Fil-Am Who's Who, November 2015

fil-am who’S WHo NOVEMBER 2015

Consuelo Almonte

Leadership Through the Years

In This Issue. . .

Ollie’s Birthday Bash

4

Philippine Gold Exhibit Rewind

Consuelo Almonte – Leadership Fall Rewind

7 8

10

Enrico Dungca – Amerasians

Oliver Oliveros

Hallmarks of Great Leadership

6

Manny Pacquiao, Game Changer

A Word from The Editor

12

In various Filipino-American (Fil-Am) organizations, we’ve seen and occasionally worked with leaders with different leadership styles: some are autocratic; some are didactic while some are comfortable delegating tasks to their team members, which is a form of empowerment, especially to those who are sharing their time and talents as volunteers.

“Great leaders are aware of their own style and make the effort to learn how their style actually comes across to their team. They learn to flex their leadership style to individual team members so that they communicate and behave in ways that motivate and inspire,” said Michael Burke of MSR Communications.

Exemplary character traits make an effective leader.

Among those good traits, right off my head, are transparency (being honest), strategic thinking (knowing where you are now, and knowing where you are going), passion (living and breathing your raison d’être), and respect and trust in the workplace.

Our cover subject for the month, Ma. Consuelo “Connie” Almonte, president of PAGASA Social Foundation Inc. (PAGASAsfi), a nonprofit for Fil-Am seniors, is one conscientious leader who is competent, dutiful, and self-disciplined.

But above all, Connie is not greedy for power: she delegates tasks to her nonprofit’s volunteers whom she considers the lifeblood of the organization, and she knows when it’s time to pass the baton of leadership to her worthy successor.

On display display at at the the Asia Asia Society Society Philippine Philippine On Gold Gold Exhibit Exhibit on on 725 725 Park Park Avenue, Avenue, NYC NYC

Photo by Rolan Gutierrez

“The greatest challenge is to get everyone to work together in the most efficient and harmonious way,” Connie said in our cover story.

“Leadership is all about being able to inspire and communicate to people and to make them understand what your objectives are.”

Connie, kudos for all your tireless work for Fil-Am seniors.

You are an awesomely courageous woman!

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fil-am who’s who 2 FIL-AM WHO’S WHO

NOVEMBER 2015

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Oliver Oliveros • Managing Editor Myrna Gutierrez • Layout Artist & Photo Editor Rolan Gutierrez • Marketing/Sales Director & Columnist Ollie David • Marketing/ Sales Executive & Columnist Prospero A. Lim, MD • Contributing Writer Maricar CP Hampton Contributing Writer Rachel Kelly Davis • Publisher Fil-Am Who’s Who, Inc. Copyright © 2015 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 (732) 499-7995, (917) 502-9887, or (917) 502-9891.

Fork it

Made In-House M ost people, from almost any cultural background, agree that there is something special about things homemade.

Food, in particular, carries memories and emotions. That is very often why the way your mother or grandmother makes something is the way you like it best.

Pig & Khao’s Leah Cohen is proving the same can be said for things, specifically ingredients, which are “house made,” It is the aspect of her dishes that really makes the flavors jump out and stay with you, stirring up emotions and creating memories.

Walking into Pig & Khao (68 Clinton St.), I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Everyone I had spoken to described it as an “amazing Filipino restaurant,” which is completely contrary to what I have read and to what Leah told me during our interview. “It is not a Filipino restaurant,” Cohen said. “We are a Southeast Asian restaurant. We serve different dishes from different countries.”

Cohen quickly pointed out, however, that the restaurant is not serving fusion cuisine. Yes, she does put her own spin on dishes, but she tries to make the flavors as authentic as possible. “No other restaurant has this all under one roof,” she said. A quick glance at the menu will explain: a notable number of dishes are from the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam are quite well represented.

Out

Rachel Kelly Davis Perhaps that is why her staff is so excited about the food they serve. As a Filipino born and raised in Manila, it always thrills me to see people from different cultures become so excited and happy to eat our food. A quick chat with several staff members, I found out that many Filipino dishes, specifically monggo, sinigang, and sisig are their all-time favorites. Cohen’s khao soi is giving our dishes a run for its money, however, according to the staff.

Talking about food and becoming excited about what you are about to have is almost a must at Pig & Khao. Cohen’s chef table, which puts customers in front of the chefs preparing their food is, in my opinion, a brilliant move. Not only does one get to enjoy well-executed dishes, but the customers get to learn about those dishes and see them up close. The table bridges the distance that people sometimes feel between kitchen and plate, between chef and diner.

A different experience is what Pig & Khao is offering, and in this experience economy is vital. Nowhere did we see the overdone banana leaf, employed by so many restaurants serving different Southeast Asian cuisines. Instead we saw passion, we had banter, and best of all, we left with happy bellies and a promise to return.

Taking inspiration from multiple countries is what makes Pig & Khao’s menu much more impressive. One appetizer and two miniplates in, I noticed a trend: almost everything was house made.

Each time I would ask my server where this was from and how this was done, the answer would be “it’s made in-house.”

That statement, which kept repeating, made me look at everything differently. This wasn’t someone cooking her mother’s excellent monggo recipe well, which many other Filipino restaurants tend to do, but this was someone who was making recipes so very much her own that she almost reinvents the dish, getting it to a point of excellence in flavor, making it seem like you’re tasting it for the first time. It doesn’t quite make sense unless you try it, but there really is something brand new about the familiarity of these flavors, and everything hinges on the fact that specific ingredients are tailored for that specific dish.

Four Questions for Leah Cohen Your food is all about Southeast Asia. How often do you visit?

I try to go every year. Last year, I spent most of my time in Vietnam. I plan on going to the Philippines twice this year.

Who are your inspirations?

My parents. Most kids, when they’re four, are not traveling to Southeast Asia. My parents have given me the ability to travel.

Growing up and going there at such a young age, it opened my eyes to different parts of the world.

My mom also cooked a lot of Filipino food when we were growing up, and we would go to Filipino parties every weekend.

What is the one Filipino dish you think everyone should eat?

Adobo. It’s probably the most popular dish that comes from the Philippines. It was probably the first Filipino dish I learned

how to make because it’s pretty simple. Also, sinigang. We just put sinigang on the menu. For me, that was like my chicken soup that my mom would make.

What’s to come this 2016?

We are trying to find investors for an establishment that will be a spin-off of Pig & Khao. It’s going to be a noodle bar, incorporating food from many countries in Southeast Asia.

NOVEMBER 2015

FIL-AM WHO’S WHO 3

Milestones & Moments

Ollie David’s Birthday Bash

By Bobby T. Yalong

Photos courtesy of Ollie David

S

ophisticated elegance and consummate regality fittingly described fashion plate and one of the community’s most distinguished women on the totem pole Olivia “Ollie” David’s recent birthday celebration at Double Tree by Hilton (Frontage Road, Newark, N.J.) Exquisitely garbed in a heavily embroidered champagne pink body-clinging evening gown (with detachable butterfly sleeves) intricately traced with beads and rhinestones, Ollie, in her resplendent glory, indefatigably welcomed every friend and guest into a minimally embellished ballroom with a tasteful exacted ambiance.

A dozen mannequins of Ollie’s size and deportment, with a precise replica of her face, dramatically garbed in her favorite gala wardrobes from the entrance, side dance floor, and the riser, perfectly gave away the celebrator’s supreme fashion sense and inimitable style.

While the highly spirited room echoed of boisterous laughter and infectiously danceable beats, one could hear relentlessly punctuated exchange of pleasantries and tête-à-têtes.

If ever there was an ideal barometer to gauge an exceedingly trendy event of the year, without a cloud of doubt it would easily that of Ollie’s. For who or what else could stand at par (or even closer) with her party standard? There were high profile figures from the business and medical stratum of the society, the cream of the crop of the elite echelon, distinguished leaders of the Filipino-American community, and the who’s who in the inner circle. Name them and they were all there partying!

Celebrator Ollie David

And as if her fashionably dressed guests weren’t adequate enough to herald the occasion’s utterly chic ambiance, a well-choreographed fashion show-cum-stately dance—participated in by Ollie’s equally stylish friends—aptly highlighted the affair with the birthday girl as the star (Of course, who else?)

Feast on Ollie’s exuberant moments when another vibrant chapter was added to her already multihued life as candidly captured through the lens.

Ambassador Mario de Leon Jr., Ollie David, Eleanor de Leon

L-R: Reynard and Catherine David Manibo with their son Maxwell, celebrator Ollie David, Charmain and John Piotrowsky with their children Caitlyn Olivia and Matthew David Piotrowsky

Dr. Dino Amarga and celebrator Ollie David

Gentlemen modeling the Barongs: Mike Esguerra, Arnel Piamonte, Sonny Tanchanco, John Gaddi, Nonoy Rafael, Francis Sison, Dr. Castillo, and Erno Hormillosa

L-R: Dr. Manny and Letty Hugo, Dr. Tyrone Cabalu, Architect Oscar Yao, Dr. Dino Amarga, celebrator Ollie David, Dr. Fely David Quines, Dr. Alice Francisco, Dr. Ramon Alcala, Dr. Emilio Quines. Seated L-R: Dr. Lorceli Sagullo, Dr. Nati Yao, Mayette Sala, Alma Alvarez, and Dr. Nancy Alcala

L-R: Dr. Dino Amarga, Dr. Alice Francisco, Divina Luna, Dr. Grace de Jesus, celebrator Ollie David, Vic de Jesus, Dr. Pros Lim, Drs. Imelda and Carlos Ong

Asia Society

Philippine Gold Exhibit Gala Night Photos by Rolan Gutierrez

L-R: Eleanor de Leon, Ambassador Mario de Leon Jr., Doris Magsaysay Ho

L-R: Loida Nicolas Lewis, Philippine Gold Benefit Committee CoChair, Josette Sheeran, President of Asia Society, Henrietta Holsman Fore, Co-Chair of the Board of Asia Society, and Doris Magsaysay Ho, Philippine Gold Benefit Committee Co-Chair Philippine Central Bank governor Amando Tetangco Jr., Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr.

L-R: Fely David-Quines MD, Josie Natori, Pinky Custodio and Ria Domingo of PAL, Myrna Gutierrez 6 FIL-AM WHO’S WHO N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5 Lea Salonga

Manny Pacquiao

Asia Society’s 2015 Game Changer of the Year Photos courtesy of Asia Society and by Miguel Gutierrez

Manny Pacquiao and Tom Nagorski, Executive Vice President of Asia Society

Josette Sheeran, President of Asia Society

Tennis legend John McEnroe awards Manny Pacquiao the Asia Society’s 2015 Asia Game Changer trophy.

With Miguel Gutierrez of Fil-Am Who’s Who

Asia Society’s 2015 Asia Game Changer Awardees: L-R Shuji Nakamura representing co-awardees Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano (Japan/ United States), Aasif Mandvi (United States/India), Mariam al-Mansouri (United Arab Emirates), Kiran Bir Sethi (India), Li Cunxin (Australia/China), Asia Game Changer of the Year 2015, Manny Pacquiao (The Philippines), Chanda Kochhar (India) and Lei Jun (China) N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5 FIL-AM WHO’S WHO 7

Consuelo Almonte Leadership Through the Years

By Maricar CP Hampton

T

here is no doubt that every leader has their own management style and everyone faces huge challenges and responsibilities, but for Ma. Consuelo Almonte, president of PAGASA Social Foundation Inc. (PAGASAsfi), a non-profit organization for Filipino-American active seniors, her experience has been “all-in-all rewarding.”

For the past two years, Connie, has worked hard to partner with different organizations to create awareness and recognition of the needs of active seniors in the community.

“Through hard work, I have made PAGASAsfi visible, viable, and sustainable for seniors and for the larger Fil-Am community. I formally launched the non-profit organization at the Philippine Center on October 11, 2013 through the presentation of ‘Isang Gabi Ng Harana.’ The year after, we had several events such as forums and social functions, which successfully provided us with platforms to advocate for seniors,” she said.

Since its launch, the foundation, which is based in Queens, New York, has grown to about 40 to 50 regular attendees.

“We do not have membership lists because most of our events—health and legal forums, cultural activities, field trips, and bingo games—are free. However, the list of attendees has grown, made up of new people, new faces, new volunteers, and new collaborators.”

As president of PAGASAsfi, a position she inherited from its late founder Hector Logrono, Connie has become the face and driving force of the organization.“My responsibility does not only involve the physical pressure but more of the mental work,” she explained. “Like how to create the best strategies to reach a goal that is acceptable to all; how to gather groups and volunteers; what is the best way to proceed; how to choose venues; how to consider various legal and socio-cultural factors, etc. After all, the final decisions land on my lap.”

She continued, “The greatest challenge is to get everyone to work together in the most efficient and harmonious way.” For Connie, leadership is all about being able “to

Photos by Rolan Guttierez inspire and communicate to people and to make them understand what your objectives are.”

The foundation’s most recent fundraiser was the staging of “Ang Pagdating ng Krus at Espada,” a zarzuela based on the historical novel written by Cristo Rey Alunan. It was produced by Purple Pillar Production.

Before becoming a community leader, Connie worked as a secretary for the press counselor for 43 years at the Pakistani Mission to the United Nations. She retired in 2011 with the title of assistant to the press minister.

“I did not really retire—in the conventional sense. I am still well thought of and invited by the Pakistani Mission to the U.N. during its functions.”

Connie, as she is fondly called, describes her stint at PAGASAsfi as “very exciting, but also quite frustrating at times.”

“The best moments, however, were those when I see the seniors happy; some of them even return to seek help and advice from our center.”

Aside from PAGASAsfi, Connie is also active in numerous organizations including the University of the Philippines Alumni Association-N.Y. Chapter as its vice president, and Sigma Delta Phi Sorority Batch ‘56 Alumni Association, whose Kabisig Foundation, which feeds indigent children in the Philippines, is under her care. She is also a member of the Pinoy for Good Governance and the San Lorenzo Ruiz devotees.

Her years of hard work and dedication at PAGASAsfi have not gone unnoticed. The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York (TOFANY) recently awarded PAGASAsfi the Senior Welfare and Advocacy Award. Connie was among the 15 organizations and individuals who have inspired the community with their passion, conviction, and achievements.

It was really a very pleasant surprise when I heard the news. I received the award on behalf of PAGASAsfi. I am very honored,” Connie said. “I was extremely excited and I am sharing this honor with our volunteers, without their help, PAGASAsfi could not have gone this far.”

Connie and her husband Mark Shaffer

“Aging is a blessing”

PAGASAsfi Officers and Volunteers TOFA-NY

With her usual jolly tone, Connie says the dream of Hector is being fulfilled. “The dream of Hector of having a ‘home for seniors’ is being realized via our collaborations with AARP, ALLPro Home Care, and The Nursing Office. We now have a place for transient seniors who are preparing for their golden years, while exploring other avenues of expression and fulfillment.”

But just as everything seems to be coming into fruition, Connie has plans of stepping down due to health and other personal concerns. “It is not easy to let go, but I believe that as you age, your time with the doctors and other health care providers increases, too. I need to take better care of my other half, Mark Shaffer, whom I failed to give adequate care and attention. On top of that, I have neglected my home, my grandchildren, and friends of my private time,” she shared.

Ang Pagdating Ng Krus at Espada producers, sponsors, and performers.

Connie says she is confident that her successor is going to be capable of doing the work she has already started. “I am sure the next person will be able to do a better job. My successor’s challenge is to carry on since the path I have carved and will leave behind is already there.”

Connie wants to be remembered as an “example of hard work.” “My life has not been easy, but I succeeded to reach my goals.”

Although she is soon taking a backseat, Connie says she would not completely leave the Fil-Am community. She hopes that one day her own dream for Fil-Am seniors will also be realized. “I dream that preparing and enjoying the golden years will be carried out, not only in Queens but all over the country. With the recent recognition from TOFA-NY, I hope PAGASAsfi will become a model for other communities with Filipino seniors.”

A proud breast cancer survivor since 1994, she strongly advises women to take the examinations seriously. “After 22 years, cancer came back, this time in my other breast. I, therefore, urge that yearly examination should be taken.” Connie explained. “Because once it is already felt, I must say it is too late. I need radiation treatment every day for a month. However, the effect of radiation makes me feel exhausted and emotional.”

At 78, this cheerful woman, who usually stands out for her striking summer and winter hats, still loves to cook and travel with her husband whom she adoringly calls “destiny.” She also collects frog-inspired objects. “I am very fond of frogs. There are figurines or anything about frogs in and around the house. Another is that I feel not complete without my winter or summer hats. I also wear straw hats.”

A mother to May Almonte Clites and grandmother to Cheyenne and Sebastian Clites, Connie believes in the art of aging gracefully.

“Aging is a blessing. It is the time to look forward to preparing and enjoying the golden years. Loneliness is a choice. Life gets longer and healthier when there is something to look forward to.”

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5 FIL-AM WHO’S WHO 9

2015 Los Angeles Fashion Week Design Competition Grand Winner Joyce Pilarsky (7th from left) with her creations and models during the Brooklyn Fashion week

Fall Rewind

Rolan Gutierrez

Filipino designer John Guarnes shows his Philippine Eagle inspired designs.

His Holiness Pope Francis I passes through Fifth Avenue, NYC.

Pope Francis I greets the faithful in Central Park, NYC.

Waiting for Pope Francis I in Central Park, NYC.

2015 Ms. Cagayan De Oro City - Misamis Oriental Association of New York, Maria Rachel Romero Tan (seated) and her court

Clever Little Lies producer Jhett Tolentino

Emilio Quines, MD (as Jose Rizal) and Marian Reyes (as Nelly Boustead) at the Knights of Rizal Long Island Gala Night

International Film Festival Manhattan awardee Christine Sienicki with host Luis Pedron

L-R: Ping Panlilio, Dr. Zal Velez (The Coming of the Cross and Sword writer), Connie Almonte, Dr. Josie Velez

Philippine Airlines meet & greet with Fil-Am community leaders

Take a Look Inside:

Enrico Dungca’s Amerasian Photography Project

crystal-clear memories of his childhood and a strong affinity to his heritage. He oftentimes would visit his old home to reconnect with his past. In one of his last visits, he met a young man who was riding with him in a jeepney. Enrico noticed the man looked different. He had a lighter skin, a much more aquiline nose, a gaunt appearance, and what was more striking: he had haunting, soulless eyes. The man was one of the abandoned Amerasian children, born of American fathers and Filipina mothers, and left behind to live in the shadows.

The volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1992 destroyed many of its surrounding areas, including Clark and Subic in Angeles, and that started the premature exodus of American military presence from the Philippines.

“After my brief conversation with the man in the jeepney, I gave him a packet of cookies in my hand and I saw how he held the flimsy biscuits like they were manna from heaven. It was at that moment I realized I can use my art to bring to light these beautiful human beings relegated to the shadows,” Enrico recalled.

Subsequently, Enrico has set up the Amerasian Photography Project, which is dedicated to increasing awareness of the plight of Amerasians by documenting and sharing their stories through compelling photography. The project also aims to educate, seek social and political reform, and just to let the world know that Amerasians exist and they need help.

“I

Photo by Zac Sebastian

photograph bodies and souls—and that is how two disparate fields of my career and passion have blended.”

–Enrico Dungca

Enrico Dungca is an X-ray technologist. He has always been creative and wanted to foray into the field of arts, but the stentorian admonition of his father about hungry artists reverberated instead inside his head. Pushing his creative aspirations to the backburner, Enrico started training in what he initially thought was the lackluster field of X-ray technology. Little did he know, at that time, the world and people would become more transparent—literally.

He started his career as an X-ray technologist in 1989. He was enraptured about seeing a visual representation of the physical body and was captivated by how technology can reveal internal structures through skin and bones, and how it can diagnose diseases. It was like mixing art and science.

When Enrico was 10, he was given a camera, and through its small lens, he was able to see a wider world. That moment opened his eyes to capturing images that feature the world through his lenses. “I knew I was an artist. It is me. My life without art is not life. Yes, I can pore into the core of my patients, but I was looking beyond that. I wanted to see their souls—the souls of my subjects.”

On the treadmill of his career, Enrico managed to get a photography scholarship from a prestigious art school in Pasadena, California, where his creative skills were honed. He graduated with honors and received his bachelor’s degree, and became a professional photographer working for American magazines and celebrities.

Enrico was born and raised in Angeles, a small, thriving city north of Manila in the Philippines. The city was best known as the hub of the American military in the region and home to the largest military facility outside the United States.

Enrico left Angeles when he was 16, but despite having relocated at a young age in Los Angeles, California, he carried with him

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NOVEMBER 2015

Photo by Enrico Dungca

To learn more and support Enrico’s photography project, visit www.amerasianphotographyproject.com.

Enrico Dungca lives in New York City. His images have been featured in galleries and honored by organizations such as the Advertising Photographers of America and American Photo magazine. His works also appeared in publications such as Interview, Paper, Los Angeles magazine, Out, W magazine, and Australian Style. He has photographed numerous celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher, Jesse Metcalfe, Quincy Jones, Ryan Reynolds, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many more.

Give Thanks N

ovember is Thanksgiving Month, which

is a special time to express our gratitude to HIM who has given us so many blessings in our lives. It is also a special time to gather our family members and friends and jointly offer thanks—a perfect time to be merry in the company of good friends and loved ones.

The World is My Oyster

Dr. Prospero A. Lim

to look for potential gifts for their children and friends, too.

The Macy’s Department Store also gathers participants and prepares the giant-sized balloons for this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the mother of all parades in New York City. The parade ushers in Santa, which signals the coming of the much loved Christmas season.

With Santa’s signature chuckle, “HO HO HO,” and the aroma of cooked turkey, there is no doubt that Christmas is just around the corner.

November is also the time when the cold starts to creep in, when the leaves begin to fall and need to be bagged. Stores begin to prepare for Christmas, while children—who are behaving admirably— start to think of what they possibly could ask Santa as presents. Daddies and mommies begin

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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NOVEMBER 2015

FIL-AM WHO’S WHO 13

Community Calendar

finger foods and specialty cocktails available for purchase, from 6 to 9 p.m. You may also shop at the museum’s store at 20 percent discount. For more information, visit www.asiasociety.org.

Admission is free.

Dec 12 “The Coming of the Cross and the Sword” Zarzuela Purple Pillar Productions presents an encore presentation of the zarzuela “The Coming of the Cross and the Sword” (“Ang Pagdating Ng Krus at Espada”) from 3 to 5 p.m. at Liberty Middle School (1 Kelly Drive West Orange, N.J.). For tickets, call Dr. Josie Velez 973-736-5794 or 973-865-7060.

Dec 1 Native Filipino Garments On Sale Asia Society Museum (725 Park Ave. and 70th St.) holds a sales event, which features Lenora Cabili’s native Filipino garments, from 12 noon to 3:30 p.m. Cabili’s works highlight incredibly unique garments that incorporate ancient techniques of weaving, embroidery, and beadwork from indigenous Thru Jan 3 Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms Filipino groups. For more information, visit www.asiasociety.

For the first time in the United States, Philippine pre-colonial gold org. artifacts dating from the 10th-13th century are on view at Asia Society Museum (725 Park Ave. and 70th St.). This extraordinary Dec 4 Meet Extraordinary Fil-Ams In Cabaret Style exhibition showcases the little-known rich culture and heritage Co-presented by Filipino American Museum (FAM) and of early Filipinos. For tickets, call 212-517-ASIA or visit tickets. curated with Nancy Bulalacao-Leung, Asia Society Museum asiasociety.org.

(725 Park Ave. and 70th St.) presents extraordinary FilipinoAmericans in New York City and their stories in a cabaretOngoing CLEVER LITTLE LIES Plays Off-Broadway style format. Performers and special guests include DJ Neil Co-produced by Jhett Tolentino, “Clever Little Lies” is an Armstrong, Liz Casasola, Michael Dadap, Jose Llana, Nicole outrageous new comedy of sex, love, and secrets, which plays at Ponseca, and Jose Antonio Vargas, among others. For tickets, the Westside Theatre (407 West 43rd St.). It stars Marlo Thomas, call 212-517-2742 or visit www.asiasociety.org.

Greg Mullavey, George Merrick, and Kate Wetherhead. For tickets, visit www.telecharge.com.

Dec 7 - 12 Simbang Gabi sa Konsulado The Philippine Consulate in N.Y. (556 Fifth Ave.) observes the traditional Simbang Gabi. For more information, call 212-7641330.

Dec 11 Fil-Am Night at Asia Society Museum Asia Society Museum (725 Park Ave. and 70th St.) hosts a holiday celebration, which features Filipino pica-pica or

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NOVEMBER 2015

Ongoing ALLEGIANCE, Starring Lea Salonga, Plays

Broadway ALLEGIANCE, a new American musical, starring Lea Salonga, George Takei, and Telly Leung, which tells the story about internment camps on U.S. soil during World War II, is now playing at Longacre Theatre on Broadway. For tickets and more information, visit allegiancemusical.com.

FLYING HIGH IN NEW YORK WITH PHILIPPINE AIRLINES

BOEING 777 AIRCRAFT Flights between New York and Manila depart Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays via PR127 at 10:00AM (East Coast time) and arrive in Manila (via Vancouver) at 8:30PM (Manila time) the following day.

Flights out of Manila depart on the same days via PR126 at 12:50AM (Manila time) and arrive in New York (via Vancouver) at 7AM the following day.

F

lag carrier Philippine Airlines has enhanced its passenger service between New York and Manila by way of an all-Boeing 777 fleet for its four times weekly service.

Seat comfort, cabin amenities, food pleasing to the palate, warm, caring service and most importantly, in-flight connectivity comprise the total experience to and from the Big Apple.

The state-of-the-art Boeing 777- 300ER planes, with a total seating capacity of 370 (42 business /328 economy), are equipped with individual reading lights, laptop charging port and USB port for passengers to listen to their personal mp3 collection or view photos and files.

The business class seats, which can be adjusted to full flat recline with a 15 degree angle, are outfitted with a 15.4in.seat back mounted and 10.6in in-arm touch-screen personal television.

Passengers also get to enjoy Wi-Fi connectivity through the PAL iN AiR service which allows one to call, text and surf the net even above 30,000 feet.

Over and above all these is the idea that using the B777 for the US mainland operations allows PAL to achieve its goal of operating long-haul flights efficiently and economically. After all, the “triple7” is known for being fuel-efficient.

With the New York – Manila route using the B777, there is consistency across all PAL US transpacific routes. At present, PAL utilizes the same fleet for its San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto operations as well as select regional and international routes.

PAL’s presence in New York has received positive response from the huge Filipino-American communities along the US eastern seaboard ever.

About half a million ethnic Filipinos reside on the East Coast, with over 253,000 in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area, 90,000 in Virginia, 75,000 in Washington, D.C. and environs, and 31,000 in the Philadelphia metro area.

Providing other vital traffic streams is the business sector in New York and the government and diplomatic community attached to the United Nations.

The flag carrier’s gateway to New York - JFK International - is a major advantage for the new service owing to its accessibility to the NYC Manhattan area.

NYC is PAL’s 5th destination in America following Los Angeles, San Francisco, Guam and Honolulu.

Fly to the Philippines with the airline that lets you feel the warmth of the Philippines.

Visit philippineairlines.com, call 1-800-435-9725 (1-800-I-FLY-PAL), or your travel agent.