Fil-Am Who's Who, June 2017

fil-am who’S WHo JUNE 2017

William Araneta, PTA, CKTP Young motivated entrepreneur

ThisIssue.

Issue.....

InInThis

At AtYour YourService Service • • Consul General TessCarino Dizon-De DCG Felipe ‘Bong’ III Vega

4

4

Community MilestonesShakers & Moments • • Dennis Sy NY Mets Spirit Awardees Rewind Community Shakers & Movers • •Event Photos

by Rolan Gutierrez Christine Allado Organizations Cover Story We Love • •Saleaflor Foundation William Araneta

5

4

64

Photo by Rolan Gutierrez

1015 Cover Rewind Story • •Dr. Event Cesar Photos B. Holgado

by Rolan10 Gutierrez 14 Milestones Where to Next & Moments

by Rachel Davis • •JCI Where Icons toof Eat Impace in Madrid / Jhett Tolentino 17 14

William Araneta at his PT office

A Word from The Editor

Oliver Oliveros Promoting the Philippines

Filipinos around the world are exceedingly proud of the Philippines, warts and all. That’s why when it comes to promoting the country by way of an international television (TV) commercial, everyone seems to have a say in it. Take for instance the most recent falling out between the Department of Tourism (DOT) and a global marketing-advertising agency whose latest collaboration had gone awry because of plagiarism allegations. Plagiarized or not, save for the surprising twist in the end, the TV commercial in question showed nothing really new. Like any other tourism promotional video, it banked on sweeping crane shots of some of the country’s finest tourist destinations and top tourist activities— unfortunately, it didn’t touch upon the other quirkiness of the Philippines such as its food, its numerous languages, or, even, its music and popular entertainment.

Although he never spoke Tagalog or Bisaya at home or school growing up in New Jersey, physical therapy practitioner William Araneta, our cover model in this issue of Fil-Am Who’s Who, is slowly being introduced to the distinct beauty of his home country—thanks to his lovely wife, Giana. Sans the feast-forthe-eye promotional videos or postcards from the Philippines, Giana does this by filling William’s stomach with the best food from the Philippines instead, while, probably, Coco Martin’s “Ang Probinsyano” TV series is playing.

William has also learned to value the language, the food, the celebrities, the music, and more importantly, the people through his Filipino patients at his clinic in Queens. “Over here in Woodside, there are plenty of Filipino restaurants that I wander off to which made me acknowledge the taste of the Philippines,” William mentions in his story on pages 10-12.“It’s [also] fun sponsoring these [Filipino] concerts. You get to see your fellow Filipinos—some of them are my patients--ecstatic and they feel at home and that ultimately makes me happy,” he adds.

To effectively promote the Philippines to tourists, focus on how it stands out from the rest of the world. A case in point is one of my favorite local cities, Vigan. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the City of Vigan, which features nearly 233 Spanish period houses and buildings—standing next to each other in a grid of 25 streets are rather distinct: These colonial houses have had strong Chinese-Ilocano and Filipino influences that the traditional and contemporary Spanish colonial houses found in Latin America never had.

I guess, to truly experience the Philippines is to embrace its charming eccentricities.

Fil-Am Who’s Who invites its readers to contribute articles, letters, comments, or pictures. Email submissions at filamwhoswho@gmail.com. Please also like us on facebook.com/FilAmWhosWho.

We use information sources that we believe to be reliable, but do not warrant the accuracy of those sources.

Reasonable care is taken to ensure that Fil-Am Who’s Who articles and other information on the website are up-to-date and accurate as possible, as of the publication date.

fil-am who’s who

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Oliver Oliveros • Managing Editor Myrna Gutierrez • Layout Artist & Photo Editor Rolan Gutierrez • Contributing Writer Maricar CP Hampton • Contributing Writer Rachel Davis • Contributing Writer Wendell Gaa • Contributing Photographer Miguel Gutierrez • Philippines Marketing and Sales Manager Jekelyn Nisola • Publisher Fil-Am Who’s Who, Inc. Copyright © 2017 Fil-Am Who’s Who, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Fil-Am Who’s Who invites you to contribute articles, letters, comments, or pictures to the editor. Please email submissions to filamwhoswho@gmail.com. For advertising inquiries, please email

adsfilamwhoswho@gmail.com or call (917) 502-9887 • (917) 502-9891.

june 2017

FIL-AM WHO’S WHO 3

Milestones & Moments

FILIPINO HERITAGE NIGHT

SPIRIT AWARDS

Myrna Gutierrez

T

he NY Mets awarded six Fil-Ams the NY Mets Spirit Awards in recognition of their invaluable service to the Fil-Am community. They are Steven Raga, Stacey Cabildo-Donalds, Elton Lugay, L.J. Pilar, Myrna Gutierrez and Rolan Gutierrez.

Photo Credits: Joseph Pe, Miguel Gutierrez

Spirit Award recipients (L-R): Rolan Gutierrez, Myrna Gutierrez, Stacey Cabildo-Donalds, Steve Raga, LJ Pilar and Elton Lugay.

4 FIL-AM WHO’S WHO

june 2017

Steven Raga

Myrna Gutierrez

Stacy Cabildo-Donalds

LJ Pilar

Elton Lugay

Rolan Gutierrez

june 2017

FIL-AM WHO’S WHO 5

Consulate’s Dependable Right-hand Man

At Your Service

Wendell Gaa

DCG Felipe ‘Bong’ Carino III

implemented the DFA Passport Appointment System and the first Philippine Electronic Passport (ePassport) project under DFA Secretary Alberto G. Romulo.

S

ince the summer of 2011, the Northeast U.S. FilipinoAmerican (Fil-Am) community has immensely benefitted from the services of one of the warmest, most amiable public servants who has graced the New York Philippine Consulate General, none other than Deputy Consul General Felipe Cariño.

Endearingly known to us as “Consul Bong” and now “DCG Bong,” he is a native of General Santos City, Mindanao (just like our national boxing champ Manny Pacquiao), a licensed attorney in the Philippines, and is a proud alumnus of the Ateneo de Manila University (from High School to Law School). As the second highest ranking official at the Consulate, DCG Bong has been working closely with Consul General Ma. Theresa “Tess” De Vega in brokering closer bilateral relations between the Philippines and the Northeast U.S. region, as well as overseeing economic projects and activities that benefit the Fil-Am community, and even occasionally leading consular outreach services all over the Northeast U.S. DCG Bong passed the Foreign Service Officers’ Examination in the late 1990s, and then the Philippine Bar Examinations in 2000. He began his Home Office assignment at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila as desk officer with the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) where he asserted his patience and ability to assist in numerous repatriation and legal cases for Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in regions such as the Middle East. After a short period working for the DFA’s Office of Fiscal Management Services (OFMS) as Director for Planning, his first overseas posting would take him to the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, a futuristic city rich with delectable cuisine and culture, which he definitely made the most out of during his six-year assignment, and where he served as assistance-to-nationals (ATN)/Legal Officer and then Political Officer to former Ambassador Domingo L. Siazon, Jr., a two-time Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Upon his recall to the Home Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), he assumed greater responsibilities, serving as Passport Director and then Executive Director at the Office of Consular Affairs (OCA), which successfully 6 FIL-AM WHO’S WHO j u n e 2 0 1 7

Upon his arrival in New York in 2011 when he was initially assigned to head both the ATN and legal sections for the Consulate, he placed his past expertise to good use where he investigated and assisted in numerous cases involving Filipino families in dire need of legal, civil, and consular advice. Halfway through his posting, he was then assigned to head the political/economic section, where he ably worked with then-Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr. in arranging numerous meetings with legislative and government officials in the Tri-State region to promote notable causes for the nationwide Fil-Am community, most notably in the successful campaign to lobby for the passage of the Congressional Gold Medal Bill for Filipino World War II veterans, a campaign that was launched in 2014, and then saw eventual passage by the Senate and the Congress, ultimately leading to the signing of the bill into law by President Barack Obama in December 2016. He has also productively worked closely with the New York Philippine Department of Trade in New York (PTIC-NY) and the New York Philippine Department of Tourism (PDOT-NY) officials in aggressively promoting the trade, investment, and tourism potential of the Philippines through several business forums and trade/tourism shows held throughout the Northeast U.S. He had also worked closely with former Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.’s mission to elevate the trade/investment status of the Philippines through coordinating and organizing the 2015 Philippine Investment Roadshows in New York and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as the 2016 Philippine Business and Investment Forum in Manhattan.

With his easy-going, reassuring, calm, and likeable demeanor, several members of the community continue to benefit from DCG Bong’s counsel. (This writer has had the pleasure to work closely with him on several events when I personally worked under him at the political/economic section, and we’ve even been known to people throughout the community to be doppelgangers of each another due to our resemblance and approachable attitudes, to the point where people have easily mistaken us for the other!)

Blessed with his loving and attractive wife, Judith, an intellectually bright young son, Judd, and an adorable growing young daughter, Phoebe, DCG Bong’s family life has just been as enriching as his professional tenure here in New York, which sadly will soon be ending as his diplomatic six-year tour-of-duty expires this summer.

He and his family will be sorely missed, nevertheless, we all wish DCG Bong and his entire family good luck and Godspeed, and wish them the very best as they return to Manila, and may DCG Bong’s Home Office assignment be just as fruitful and memorable as his tenure here in the Big Apple has been. Like many throughout the community, I am proud to know him as a colleague and friend!

o d a l l A e n i t s i hr CJoins the Original

Community Movers & Shakers

London Cast of ‘Hamilton’

Article and photo courtesy of Mel Brown

Filipino actress and singer Christine Allado

is set to join the original London cast of the hit Broadway show “Hamilton: An American Musical” as Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds. The show opens in early December this year at the Victoria Palace Theatre. “…As a self-professed ‘Hamilfan’ since listening to the cast recording and having seen the show, I don’t think words could really encapsulate how thrilled, grateful, and incredulous I am at the fact that I will be playing such a cool part in the original West End production of ‘Hamilton: An American Musical.’ A quote from ‘Wicked’ always comes to mind when amazing things like this happen: ‘Well, what do you do when your dreams come true?’ Golly, I don’t know Ga-- I mean Glinda, but I most certainly ‘couldn’t be happier’,” says Christine.

Christine is an emerging musical talent, who made a name for herself as a uniquely proficient artist that has a voice that fuses her classical soprano roots with a contemporary spin of pop and jazz. She is a triple threat; a truly all-rounder who has appeared on stages and broadcasts all over Asia as well as the UK. Her roles have included Vanessa “In The Heights” (2016) at the King’s Cross Theatre; Maria “West Side Story” (2016) for the BBC 60th anniversary documentary; Ursula, “Sweet Charity” (2016) at the Royal Exchange Theatre; Understudy Lorene “From Here to Eternity” (2013) at the Shaftesbury Theatre, and Understudy Imelda Marcos “Here Lies Love” (2014) at the National Theatre.

She has previously toured with beloved classical tenor Andrea Bocelli in his “Cinema: World Tour,” which led her to perform for several tens of thousands of people in arenas and stadiums across the world. She is also an original member of the girl band “Zyrah,” a classical crossover group with an epic cinematic influence. Christine trained at the Royal Academy of Music, where she received a postgraduate degree in Music Theatre.

She has many outside interests and loves makeup and skincare, especially for non-western skins, as she understands what works for Asian faces and features. She is very sporty and loves windsurfing, jet skiing, and kayaking, and also embraces fitness and healthy eating. She is also a self-confessed budget travel lover!

Her parents and sister are both very musical and artistic. Unusually her grandfather, one of the people in legal team for the Philippine Stock Exchange and whenever people talk about him they say he is a true blue blood. Sadly he never got much credit--just like Hamilton didn’t’!

Follow Christine on Twitter: @ChristineAllado june 2017

FIL-AM WHO’S WHO 9

William Araneta

CHARTS PATH TO ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS

By Oliver Oliveros

Photos by Rolan Gutierrez

Araneta.

The first thought Filipinos have in mind when they hear that is the Araneta Coliseum or the Araneta dynasty, one of the most prominent last names in the Philippines.

However, for William, he built his own reputation without any correlation to the mighty Aranetas in the Philippines.

Will was born and raised in Belleville, New Jersey in 1984 to his parents, Eduardo and Minerva Araneta, and has two younger sisters, Gemma and Mary Grace. Growing up, Will was constantly asked if he was related to the Aranetas from the Philippines, which eventually descended into a partial factor of his success. Will was raised to be independent and started working as a barber in his garage at the age of 16. His family raised him and all his relatives to be Americanized by calling his aunts “auntie” instead of “tita,” and uncles “uncle” instead of “tito.” He never learned the Filipino language, Tagalog, and instead was spoken to in English at all times.

Will graduated from Essex County College with an Associates Degree to be a physical therapy assistant, but little did he know, he would fall in love with his career and this would be the start of his professional success. After a decade practicing his profession, he was able to build a prestigious and highly regarded reputation in New Jersey, where companies nearly fought and “went to war” to have Will work for them. Considering his repute and status in the field, organizations and companies perpetually offered him lavish salaries that paid higher than a physical therapist. His income over the years contributed to opening up his own clinic in Woodside, New York.

In 2016, in the midst of planning a wedding and purchasing a house, Will had an out-of-the-blue opportunity to open up a clinic.

However, by law, a physical therapy assistant is not allowed to have his own clinic unless accompanied by a physical therapist.

This motivated him even more and he knew that he could not let this opportunity of having the perfect location for a clinic go to waste. After countless meetings with other physical therapists where he encouraged them to open up a clinic with him, he finally found his ideal partner. Will then met Dr. Mark Cagata, a physical therapist from Queens, New York. Will states, “Mark wanted it bad.

His drive to not only open up a business but to start it as soon as possible was the main reason I knew that we would be successful working together.” A couple weeks after their meeting, Mark and Will signed the contract for the lease, met with a lawyer, picked a contractor together, and started the construction at their business location. Their clinic was named “Set In Motion Physical Therapy.”

In 2017, Set In Motion was officially opened and Will, once and for all, became his own boss. Will says, “I am grateful for my motherin-law. Without her, none of this would have happened. It’s easy to brainstorm ideas but the hardest part is executing those ideas and there were plenty of times I had no clue where to even begin. This is where my mother-in-law came in and her being an experienced business owner, she guided the way for Mark and me.”

10 FIL-AM WHO’S WHO j u n e 2 0 1 7

Will has a two-year-old son, Jace-Leonel and is set to marry on June 24, 2017, to Giana Santos, daughter of the formidable, influential, and acclaimed Dr. Marissa T. Santos of Woodside, New York. Will declares his undying love for Giana and states, “Like every couple, we have our ups and downs but at the end of the day, she is my rock, my backbone, and, by far, the strongest believer of all my hopes and dreams. Every dream and goal that I have accomplished, she stood firmly by my side. We share our knowledge with one another and the one important thing she has taught me is gratitude. In the core of chaos and confusion, she always knows how to handle every situation gracefully, whether it has to do with our son, me, and, at times, my clinic.”

Will’s wife, Giana, American-born and raised has yet to ever abandon her roots and culture while influencing Will to learn and praise more about his nationality as a Filipino. However, the biggest influence of Will treasuring and admiring his culture is his clinic. He has learned to value the language, the food, the celebrities, the music, and more importantly, the people. Will states, “The Filipino community is so supportive. One patient will walk in for an appointment and come back next week referring us with plenty of relatives and friends. My clinic treats a high percentage of Filipinos, which I can personally consider a way of helping my community. Filipino organizations and communities continuously support one another, which impresses me because it shows they work as one to represent their heritage. Over here in Woodside, there are plenty of Filipino restaurants that I wander off

to which made me acknowledge the taste of the Philippines.”

One of Will’s recent accomplishments was sponsoring his first concert: that of one of the most well-known actors from the Philippines, Mr. Coco Martin. Not knowing who he was and what he did, one thing was for sure, the Filipinos loved Coco Martin, and Will wanted to love what the community loved. That was not the only factor, but he wanted to support his fellow Filipino producers because, in due time, he knew they would support him and his endeavors in return. He is currently in the process and wishes to continue sponsoring major Filipino celebrities and also says, “It’s fun sponsoring these concerts. You get to see your fellow Filipinos—some of them are my patients--ecstatic and they feel at home and that ultimately makes me happy. It is also a good way to network with other individuals as well as getting my clinic out there for people to know about.”

Upon being asked what goals he is still working towards, Will answered, “I want to build a name for myself. I want to be a reputable Araneta while technically not being related to the famous Aranetas in the Philippines. I want to be able to influence the Filipino communities and encourage them to reach for their dream. Opening up this clinic was my goal for almost a decade and with patience and hard work, I did it. I aspire to open up more physical therapy clinics and would like to someday hold my own seminars and orientations for those who dream to be in the field of physical therapy or just strive for their goal. Most importantly, I want the younger generation to know that even if you are raised

very Americanized, it is never too late to learn and appreciate your nationality and culture. My wife and I plan to educate our son about his heritage by exposing him to the food, music, and traditions. My son already adores Filipino food and that is something I am grateful for because when I was a child, I never acknowledged the food until probably a few years ago.”

Will has crossed paths with a lot of influential individuals that have motivated and molded him into the man he is today. He gives credit to a great deal of his family and friends for their relentless support and unconditional love. Will tells us, “The most significant part of my journey to success is surrounding myself with people who are enthusiastic when they hear my ideas versus people who doubt me. Negativity is contagious, unfortunately. So if one person is negative about my dreams and goals, it will rub off on me.

Luckily, with a select few individuals, I did not have to endure that.”

Will is currently learning how to manage time between being a business owner, father, and husband. His wedding, house hunting, and clinic all came at once and he states, “When it rains, it pours!”

Will finally concludes his interview with Fil-Am Who’s Who by telling us, “I am so grateful for everything I have. Everything I have dreamed of turned into reality. But it doesn’t stop here. I want to continue to learn, dream, and set more goals. If it is one major thing I learned at my age, it is the fact that even if you got everything you wanted, you still have to put in work to maintain it to be yours.”

Photos courtesy of Giana Santos Araneta & photos by Rolan Gutierrez

Son Jace-Leonel

Wife Giana

With Coco Martin

With Daniel Matsunaga

With Erick Santos

12 FIL-AM WHO’S WHO

june 2017

Rewind Rewind

119th Philippine Independence Day Parade Philipine Independence Day Council Inc (PIDCI) Madison Ave, NYC

Rolan Gutierrez

L-R: PIDCI President Dr Prospero Lim & former Grand Marshal Nilda Jaynal, former Presidents Fe Martinez & Joji Jalandoni, former Grand Marshal Menchie Pulido

L-R: Aileen Reyes, Grand Marshals Drs Rod & Elma Castillo Marian Reyes, Myrna Gutierrez, Cecilia Quirino, Vangie Lazaro

L-R: Olive Osias-Magpile & Consul Arman Talbo L-R: Aklanons with former Grand Marshals Nilda Jaynal & Linda Pelayo

L-R: Sofia Abad, Nilda Jaynal, ConGen Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Cleoty De Dios

MASQUERADE Martin Nievera and Lani Misalucha Concert Produced by Vynz-NY Entertainment Margaret Williams Theatre, Jersey City NJ

Lani Misalucha

Jessica Sanchez

Maritin Nievera june 2017

FIL-AM WHO’S WHO 15

Rewind Rewind

#NINOrocksNYC Nino Alejandro Concert

Produced by Marissa T. Santos, MD & Queens Asian Fest Perlas Bar & Restaurant, Woodside NY

Rolan Gutierrez

Nino Alejandro

With producers Marissa T. Santos (L) and Myrna Gutierrez (R) of Queens Asian Fest Arianne Aldecoa

With emcee Giana Santos Araneta

Excelsa De Jesus

Photo by Rolan Gutierrez

Nino Alejandro

Where to eat in

Madrid M

adrid, the capital city of Spain, has long been one of my dearest travel destinations. Having spent a good amount of time there the past six years, I’ve found and discovered some favorite places and restaurants. In a weeklong trip this past autumn, I created a list of my top five. While the extent of my culinary expertise really only comes from being a self-professed foodie brought up by self-professed foodies as well, if you ever take a trip to Madrid, I believe these places are worth visiting.

1.

Posada de la Villa In Cava Baja, a trendy part of town, a part full of bars and little restos, there is an old asador (grill house) called Posada de la Villa. Its oven has been roasting lamb since 1642. (Take that, Lombardi’s!) And the lamb? It’s out of this world! But start your meal with some padrones (roasted Spanish peppers that are eaten whole, and they’re not spicy!) and choose among the many other classics it has on the menu. Just don’t skip the lamb!

2.

La Ardosa Every visit I have ever made to Madrid included a visit to this bar (sometimes several visits to this bar!). This place opens relatively early for a Spanish watering hole, and it is famous for its tortilla de patata (potato omelet). Even Anthony Bourdain has nothing but praises for this dish. Be sure to go early. I’d once arrived at 9 p.m. (early for a Spanish night out) and they’d already run out and stopped cooking tortilla.

Should that happen, their other tapas are great, too. My other go-to is the morcilla de foie.

3.

Casa Salvador Known for its bull soup, having once been frequented by bullfighters, the restaurant is nothing but Spanish charm.

Despite being known for its meat, I really enjoy its merluza (hake). In a restaurant like this, you can’t go wrong. So order what you wish and savor every bite!

4.

Barril de Las Letras It was a real toss-up between this and La Barraca—another famous paella restaurant—because what is a trip to Spain without paella, right? But since La Barraca makes it to many food lists, I thought to include this place instead. La Barraca is another great restaurant for Spanish classics! Enjoy its giant sangrias on a lazy Spanish afternoon.

Note: If you really want out-of –this-world paella, and if you have the time, drive down to Alicante and look for a restaurant called Mi Casa. Its paella is different, very thin and really incredibly delicious.

5.

Valor vs. San Gines This comes down to chocolate. It really does. Both churrerias are great places to visit. Valor churros are big, puffy, and airy.

San Gines churros are what you might recognize: skinny, ridged, and crunchy. Both are good so it really comes down to chocolate. I, personally am a fan of Valor chocolate, which is thicker and more chocolatey (does that make sense?), but I know some people love San Gines through and through. So if you have the time, try both!

Where to

Next

Rachel Davis

Photos By Rachel Davis

One of the best things about Spain is the ability to take the simplest ingredients and make them out-of-this-world. That is one of the defining traits of each of these restaurants, and perhaps what I love most about Spanish cuisine.

june 2017

FIL-AM WHO’S WHO 17

Community Calendar June 24 Post-Philippine Independence Day Celebration De La Salle Alumni Association Metro New York holds a dimsum brunch as a post-Philippine Independence Day celebration at Royal Queen (136-20 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing, New York, at 10:30 a.m. Brunch cost: $10. For more info, visit Facebook.com/Groups/DlsaaMetroNY June 25 PAFCOM 27th Parade and Festival Join the annual Philippine American Friendship Committee’s (PAFCOM) annual parade and festival at Lincoln Park, New Jersey, starting at 10 a.m. (Mass at Our Lady of Victory).

Talented singer Darren Espanto will perform. For more info, visit Facebook.com/PafcomNJ. July 8 Sharon Cuneta Live in Concert Halo Halo USA, in cooperation with NY Entourage Productions, presents the Megastar Sharon Cuneta in concert at Queens College in Flushing, N.Y., at 8 p.m. The show also features Ai Ai Delas Alas, “The Voice Kids Philippines’s” Antonetthe Tismo, and “Hamilton’s” Christine Allado. “To buy tickets ($79-$149), call Myrna 917 502 9887.

July 27 Meet & Greet: Fil-Am Friends of Mayor

Fulop & Council Pres Lavarro Sign up to volunteer and join Mayor Fulop and Council President Lavarro’s campaign for re-election in November 2017. The event will be held at LITM, 140 Newark Ave., Jersey City, at 8 p.m. For more info, visit Facebook.com/FilAms2017.

August 12-13 Fiesta in America Expo, Cultural Show Now in its 18th year, Fiesta in America Expo and Cultural Show runs at the Meadowlands Expo Center, Secaucus, N.J. ABSCBN talents Paulo Avelino and Julia Montes will perform. For tickets, visit FiestaInAmerica.com.

October 28 7th TOFA Awards at Carnegie Hall In celebration of the Filipino-American History Month, The Outstanding Filipino-Americans (TOFA) will be honoring individuals and organizations that have made invaluable contributions to the Fil-Am community. To buy tickets, visit CarnegieHall.org.

Ongoing Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway Come out and see Fil-Am Broadway performer Pia Hamilton in Disney’s “The Lion King” at the Minskoff Theatre (200 West 45th Street). To buy tickets, visit LionKing.com/worldwide/unitedstates Ongoing Miss Saigon is Back!

Filipino talent is gushing on stage at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) via the first Broadway revival of the mega-musical “Miss Saigon.” Support our very own Jon-Jon Briones (The Engineer), Eva Noblezada (Kim), Lianah Santa Ana (Kim), Devin Ilaw (Thuy), Catherine Ricafort (Ensemble Player), and Rachelle Ann Go (Gigi) in this acclaimed new production. To buy tickets, visit SaigonBroadway.com.

SHOOTER’S TIP I had my georgous model, singer Mitchel Semana to pose in front of the empty seats in a row before the masquerade show at the Margaret Williams Theatre in NJ. This gave me a clean and attractive red background. I used my all-purpose zoom lens EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II.

18 FIL-AM WHO’S WHO

Happy shooting! june 2017