedian of the two, talk for hours and not run out of things to say to each other. He said, why don’t you do a show and get everyone drinking “para mas relaxed.”

“Without JV, there’s no OAGOT,” declared Jessy.

“There was no surprise. We've all been friends for maybe 10 years. We have traveled to so many places. We are just being our authentic selves when we’re hosting. We finish each other's sentences, laugh at our own jokes and bloopers and simply have a great time,” co-host Jcas described his on-air chemistry with Jessy.

Jessy and ‘Jcas.’ Numbers crunchers on week days, podcast stars on weekends.

In the year it’s been on air, OAGOT has reached “8 million global Filipinos,” said JV. “That’s according to our in-house statistics from Facebook & YouTube alone and does not include shares, downloads or reuploads in other people’s YouTube channels and other factors. We are in awe of these numbers and we can’t believe that we receive tons of heartwarming and inspiring messages and comments from viewers and listeners all over.”

Everyone shares equal roles and responsibilities. Jessy and Jcas are the writers and co-hosts. Jessy invites the guests, does scheduling and oversees production. Jcas writes the intro, does THE FILAM |

research with Jessy and thinks up topics and guests. JV is the director. They have a publicist in Pilar Mateo who is based in Manila.

“The show’s main goal is to raise awareness for our Kababayan in the U.S. and all over the world on how Pinoy artists, icons and social media influencers are currently coping with current issues,” said Jessy.

“The show helps connect Filipinos all over the world,” she said further. “We alleviate homesickness of our Kababayan globally by interviewing their favorite celebrities, delivering nostalgic references, sharing and inspiring motivational stories that everyone can relate to.”

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‘Over a Glass or Two’ co-hosts Jessy Daing and Jcas Castro.

Jessy and Jcas are fashion buddies as well. Once an entrepreneur, Jessy used to operate an online site for luxury handbags and accessories while doing make-up for weddings and New York Fashion Week.

Jcas, who has a degree in Architecture from Mapua, and who took up design courses at Parsons and the Fashion Institute of Technology, would love to launch his own fashion line someday.

On week days, the duo crunch numbers and analyze spreadsheets: Jessy as Document Control Manager for a global investment firm, and Jcas as a long-time insurance analyst for a hospital system in Midtown Manhattan. Weekend mornings are their time to hang by their laptops, turn on their ring lights and raise a glass to usher in a new conversation.

The show believes in “giving back” to the community and the Filipinos who are their avid followers, said Jcas. He spoke of the collaboration with the non-for-profit Frontrow Cares to raise funds for the project “Pabakuna para sa Pinas” and deliver vaccines to people in the Philippines. “We believe Frontrow Cares and OAGOT have the same kind of care for the Filipino people,” he said.

(How to send donations: Eastwest Bank Account Name: Frontrow Cares Account #: 200017353887)

Liza Ty Beasca: A Harlem teacher’s road to recovery from cancer

L

iza Ty Beasca was a Special Education Teacher in a Harlem public school. A devoted mentor, she made her classroom a joyful learning place for young children diagnosed with severe disabilities such as autism and Down Syndrome.

Her love of teaching came to a disheartening end in 2011 when she was diagnosed with Stage 1B cancer on her left breast. This was a type that fed on the hormone estrogen and has spread to the lymph nodes. She promptly submitted to lumpectomy to remove the cancerous tissue, followed by chemotherapy to series of radiation treatments.

Liza‘s eagerness to report back to school made her recovery encouraging. For eight and a half years after treatment, she was taking Tamoxifen, a hormone inhibitor followed by Letrozole to help prevent the cancer from recurring. Liza was optimistic and looked forward to the 10 years needed for her to be considered “cancer free.” She continued to live the life she knew best, always making time for her passions, such as cooking for her family, visiting her children and grandchildren in the Philippines, gardening, singing, swimming, and traveling.

In June of 2019, however, she began to experience excruciating pain, a stiff neck that, combined with fatigue, limited her movement. She went to consult an orthopedic surgeon who recommended physical therapy. Sessions with her PT bore little relief. Liza decided to get MRI in September. The MRI showed “white spots consistent with metastasis,” she said. She was shocked that her cancer had come back and spread to her bones. Her oncologist immediately began a non-chemo treatment for the same characteristics in 2011.

A second opinion from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) revealed a more troubling finding: The cancer has changed to a

By Vicky Potenciano-Vitug

‘I have never called my illness a fight. I face it as it comes to me.’

With husband Joel at youngest son Jack’s graduation. rare kind and the treatment she had been given did not match her condition. She was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) and chemotherapy was the only line of treatment option for her.

In short, she said, “My illness was misdiagnosed.”

TNBC, according to CDC.org, is “a kind of breast cancer that does not have any of the receptors that are commonly found in breast cancer.”

Cancer cells are likened to a house and the receptors are the “locks” to keep out the cancer cells. TNBC happens when the three receptors of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 are not present. Liza’s cancer mutated from hormone + to triple negative.

Unfortunately, there was no drug available for TNBC at that time. Liza went through two lines of chemo treatment nonetheless – using Taxol by infusion) and Capecitabine (oral chemo pills) – but both failed to stop the spread of the cancer.

THE FILAM |

She recalled the difficult moments during chemo. She was in and out of the emergency room due to falls and head injuries. Neck pain was 24/7 and nausea was constant. She experienced heightened sense of emotions which made her highly irritable. She lost a dozen pounds.

As soon as friends found out her cancer was more aggressive this time, all sorts of support poured in: cooked food, flowers, books, and prayers.

Some came to visit and offered to drive her to the hospital to help her son Jack with the chores.

Running out of options, Liza felt she had to prepare for the inevitable.

Metastatic TNBC had a poor prognosis of 13.3 months. She and her oncologist began to look for clinical trials.

The good news came in April 2020 when a promising drug, Trodelvy, got an accelerated approval from the FDA. Liza was one of the first to take it. Three months later, her condition improved. Six months more and her scans showed “no cancer activity was

16

detected.” By May 2021, her cancer was declared in remission.

In July, her oncologist allowed her to take her first chemo break. Liza devoted the time to celebrate with her family. Her youngest son Jack graduated cum laude from St. John’s University and is now a certified Physician Assistant. Her second son Lean and daughter-in-law Monica are expecting their first child. Her husband Joel, who works for the United Nations and is stationed in South Sudan, has been around for the family’s memorable milestones. She was able to celebrate with her mother who turned 80.

“There are so many things to be happy about,” mused Liza as she shared her story with this writer. “I do not wait for good days because I can make any day good.”

She is thinking about her options, legal or otherwise. She said a discussion with family and knowledgeable people “can help me decide.”

“I face life with whatever God has blessed me with and work to be better every day,” she continued. “I have never called my illness a fight. I face it as it comes to me. I am my biggest advocate.”

COVER STORY

Eric Celerio: When your father is a Master

W

By Cristina DC Pastor

hen you’re the son of a brilliant musical composer who is also a National Artist in the homeland, one cannot hide in anonymity for so long. At least not in New York City.

Somehow, Eric Celerio managed to do so for many years since he came to the U.S. in 1975. The younger son of musician, lyricist and 1997 Philippine National Artist for Music and Literature Levi Celerio, it was only in recent years that he has emerged from anonymity. The mop-haired and extremely low-key Eric has become a favorite companion pianist to many singing talents around NYC. Not a showman of a performer nor one who wears flashy suits, he bounces on stage in a regular tee or sometimes in a collared shirt paired with a tie. Always, he wears his hair long sporting a tussled look.

“I’m a busy working musician so I gig regularly around the NYC area,” he told The FilAm who sought out the somewhat elusive musical scion.

To “discover” him – and this was how I found him by accident – one has to attend a community event, or even just a house party, organized by Nanding Mendez of Fiesta In America. Mendez, an entrepreneur who sings and plays the guitar as a hobby, is good friends with Eric. When I reached out to Nanding looking for Eric, he said, “He’s here with me, wanna talk to him?” It was a friendship of long standing brought about by their fondness for jamming to live band music.

To know Eric, one has to know his father because by himself, Eric would rather dissolve into obscurity.

After a gig, he usually bids his hosts goodbye and sneaks out without courting attention. “He’s ok, he’s not shy,” said another of Eric’s friends, Elton Lugay, founder of TOFA. Levi Celerio is the only son of an unmarried couple from Tondo. (Celerio is his maternal name.)

The father, whom he met late in life, appeared to be well off as he had businesses in real estate and retail jewelry. Levi grew up with his mother, who played the harp in a church choir and who introduced him to music at a young age. By 11, he could play the violin. He became a member of the Philippine Constabulary Band when he got to high school. He won a scholarship and became the youngest member of the Manila Symphony Orchestra.

Levi stopped playing the violin when his wrist was injured in an accident. Instead, he turned to

other hobbies, like comics illustration and songwriting. He turned out to be a prolific lyricist who is said to have written more than 4,000 songs, some of them used in romantic flicks like, "Kahit Konting Pagtingin" and "Saan Ka Man Naroroon?,” in action ‘bakbakan’ movies like "Pitong Gatang" or folksy comedies like “Waray-Waray.”

Many may not know that the Christmas classic "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit" was a Levi Celerio opus.

||The son also rises In 2009, Eric did a NYC concert called “An Ode to My Father.”

“When I’m playing, I usually introduce three to five songs of my father to my audience,” he said in our interview. “Surprisingly, some of the newer generations have heard of him.”

Eric is an accomplished guitarist and pianist. It was his elder brother who walked in the father’s shadow by mastering the violin.

The keyboard has been Eric’s stage buddy as he backs up local NYC concert talents such as Angel Ram, Geo Rebucas, and Rasmin Diaz.

His years in New York as well as the artists, An accomplished guitarist and pianist. concert producers, and audiences he met along

Eric on stage with the Band of Brothers. Photo by Nonoy Rafael.

THE FILAM |

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the way have encouraged him to become a versatile talent like his dad.

He is also a composer, a music arranger, and a teacher. At times he engages in a little bit of “piano humor” like the Danish pianist and comedian Victor Borge. He tickles the ivories as he tells a funny joke. One is reminded of the idiom about the fruit not falling far from the tree. In this case, the master who wrote the silly but very singable, “Waray waray, bahala na bukas; waray waray manigas.”

“He was a great man, the artist; he was also a kind dad,” said Eric. “Many people didn’t know he was a professional stand-up comedian.”

He was a witness to his father’s genius with his ‘leaf music’ -- a rare skill, Levi could create music by blowing into a leaf -- as well as his generosity toward others. “Many times,” Eric recalled, “a colleague would stop by needing some lyrics for a song, and my father would finish the song literally after smoking one cigarette.”

“Many of his songs never got copyrighted under his name,” he Eric and dad. ‘Many people didn’t know he was a stand-up comedian.’ continued.

||His mother

“My mother brought us here in New York in 1975,” shared Eric.

“She was already here in the ‘60s.

My father would visit us occasionally.” Eric has two brothers and one sister, all of them residing in NYC. His mom, Lina Celerio, was a computer programmer for the United Nations. “She was a really fine pianist,” he said proudly.

Growing up under the influence of his parents, aunts and uncles, as well as peers of his father, like Ric Manrique, “raised my standards to be impeccable,” said Eric. “My parents, being great musicians themselves as my reference, it wasn’t easy to fake my way through.” Eric has a Music degree from Queens College, CUNY. There was a time when he had a “little conflict” within. “I always had a little conflict of being selfish and just doing art,” he said.

As a family man, he has raised his two children in an environment where having music in your life can be just wonderful.

Customers not worried about PAL filing for bankruptcy

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hilippine Airlines frequent fliers were shocked by the news, and just gave a shrug.

Said Manhattan accountant Je Olaguera, “They’ll bounce back.”

Melissa Alviar, a Guest Experience Representative for Madison Square Garden, said: “The Philippine government won’t allow losing a flag carrier.”

Brand loyalty is probably one of the reasons for PAL’s staying power even after it was announced on September 3 the airline was filing for bankruptcy.

An official statement announced the “voluntary decision of Philippine Airlines to restructure under Chapter 11 in the United States.” What this means is that PAL would be unable to fulfill its obligations with “lenders, lessors, aircraft and engine suppliers, and our majority shareholder” and is seeking relief as it undergoes a period of reorganization.

“These will enable PAL to successfully navigate the COVID-19 crisis and emerge as a leaner and better-capitalized business for the post-pandemic era,” says the statement provided to media organizations.

The company gave its assurance that all will be “business as usual.” Flights from the Philippines to North America will continue uninterrupted.

“There are no actions that customers or travel agents need to take to retain and use tickets, vouchers, or frequent flyer miles; all will continue as usual under the same terms and conditions of

Je Olaguera; Melissa Alviar use. Future fares remain available for sale and can be booked through your normal platform,” it says.

“Philippine Airlines will continue to fly and serve our customers in the U.S. and Canada throughout this process and beyond.”

THE FILAM |

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“It’s sad,” said Olaguera. “This is our country’s main carrier. The only plane with our country’s name on it.

Even Filipinos who already changed their citizenship, still choose to board with PAL.” Olaguera takes PAL on her annual visits to the Philippines, noting how the frequency in schedule has actually slowed during the pandemic. “Once a week na lang ang flights; it used to be daily,” she said.

On her last trip to the Philippines to attend her mother’s birthday in Cavite, she observed how Business Class seats were almost empty except for the last row. “I think cutting down of flights is fine, considering na konti naman ang umuuwi during pandemic.”

She also noted jokingly how the in-flight menu has changed. “Wala ng arroz caldo!”

It’s still her best ride home. “Yun bang you just trust the airline…I give them an A for their great service.”

Filing for Chapter 11 can be a lifeline for some companies that need time to reorganize as they seek relief from creditors. “It’s restructuring…A lot of companies file for bankruptcy,” she said.

Alviar, a film and travel enthusiast, said “these are challenging times for any airline company to keep afloat,” and voiced confidence PAL would pull through.

“In the past, U.S. airlines that filed for Chapter 11 were able to stay in business or merged with other carriers. I believe PAL will continue to serve and be the airline of the Philippines,” she said. – Cristina D.C. Pastor

Issue 44, October 2021

Liza Ty-Beasca Teacher's road to recovery from cancer

OAGOT podcast

Helping Pinoys deal with lockdown loneliness

Eric Celerio When your father is a Master