Roots and Wings Q4 2025

The Filipino E-Magazine in Europe

Quarter 4 / 2025 Volume 14 Issue 4

A Christmas Box Every Day

The Northern Lights SHINING BRIGHTLY FROM ICELAND

MGM CARGO, BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND

H.E. Ambassador Irene Susan B. Natividad, Berlin Germany A DIPLOMAT. A LEADER. A FILIPINA.

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From the Editor-in-Chief

Closing the Year with Strength and Wonder

D

ear readers, I hope you are all keeping warm and well this holiday season… I have spent the last two months of the quarter in the US, surrounded by family — an extra special trip as this time it is with my 18 (almost 19) month old son.

That said, as we close the year and welcome the final issue of 2025, we look back with gratitude…

This quarter brings together stories of Filipinos whose influence stretches across borders, reminding us that wherever we are in the world, we carry with us a legacy of strength, creativity, and connection.

Our cover story celebrates the Philippine Ambassador to Germany, whose work exemplifies diplomacy rooted in both resolve and cultural pride. This spirit echoes throughout the issue: from the Philippines ’vibrant participation at the Frankfurt Buchmesse, to the journeys of Filipinos shaping communities across Europe—whether in Northern Ireland, Berlin, France, or beyond.

As the Christmas season approaches, we invite you on a winter voyage across the continent. Experience the ethereal Northern Lights in Iceland, the traditions of Christmas in Sweden, Wales, and Luxembourg, and discover the magic of Santa’s real home in Finland. For those who delight in the season’s quieter joys, we offer “A Christmas Box Every Day”—a reminder that celebration often lies in the small, intentional moments.

This issue also spotlights Filipinos whose stories inspire: a Filipina hotel owner thriving in France, artist Marie Veronica, and the moving reflections of a designer turned

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diplomat in “My Unlikely Road to Becoming a Career Diplomat.” Our restaurant feature brings you closer to home, offering flavors of the Philippines right in the heart of Europe.

Finally, we honor milestones in heritage and service: the Jose Rizal Heritage Awards, new translations of Filipino literature into Czech, and the continuing efforts of FilipinoGermans reconnecting with their identity through the CFO’s YouLeaD program.

On behalf of the Roots & Wings family, I would like to thank you for joining us through another remarkable year.

May this season bring you warmth, reflection, and a renewed sense of belonging— wherever in the world you may be.

Wishing you and your families a Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year ahead!

Rebecca Urbančík Garcia E D I TO R- I N - C H I E F

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Contents P H I L I P P I N E A M B A S S A D O R TO G E R M A N Y P 6 N O R T H E R N L I G H TS I C E L A N D P 9 A C H R I STM A S B OX E V E R Y D AY P 11 C H R I STM A S I N S W E D E N P 14 C H R I STM A S I N WA L E S P 16 C H R I STM A S I N LU X E M B O U R G P 19 S A N TA’ S R E A L H O M E P 21 P H I L I P P I N E S AT T H E F R A N K F U R T B U C H M E S S E P 2 3 F I L I P I N A H OT E L O W N E R I N F R A N C E P 26 M A R I E V E R O N I C A , A R T I ST P 33 T H E F I L I P I N O D I A S P O R A I N N O R T H E R N I R E L A N D P 35 O N C E W E H A D A D R E A M P 38 F I L I P I N O R E STA U R A N T I N B E R L I N P 40 A TA ST E O F T H E P H I LS I N T H E H E A R T O F E U R O P E P 43 J O S E R I Z A L H E R I TA G E AWA R D S P 46 P R E S I D E N T I A L AWA R D E E C U I ZO N P 48 C F O’ S YO U L E A D P R O G R A M P 49 3 F I L B O O K S T R A N S L AT E D I N TO C Z E C H P 50 MY U N L I K E LY R O A D TO B E C O M I N G A C A R E E R D I P LO M AT P 51 N E W STA F F M E M B E R S P 56

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MEET THE TEAM

Merry Christmas from the team!

Rebecca Urbančík Garcia

Jennifer Fergesen

Maria Josephine Renker

Myla Arceno

editor in chief, country editor, prague, czech republic

associate editor, country editor, svalbard, norway

country editor, germany

country editor, uk member advisory council

Feds Infante Murray

Jonathan Pico

Ralph Anthony Chan

Donna Avellana Künzler

assistant editor, uk, northern ireland

assistant editor, uk, wales

country editor, austria

country editor, switzerland

Dennis Manaay

Cipriano “Zip” De Guzmán Jr.

Dulce Lada

Hilda Arenas

country editor, france

country editor, luxembourg

country editor, spain

country editor, ireland

Roots&Wings roots & wings filipino magazine in europe published by rachel publishing co. stockholm, sweden 2009-2025

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R AW M AG S T E A M

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN OUR RAWMAGS TEAM?

volunteer roles now open for bureau editor italy, denmark, finland, iceland, portugal, malta, greece, poland, turkey, ireland. email rawmags.rebecca@gmail.com

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MEET THE TEAM

Merry Christmas from the team!

Mildred Manuel- Vidarsson

Hanna Stenbacka Köhler

Donna Patricia Manio

Ieth Inolino Idzerda

country editor, iceland

country editor, sweden

lifestyle & country editor, philippines

contributor, the netherlands

Alfonso Joaquin De Jesus De Vera

Anton Miguel D. De Vera

Anne Tafalla

Jenny Hansen

contributor, austria

contributor, finland

art director/layout, philippines

contributor, austria

Luz Bergersen

Atty. Aimee Alado -Blake

Rachel Hansen

country editor, norway member advisory council

legal counsel, uk member advisory council

publisher/founder, sweden member advisory council

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GERMANY

Her Excellency: A Legacy of Strength and Diplomacy Ambassador Irene Susan Barreiro Natividad on leadership, legacy, and the Filipino spirit in Germany

By Maria Renker, Germany 6

P H I L I P P I N E A M B A S SA D O R T O G E R M A N Y

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e have crossed paths on many occasions, and anyone who has met her would instantly recognize the radiant smile of this charming lady, gracious, warm, and effortlessly welcoming to all. In the quiet strength of her voice and the clarity of her purpose, Philippine Ambassador to Germany Irene Susan Barreiro Natividad embodies a legacy that extends far beyond diplomacy. As the sixth consecutive female ambassador to represent the Philippines in Berlin, her presence marks not only continuity, but confidence in the power of Filipina leadership on the global stage.

“I am proud to carry on the legacy of the previous women ambassadors to Germany,” she reflects. “The five before me did a splendid job, and I hope I was able to build on what they started.”

It is a simple statement, yet behind it lies more than three decades of foreign service, countless negotiations, and an unwavering commitment to her country and its people.

Across her postings, from the United Nations to Canada and Austria, Ambassador Natividad has carried one guiding question in every engagement: “What good or benefit would this bring the country or Filipinos?”

This principle, she says, is the compass she uses to navigate the complex world of international relations.

Her experiences across multilateral and bilateral missions have taught her that successful diplomacy begins with recognizing shared values and interests. In the Philippine-German relationship, these include the rule of law, climate action, clean energy, and labor cooperation.

“Identifying what a country considers important, studying their policy direction, tapping their expertise or support, and finding convergence with Philippine priorities, that is how you set a vision,” she explains.

CHAMPIONING THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY Germany is home to a vibrant and rapidly growing Filipino community—young, skilled, global in perspective, and deeply connected to home. For

Ambassador Natividad, supporting Filipinos means more than providing services. It means showing up.

She has made it a point to be present at community events and to create spaces, both online and in person, where Filipinos can learn, connect, and grow.

And I have seen her and appreciate the warmth of her presence. She has championed information sessions on Germany’s amended nationality law, Philippine dual citizenship, labor rights, and tax regulations.

“Being informed, and not by fake news, is empowering,” she emphasizes.

And when government policies risk affecting Filipinos abroad, the Embassy listens closely.

“Feedback from the community is essential. If a policy has unintended impact, we relay this to Manila and recommend that it be revisited to reflect realities on the ground.”

Even decades after leaving home, Filipinos abroad remain emotionally tied to the Philippines. From joy to heartbreak, Ambassador Natividad has witnessed how global Filipinos react personally to events back home.

“Heartbreak during calamities.

Indignation over corruption. Concern or embarrassment over political chaos.

Or happiness and pride during shining moments. They feel it all.”

It is this enduring connection, she believes, that makes the Filipino diaspora a powerful force in national development.

Scholarships, skills training, livelihood programs, knowledge-sharing projects, Filipinos abroad have already been quietly transforming communities in the Philippines. And she has seen firsthand how Filipinos in Germany help spark opportunities, from research grants to science and innovation through the DOST’s Balik Scientist Program.

FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2025: A DEFINING MOMENT If there is one moment she describes as “defining,” it is the Philippines’ Guest of Honor participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair, a cultural milestone that

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electrified Europe and elevated Philippine literature onto the world stage.

“Hats off to the NBDB and NCCA for curating a rich program. The lineup of authors, genres, the exchange of ideas, it was exceptional,” she says with gratitude.

“I am just lucky it happened during my tenure.”

She believes this is only the beginning. With Europe’s high reading culture and vast publishing networks, she sees potential for Philippine book tours in the UK, France, Italy, and Spain.

“Nandito na sila sa Europe,” she says with a smile.

“Might as well bring our writers to more audiences.”

From concerts by award-winning choral groups to painting exhibits, tattooing lectures, book readings, and cultural showcases, Ambassador Natividad has ensured that Filipino culture remains visible and celebrated in Germany.

The Embassy collaborates with the NCCA, FDCP, National Museum, German institutions, and Filipino community organizations to promote arts, cuisine, heritage, and creativity. Many Filipino artists, she notes, already have rich collaborations with their German counterparts and the Embassy is proud to support them.

Looking ahead, she is excited about future collaborations in cybersecurity, digitization, and innovation fields where Germany’s expertise can significantly benefit the Philippines.

After 32 years in service, Ambassador Natividad attributes her resilience not to personal strength alone, but to the people around her.

“I survived because of the support of family, colleagues, bosses, and kasambahay,” she says simply.

Grace, it seems, is her quiet superpower.

To young Filipinos, especially young women who dream of joining the foreign service, her message is

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short, powerful, and unmistakably Filipino in spirit: “Go for it!”

WHAT MAKES FILIPINOS STAND OUT ON THE WORLD STAGE? “Our happy disposition, our work ethics, our creativity, and this attitude of hahanapan ng paraan,” she reflects. It is a spirit of joy, resilience, and ingenuity, one that has made the Filipino community in Germany not just visible, but admirable.

AND IF SHE COULD DESCRIBE THIS COMMUNITY IN A SINGLE WORD? She laughs softly and says: “Germanized?” A term of endearment, one that speaks of adaptation, discipline, respect for rules, and efficiency… qualities that blend seamlessly with the warmth and heart of being Filipino.

A HEARTFELT FAREWELL As Ambassador Natividad concludes her term this December, she offers a deep expression of gratitude to the Filipino community and to the Government and people of Germany.

Her hope is that the spirit of cooperation, solidarity, and friendship continues and grows stronger, under her successor, who will also be a woman.

In her legacy, she leaves behind a strengthened bridge between two nations, empowered communities, and a testament to the excellence of Filipina leadership in global diplomacy.

A legacy built not only on strategy but on compassion, clarity, and purpose.

Her Excellency Irene Susan Barreiro Natividad: A diplomat. A leader. A Filipina.

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ICELAND

Alive Beneath the Northern Lights An Icelandic night to remember

By Mildred Manuel

There are night skies—and then there are nights when the sky breathes.

Here in Iceland, under this vast Arctic canvas I’ve come to know so well, the aurora borealis doesn’t just appear; it moves with intention. Even after years of living here, every single display still catches me off guard. The sky opens, and suddenly, I’m five years old again, staring up in disbelief.

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THE PHENOMENON The northern lights might look like magic, but they’re born from something profoundly real—a meeting between the sun and our planet. When charged solar particles stream toward Earth and collide with atoms high in the atmosphere, roughly 100 to 250 kilometers above us, the sky answers with light.

Because Iceland sits beneath the auroral oval, we’re blessed (or spoiled!) with some of the best seats in the world for this show. From late September through April, the nights grow long and dark enough for the aurora to reveal itself. And when solar activity peaks, what scientists call a geomagnetic storm, the lights don’t just appear—they take over the sky!

into violet flame. They pulsed, folded, and breathed like living things. I’ve seen many auroras— dozens, maybe, but the night of October 18 made me feel small in

OCTOBER NIGHTS For most of October, it felt as if the whole country had fallen under a shared spell. Forecasts warned of a powerful solar storm, but no prediction could have prepared me for what actually unfolded. When the Kp-index spiked to five or six, the sky erupted—an aurora spilling across the island night after night.

I stood outside our home, watching ribbons of green twist

the best possible way. It was as if the sky itself had decided to remind me who was truly in charge.

THE LAST FLICKER Yes, I’ve seen the aurora countless times here in Iceland. But that doesn’t dull the magic. If anything, it deepens it. On October 18, it felt as though the universe was being generous—unfolding light after light, color after color, as if

to say, “Here! Take this moment.

Remember it!”

Because no matter how many times I see it, I can never predict the exact way it’ll move or the feeling it’ll stir. Maybe that’s what keeps me going out there, night after night: chasing that one show that’ll stay with me forever.

COME SEE FOR YOURSELF If you’ve ever wanted to know what it feels like when the sky comes alive, come to Iceland.

There’s nothing quite like standing beneath that quiet expanse, waiting for the first flicker to appear.

Sometimes it happens all at once, like someone turning on a light inside the heavens.

Other times, it’s slow, a shy green shimmer that grows bolder by the minute.

You don’t need to chase it far.

Step beyond the city glow, find a dark stretch of sky, and look up.

The air will bite a little, the ground will crunch beneath your boots, and then—if you’re lucky—the lights will find you.

No photograph, no video, no words can really prepare you.

But when you’re standing there, wrapped in cold and wonder, you’ll understand why some of us never stop going out to meet the night.

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NO TWO NIGHTS ARE THE SAME. Every aurora feels like a different language. Sometimes it’s a quiet whisper—just a soft green haze over the mountains.

Other nights, like that October one, it’s wild and loud and fills every inch of sky.

IT CONNECTS YOU TO SOMETHING BIGGER. There’s something deeply grounding about knowing that the light you’re watching began as energy from the sun traveled millions of kilometers and ended its journey above your head.

It’s cosmic, and yet it feels intensely personal.

IT DEMANDS STILLNESS. You can’t rush an aurora. You have to meet it halfway–with patience, quiet, and a willingness to stand in the cold. The world feels suspended. The crunch of frost underfoot, the wind brushing past….it’s all part of the symphony.

IT BECOMES A RITUAL. Even after all this time, I still do the same thing: layer up, step outside, tilt my head back, and wait. The anticipation never fades. When that first flicker appears, my heart still leaps… every single time!

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IRELAND

A Christmas Box Every Day The Mullets bring joy across Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the Philippines

By Hilda Arenas, Ireland B A L I KB AYA N B O X

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or millions of Filipinos working abroad, Christmas is a season of joy mingled with longing—a time when homesickness hums louder than carols. Yet in a quiet warehouse in Belfast, Manolito and Maria Luisa Mullet have turned that longing into love. Through MGM Cargo Limited, they make sure Christmas reaches Filipino homes across the Philippines—one balikbayan box at a time.

Inside their warehouse, the sound of packing tape blends with kwentuhan, laughter, and the comforting aroma of coffee. Around them rise towers of brown boxes— sturdy, familiar, and sacred.

Each one carries stories of sacrifice and devotion, ready to cross oceans.

“Every balikbayan box is a love letter in disguise,” says Manolito, smiling as he seals another package. “We don’t just send boxes— we send home. We send Christmas.”

“Their education was paid for with long hours, patience, and faith,” says Manolito. Their sons’ success stands as a tribute not only to their parents’ devotion but also to the collective strength of the Filipino diaspora—the nurses, carers, seafarers, engineers, and dreamers who give so much of themselves for family.

HOW A BOX BECAME A BRIDGE The idea for MGM Cargo Limited was born from those same values of faith, sipag, and malasakit.

In 2011, Manolito founded the company, naming it after his initials— Manolito Gatchalian Mullet.

What began in their living room has grown into one of Ireland’s most trusted Filipino-run logistics companies, serving communities across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the Isle of Man—known for reliability, care, and community spirit.

FROM “When a box NEIGHBOURS TO doesn’t arrive for PARTNERS IN LIFE Christmas,” says AND PURPOSE Manolito, “it’s not just Before becoming the a delay—it’s a broken The Mullet family’s two sons are heartbeat of Belfast’s promise.

We protect that both Medical Doctors Filipino community, Manolito promise fiercely.” and Luisa were magkapitbahay— Luisa, still a nurse by profession, next-door neighbours in Muntinlupa, now helps run the company part-time— Manila. Childhood classmates turned soulmates, managing customer service, community events, and their journey would one day span continents. social media. Together, they have built not just a In 2001, Luisa, a nurse, left for Belfast in search business, but a bridge connecting families separated of a better life. Her sons were only two and four years by oceans. old. “It was the hardest goodbye,” she recalls softly.

“But I told myself every sacrifice would be worth it if EVERY BOX IS A CHRISTMAS MORNING it gave them a brighter future.”

Ask any Filipino abroad—packing a balikbayan box Nine months later, Manolito followed. For years, is a ritual. Each chocolate bar, each shirt, each tin of they worked long shifts and spent Christmases apart corned beef is chosen with care. These boxes hold not from their children, sending home the same kind of just goods, but memories, affection, and the scent boxes they now deliver for others—boxes filled with of home. love and longing.

“When families in the Philippines open a box, it In 2004, the family was reunited in Belfast. Today, doesn’t matter if it’s January or July,” Luisa says. “It’s their eldest son, Dr. Carl Manuel, serves as SHO at Christmas morning. It’s proof that distance hasn’t Ayr Hospital’s Respiratory Department in Scotland, dimmed love.” while their youngest, Dr. Vinze Emanuelle, works as The Mullets understand that feeling deeply; an F1 doctor at King’s College Hospital in London. they’ve lived it. That’s why every shipment is handled 12

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with reverence. From Belfast to Manila, their partner, LCSN Express Movers Inc., ensures safe passage to even the most remote barangays.

“These boxes are pinag-hirapan,” explains Manolito. “They’re filled with months of work—not just money, but time, thought, and love.”

GIVING BACK, BUILDING COMMUNITY As MGM Cargo grows, so does the Mullets’ commitment to giving back. They’ve employed fellow Filipinos, trained local agents, and supported cultural events across Ireland—from Independence Day celebrations to charity drives and Christmas gatherings.

“Our agents are part of every shipment and every promise we keep,” says Manolito. “By employing people who know what it feels like to be far from home, we make sure our service comes from the heart.”

Beyond logistics, the Mullets view MGM as a mission of belonging—a reminder that even abroad, the Filipino spirit of bayanihan and generosity endures. Through sponsorships, free box raffles, and community outreach, they continue to bring joy and hope to others.

“We built this not just for our family, but for our people,” says Manolito. “Every box sent keeps our culture alive and our community connected.”

CHRISTMAS BEYOND BORDERS For the Mullets, Christmas isn’t confined to a date— it’s a feeling carried inside every balikbayan box. Each parcel that leaves their warehouse carries more than gifts; it carries faith, love, and the enduring belief that distance can never weaken family ties.

“Every box carries love, care, and a little Christmas magic,” says Luisa. “Opening a balikbayan box always feels like Christmas morning.”

As another holiday season begins, containers once again depart from Belfast—each one packed with

faith, generosity, and devotion. For the Mullets, and for Filipinos everywhere, Christmas isn’t defined by place or time—it’s defined by remembering, giving, and loving from afar.

A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM THE MULLETS “To all Filipinos abroad,” says Luisa, “never forget that every hour of hard work, every night away from family, carries meaning. It builds futures, heals hearts, and keeps our families strong.”

“This Christmas,” adds Manolito, “we celebrate not just our success, but the spirit that unites us—the love that crosses borders, the faith that endures, and the joy that arrives home, one box at a time.”

Maligayang Pasko—from Manolito, Maria Luisa, Carl, and Vinze Mullet, and the entire MGM Cargo family, delivering love, culture, and Christmas cheer across oceans.

M G M C A R G O LT D ADDRESS

8 GLENABBEY CRESCENT, BELFAST, UNITED KINGDOM OWNER

MANOLITO G MULLET PHONE NUMBER

+44 7922 870022 / +35 3861 564881 FA C E B O O K

mgm.cargo WEBSITE

MGMCARGOLIMITED.COM

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SWEDEN

From the Nobel Prize to the Advent Star A Christmas celebration in Sweden

By Rachel Hansen

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or me, there are five very important highlights in the Swedish Christmas celebration. It is something that I have adapted, loved and enjoyed since I arrived here in the early 80s.

LIGHTING THE ADVENT STAR. The classic advent star has four stearin candles and every Sunday one candle is lit in homes and working places. When all four candles are lit, Christmas has arrived. All over towns or villages one can see Advent stars hanging and brightening all windows, driving the darkness away since it is already pitch dark at 3 PM! THE NOBEL PRIZE FESTIVITIES. Around the 1st week of December, the Nobel prize winners or laureates 14

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start arriving in Stockholm for the December 10 award ceremony. They walk around with their loved ones enjoying the ambience and the aura of this most beautiful city of 14 islands nestling by the Baltic Sea and the Lake Mälaren. There is an air of awe, wonder and excitement with the knowledge that something extraordinary is taking place.

And if you really want to meet a Nobel laureate close up, you can take a lunch or afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel and you will most likely bump into one of them. Or you can hang around at the Concert House on the very day of the awarding ceremony and catch a glimpse of royalties and dignitaries too, in their coat tails or gala dresses. The invited guests will then proceed to the City Hall for a great banquet

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and dance the night away at the Golden Hall, whose walls are filled with real gold.

THE SANTA LUCIA CELEBRATION. In the early morning of the 13th of December, in churches, schools, offices and other places of work, the Santa Lucia lady and her handmaids give their performances. A Lucia is chosen every year, she has to wear a white gown with a crown of live candles. She is followed by a few other Lucia “tärnor” or handmaids, each holding live candles in their hands, singing Christmas carols reminiscent of angels on high.

Christmas table. Lots of love and laughter and warm feelings are shared.

On the 13th day of Christmas, there’s one last reason to celebrate as families and loved ones gather once again to dance and sing around the Christmas tree before it is thrown away.

God Jul och Gott Nytt År till er alla!

THE CHRISTMAS FOOD. This includes all kinds of marinated herrings you can hardly imagine, with salmon, prawns and even oysters; ham, healthy salads; and loads of cookies, pastries and other baked goods. And the hot mulled wine, “glögg,” is standard drink during this season.

THE SPRUCE TREE. Two or three days before Christmas, a fresh spruce tree will be bought and chosen very carefully. Some families cut down their own Christmas tree in the woods. The tree is then decorated by all members of the family. All Christmas presents will be laid under this tree. On Christmas Eve, the 24th of December, families and loved ones gather to partake of the “julbord,” or

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WALES

Holiday Warmth in Wales The deep meaning behind Welsh Christmas

By Jonathan Pico, North Wales, UK 16

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hen I first arrived in North Wales in 2001, I had no idea how this laid-back, sheep-filled countryside celebrated Christmas. Growing up in the Philippines—especially in the barrio, and in a big family where money was always tight—we didn’t have the luxury of writing Christmas lists or expecting mountains of presents. With my father as a farmer and our priority simply getting food on the table, celebrations always came second. That was our reality.

Yet Christmas in the Philippines was still magical.

The moment the ‘ber’ months rolled in, the whole country transformed into one giant Christmas festival. Shopping malls sparkled with glowing parols, carols echoed in the streets and in every corner shop, and ‘Simbang Gabi’— mass before dawnbrought families and friends together in half-asleep joy.

You didn’t need anything fancy—just stepping outside felt like a celebration, wrapped in the warmth of the weather and the warmth of the people.

I remember my first Christmas in Wales vividly. I celebrated with a few colleagues who had arrived at the same time I did. We were Filipinos from different regions, different backgrounds and a mix of accents and dialects—but equally far from home. We shared a rented house, and in many ways, that Christmas felt “levelled up”—an improvement—compared to what my family back home could afford. But it was also completely different—crisp, chilly air instead of the tropical breeze, bustling streets instead of the quiet reverence of Simbang Gabi. And because we were new, we weren’t allowed to take Christmas off; we were rostered to work. In its own quiet way, the calmness of rural Wales reminded me of the barrio where I grew up.

For Filipinos, Christmas is the most anticipated season of the year—a time for family, laughter, and sharing love, rooted in centuries-old traditions.

From parols to Simbang Gabi to the grand Noche Buena feast, Christmas in the Philippines has always

been about the warmth of home and the richness of relationships.

But in Wales, far from the shores of the Philippines, Christmas slowly took on a deeper meaning. In this land of songs and poetry, mountains and stories, I found not only a place to live but a community that welcomed me with open arms. Christmas in Wales reminded me that no matter where we are, the spirit of Christmas travels with us.

Over the years, celebrating Christmas in Wales became more than simply adapting—it became a way of blending in and embracing a new culture. I began enjoying the festive markets with their crafts, foods, and drinks. I felt the childlike excitement of hoping for a white Christmas, even though in Wales it might arrive on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or not at all. The weather in Wales seems to enjoy keeping you guessing.

I still remember Christmas at work when we experienced the first snowfall since our arrival. I kept glancing out of the window, thrilled to see the flakes drifting down.

Our sister-in-charge let us step outside, and it was my very first time walking on snow and catching the tiny flakes with my mouth open.

Living in North Wales meant we were only minutes away from Snowdonia, the highest mountain in Wales. Visiting it in the winter gave us postcardperfect views of its snow-capped peaks. In Wales, I learned to appreciate the simple joys of the season: carol singers on the streets and on television, the switching on of high-street lights, and the traditional Welsh Christmas dinner with roast turkey, pork, beef, stuffing, and plenty of gravy.

Still, no matter how many Christmases passed, the Filipino part of me never faded. Our own home gradually became a meeting place for two worlds.

Every September, we waited for the first post or meme of Jose Mari Chan— sometimes we played “Christmas in Our Hearts” just to feel closer to home.

We brought down boxes from the loft, and my wife

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decorated the house with enthusiasm to make it look like we were competing in a neighbourhood contest.

Windows glowing first, garlands wrapped the stairs, and decorations hung from every spot that could hold a nail. Every archway glittered with giant red and green Christmas balls. Our Noche Buena table soon reflected our blended family, too: Filipino dishes sideby-side with a Welsh roast dinner.

From Welsh traditions, I learned the excitement of opening individually wrapped gifts—from socks to shirts to gadgets. Sometimes it really is the quantity over quality, especially for the kids who enjoy tearing open every last present. Matching Christmas pyjamas became a tradition too, and conversations over dinner often circled back to comparing Christmas in the Philippines with Christmas here in Wales.

By the end of the long day, we always wound up on the sofa watching classic Christmas movies—films I’ve watched so many times they’ve become part of Christmas traditions.

Last year, as Vice Chair of the newly established Philippine Nurses Association-United Kingdom (PNA UK) Wales Chapter, we proudly organised

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our very first Christmas Charity Ball. The event was held in support of three Filipino-founded charitable organisations: The Spread the Love North Wales, the Filipino Voice Choir and YGC ITU -Philippines Partnership.

After nearly 25 years, Christmas in Wales no longer feels foreign. It feels like home – one enriched by memories of another country, another culture, another version of myself. I’m grateful to have two places that shaped the way I celebrate. My Christmas here is a blend of Filipino joy and Welsh warmth—a celebration that reminds me where I come from and where I have lived almost half my life.

As we celebrate Christmas, we embrace both our Filipino and Welsh identities, knowing that through this blending of cultures we grow richer, stronger, and more connected. Together, our stories, traditions, and love become a vibrant tapestry of Christmas in Wales—a reminder that no matter where we are in the world, the true spirit of Christmas lives on in our hearts.

So I wish you all “Nadolig llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd dda"—Welsh for "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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LUXEMBOURG

When Light Finds Its Way Christmas in Luxembourg and the Filipino spirit that refuses the cold

By Cipriano De Guzman Jr. – The Filipino Baritone® Photo courtesy of Luxembourg City Tourist Office C H R I S T M A S I N LU X E M B O U R G

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uxembourg in winter feels like a painting — soft lights brushing centuriesold quarters, the crisp air humming with stillness, and Christmas markets glowing beneath a crown of northern stars. Yet amid the calm and cold, the Filipino community brings its own constellation into this small country: one made of song, generosity, and gatherings that warm the season from within.

Across the Grand Duchy, three Filipino organizations — LPAD, PLS, and Samahan ng mga Pilipino sa Luxembourg ASBL — celebrate Christmas in ways that reflect their mission and heart.

Different expressions, one Filipino soul. Through them, Luxembourg becomes something beautifully rare: a European home illuminated by the warm, steady heartbeat of the archipelago.

The Luxembourg–Philippines Action for Development (LPAD), guided with calm strength and clarity by President Xenia Catacutan, has long understood that Christmas truly begins with service.

On 29 November 2025, LPAD opened the season with its moving charity gala, “Voices of Compassion — An Evening of Music for Children with Special Needs,” held at the elegant Alvis Parc Hotel. The evening shimmered with Filipino grace, but its truest radiance came from its purpose: raising support for children with special needs in the Philippines.

The music — intimate, heartfelt, and deeply human — lifted the event beyond festivity. It became an act of collective generosity, a reminder that the Filipino spirit shines brightest when it gives. For LPAD, Christmas is not merely a celebration; it is a lived commitment to uplift lives.

Their work transforms the season 20

into a profound expression of compassion.

PLS: TRADITION WOVEN INTO WINTER The Philippine-Luxembourg Society (PLS), under the gentle and steadfast leadership of Cecile Capacete Hurst, tends the roots that keep Filipinos grounded in their culture, even oceans away from the homeland.

This year, the community gathered once again for the beloved PLS Christmas Party, held on 7 December 2025, from 15h to 18h, at Lycée Guillaume Kroll.

Inside the welcoming halls of the lycée, Filipino warmth unfurled effortlessly: lanterns glowing softly, families sharing stories, and children singing familiar Christmas carols with charming Luxembourgish inflections.

Cultural treasures came to life — youth performing tinikling, prayers of gratitude rising like incense, and carols echoing the warmth of Filipino homes across islands and generations.

In every PLS celebration, tradition survives distance. It becomes the thread that ties Luxembourg-born Filipino children to a heritage they may not have lived, yet deeply belong to. Cecile ensures that the community never forgets who they are — nor where their story began.

SAMAHAN ASBL: JOY THAT LIGHTS THE DARK Then there is the Samahan ng mga Pilipino sa Luxembourg ASBL, led with vibrant warmth by Gody De Guzman Manalo — a beacon of joy in a season often wrapped in European quiet. In 2025, Samahan once again outdid itself with its highly anticipated celebration: “Stars on 45: Back to the 80’s Gala” at the Novotel Kirchberg.

It was an explosion of colour, nostalgia, and pure Filipino

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exuberance.

Sequins, neon, shoulder pads, and retro glam filled the ballroom. Filipino families arrived not just to celebrate, but to shine. The dance floor pulsed from the first beat; karaoke microphones rotated without pause; every 80’s anthem became a bridge to memories of home.

Samahan’s celebration reminded everyone that Filipino joy is a form of resilience — a spirited defiance of loneliness, distance, and the long shadows of winter. In Luxembourg, Samahan is the fiesta that refuses to fade.

A COMMUNITY ILLUMINATED

BY HEART Together, these three organizations create a vivid portrait of Filipino identity in Luxembourg. LPAD reveals that compassion gives the season its deepest meaning.

PLS preserves the cultural soul that binds generations across continents. Samahan celebrates joy in its fullest, most exuberant form — the kind that keeps hearts young, hopeful, and connected.

Through their individual strengths, they shape a Christmas in Luxembourg that is unmistakably Filipino — not merely through music, food, or dancing, though all three abound, but through the way Filipinos carry home within them. With every gathering, they rebuild community. With every song, they rebuild belonging.

As Luxembourg’s winter lights glow through the long, quiet nights, the Filipino community adds its own brightness — steady, generous, unyielding. The kind that does not flicker. The kind we carry inside. The kind we freely share. Because no matter how far we are from the islands, the Filipino heart always finds its way back to light.

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FINLAND

Santa’s Real Home The heart of Christmas beats in Finland

By Anne Tafalla

Forget the arguments about the North Pole—Finland doesn’t need to guess.

Here, they know where Santa lives. He’s a true Arctic local, known as Joulupukki, and his home is buried deep in the snowy wilderness of Lapland, where pine forests glow with frost and reindeer tracks crisscross the endless white.

THE SECRET MOUNTAIN Every Finnish child grows up knowing the legend: Santa’s real home is hidden in Korvatunturi, a faraway mountain whose name means “Ear Fell.” Locals say it’s shaped like a giant ear so Santa can listen to the dreams and wishes of children all over the world.

The mountain itself lies close to the Russian border, wrapped in mystery and silence. You can’t visit—it’s

kept secret to protect the elves who work there—but that secrecy only makes the magic feel more real.

Still, Santa needed a place where the rest of us could find him.

ROVANIEMI: WHERE THE MAGIC IS PUBLIC Enter Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland and the official hometown of Santa Claus. Since 1985, this

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Arctic town has been the gateway to the Christmas dream. Step into Santa Claus Village, and you’ll find a place that feels more like a living postcard than a tourist stop.

HERE’S WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL: Cross the Arctic Circle: A white line slices right through the village, and when you step over it, you officially enter the Arctic. It’s one of those moments you can actually feel—the temperature drops, the air sharpens, and the world turns to snow.

Santa’s Post Office: Letters from around the globe pile high here—millions of them every year. If you send one from this spot, it carries a unique Arctic Circle postmark, proof it came straight from Santa’s real headquarters.

A Living Winter Story: Wooden cabins glow with warm light, sleigh bells echo through the crisp air, and real reindeer wait patiently outside the lodge.

When night falls, the Northern Lights might sweep across the sky, turning everything electric green and violet.

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THE TRUE SPIRIT OF THE ARCTIC What sets Finland’s Santa apart isn’t just the location—it’s the feeling. The Finnish version of Santa isn’t about shopping malls or red carpets. It’s about simplicity, kindness, and a deep connection to

nature. In Rovaniemi, Christmas doesn’t need to be imagined; it’s lived.

You don’t have to believe in fairy tales to feel the magic here. Just stand under the polar night sky, snowflakes brushing your face, and you’ll understand why the Finns are certain: Santa’s real home is—and always has been—right here in Finland.

MY OWN FINNISH CHRISTMAS Living in Finland has completely changed how I experience Christmas. Back home in the Philippines, the holidays were full of color and noise—families gathered, neighbors shared food, and carols filled the streets late into the night.

Here, the winters are long and silent. Snow blankets everything, the air feels still, and Christmas comes quietly. People stay close to home, enjoying peaceful moments with family. It’s a different kind of warmth—one that comes from calm rather than celebration.

I often spend Christmas on my own. Sometimes I travel, but most years I stay home, cook something special, light a candle, and let the quiet wrap around me. What once felt lonely has turned into something comforting—a space to breathe, reflect, and feel thankful.

After more than a decade here, I’ve learned that Christmas doesn’t need to be loud or grand to be meaningful. Sometimes, peace itself is the greatest gift.

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GERMANY

The author of this article with Philippine Consul General Yvette Banzon-Abalos.

Photo courtesy of Violinist Justin Texon.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers under Prof. Mark Anthony Carpio with Song Weavers Philippines and Berlin-based Bass-Baritone Jonathan Dela Paz Saenz.

When the Archipelago Spoke The Philippines as guest of honour at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025

By Cipriano De Guzman Jr. – The Filipino Baritone® F R A N KF U RT B U C H M E S S E

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here are moments in a nation’s history when it steps beyond its borders and encounters itself anew through the eyes of the world. In October 2025, the Philippines experienced such a moment as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurter Buchmesse—the world’s most influential book fair.

For one luminous week, the archipelago stood at the centre of global imagination.

The Philippine presence in Frankfurt was more than an exhibition of literature. It was a reclamation of identity, voice, and narrative, unfolding in a city where stories shape economies and ideas move nations.

A CHOIR OF IDENTITIES Before we wrote, we sang. It was therefore fitting that the Philippines opened its cultural presence in Germany with music. The Philippine Madrigal Singers, two-time champion of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing under Professor Mark Anthony Carpio, filled Frankfurt’s modern halls with harmonies that felt like prayers carried across oceans. Song Weavers Philippines, led by Alfred Samonte, introduced choral soundscapes shaped by the rhythms of a modern archipelago.

Anchoring the diaspora’s artistic voice was Jonathan Zaens, Berlin-based bass-baritone, whose performances conveyed the elegance and emotional precision of Filipino musicality in the European landscape. These concerts were more than artistic showcases. They were declarations—clear, resonant, and unmistakable—that Filipino culture is alive, sophisticated, and beautifully borderless.

OTHER NOTABLE PERFORMERS WHO SHAPED THE WEEK Beyond the headlining choirs, many Filipino artists enriched the Buchmesse’s cultural tapestry.

Violinists Justin Texon and Janna InacayTexon delivered performances with an expressive fire that commanded the hall. With breathtaking precision and youthful brilliance, the Texon power couple showcased the versatility and depth of Filipino musicianship. Their playing was both intimate and electrifying — a dialogue of bows and strings that invited audiences into distinctly Filipino emotional landscapes. Together, they created a musical conversation that was nothing short of captivating.

Their duet became a quiet triumph — a reminder that the future of Filipino classical artistry is in excellent hands.

The music of Professor Chino Toledo and National Artist for Music Dr. Ramon P.Santos were brought 24

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to life by the great musical collaboration between the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Song Weavers Philippines, Soprano Bianca Lopez-Aguila, and Kwerdas Filipinas To cap the whole week of live performances, there was a thanksgiving concert which included all the artists; Akayu, Adat Paranubliom Kulintang Ensemble, Cellist Damodar Das Castillo, Violinists Justin and Janna Texon, Kwerdas Filipinas, Soprano Bianca Lopez-Aguila, Bass-Baritone Jonathan Dela Paz Saenz, Song Weavers Philippines, and the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

A JEEPNEY IN THE HEART OF EUROPE Perhaps no symbol captured the Philippine spirit more boldly than the jeepney installation displayed in Frankfurt’s city centre. There it stood—colourful, unapologetic, simultaneously out of place and perfectly at home—its chrome and painted saints gleaming beside the clean lines of German streets.

Visitors touched it, stepped inside, asked about its origins. In these simple gestures, the jeepney became what it has always been: a vessel of memory, ingenuity, and identity. For many in the Filipino diaspora, its presence stirred unexpected emotion.

It was a reminder that home sometimes returns unannounced, wrapped in colour, humour, and sunlight.

MARIA RESSA AND THE IMPERATIVE OF TRUTH At the intellectual heart of the programme was Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and one of the world’s most powerful voices on press freedom. Her talks on disinformation, democracy, and the fragility of truth were not academic exercises; they were urgings. With the clarity of someone who has lived the consequences of silence, Ressa reminded audiences that literature is not only an art form but an act of responsibility. Her presence lent the Philippines’ Guest of Honour year not only cultural significance but also moral weight.

MARIA RENKER: A BRIDGE OF BOOKS BETWEEN NATIONS No celebration of Philippine literature in Germany would be complete without acknowledging the indispensable work of Maria Renker, Roots & Wings Magazine’s Country Editor in Germany and one of the Filipino community’s most respected cultural advocates.

Maria Renker played a crucial role in the Philippine participation at the Buchmesse 2025—not only as a journalist, but as a cultural translator in the deepest

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sense. She amplified Filipino authors by engaging publishers, translators, and literary institutions across Germany. She documented and interpreted the Philippine story for European audiences with insight and precision. She championed Filipino literature in conversations that shaped the visibility and direction of the Guest of Honour programme.

Throughout the fair, she became a bridge between the Philippines’ literary energy and Germany’s intellectual tradition. Through her, the Filipino voice did not simply arrive in Frankfurt—it resonated. She showed that literature is also migration, memory, and belonging, and that every Filipino narrative deserves to be preserved and heard.

THE DIPLOMACY BEHIND THE SPOTLIGHT Beyond the stages and exhibitions was a diplomatic effort defined by vision and steadfast commitment.

Senator Loren Legarda, long-time champion of Philippine culture, spoke passionately about heritage, imagination, and nationhood—values she has elevated throughout her career. Congressman Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro’s 2nd District represented national leadership, underscoring the

inseparable bond between cultural policy and national identity.

Equally vital were the tireless efforts of Consul General Yvette Banzon Abalos and the team of the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt, working closely with the Philippine Embassy in Berlin under Ambassador Irene Susan B. Natividad. Their months of coordination ensured that books arrived, authors were heard, and the Philippine pavilion shone with clarity and purpose. They formed the invisible architecture of success.

A NATION TRANSLATED By week’s end, more than sixty Filipino books in German had reached new hands. Filipino authors inspired full audiences. Choirs moved listeners who understood none of the words yet felt every note. The jeepney became a landmark. Maria Ressa became a compass. And through it all, Maria Renker chronicled the unfolding of a literary awakening.

And as the archipelago unfurled across Frankfurt—in song, in debate, in colour—I realised this: The Philippines did not simply participate in the Buchmesse. It transformed it.

Panelists discuss freedom of speech with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa.

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FRANCE

Arah Sales-Gaillard: From Makati Girl to Owner of the Majestic Hotel A story of courage, faith, and never forgetting your roots

By Dennis Manaay, Country Editor, France, and Margo Calderero Le-Lain 26

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rlibeth 'Arah' SalesGaillard is a proud Filipina who proves that our kababayans can thrive anywhere in the world while keeping our values close to heart.

The fourth of five children from a simple Makati family, Arah's journey resonates with every Filipino who has left home to seek better opportunities abroad. From her OFW years in Dubai's luxury hotel industry to convincing her French husband to take the ultimate leap of faith, she now owns the Majestic Hotel in the beautiful coastal town of Châtelaillon-Plage, France—a historic property built in 1897—while raising two beautiful children and planning her next venture connecting our beloved Philippines to her adopted home in France.

Her story reminds us that whether you're in Dubai, Paris, or anywhere in the world, you carry the strength of Filipino resilience, the warmth of our hospitality, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Be inspired by a kababayan who never forgot where she came from, even as she built something extraordinary where she landed.

Q CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW YOU GOT STARTED? My name is Arlibeth SalesGaillard. Everyone calls me "Arah." I am originally from Makati, the business district of the Philippines. I come from a simple family, the fourth child out of five.

I am now married to a wonderful French husband, and we have two beautiful children: a boy and a girl.

My journey has been quite an adventure. I initially trained as a physical therapist, but life

had different plans for me. After school, I made the bold decision to leave home and venture to Dubai in search of better career opportunities. While I went there hoping to work in my field of physical therapy, I ended up in the hotel industry instead—and it turned out to be exactly where I needed to be.

Q WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOU THE MOST IN YOUR EARLY LIFE? Without a doubt, my father was my greatest influence. He was the one who instilled in me the ambition that drives me today. He always told me, "Study well, work wisely, and you'll do better in life."

Those words became my guiding principle. He taught me that success comes from dedication to learning and making smart decisions in your work. That advice gave me the courage to leave home after my studies, and pursue opportunities abroad.

physical therapy career I had originally planned, I threw myself into the work wholeheartedly. My dedication paid off when I was promoted to a higher position, eventually becoming in charge of all the hotel's events.

But the most life-changing part wasn't just the professional success—it was at that hotel where I met my husband. Dubai gave me both career fulfillment and love, shaping me into the ambitious, adaptable person I am today.

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TRUST IN YOUR DREAMS, HAVE COURAGE IN YOUR HEART, AND REMEMBER THAT YOUR BUSINESS ADDRESS IS WHEREVER YOU CHOOSE TO STAND AT ANY GIVEN TIME

Q LOOKING BACK, WAS THERE A DEFINING MOMENT THAT SHAPED WHO YOU ARE TODAY? It was definitely my decision to move to Dubai. Those seven years I spent there completely transformed my life. Dubai became a very special place for me—it's where the real story of my life began. What started as a career move seeking a "greener pasture" turned into something much more meaningful.

I began as an events secretary and coordinator at a five-star hotel. Even though it wasn't the

Q WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CHOOSE THIS CAREER PATH TO BE A HOTEL OWNER? I spent 10 years as a housewife, but I wasn't just any housewife—I was a business-minded one! Without a money-making activity, I got bored.

My husband provided me and the kids with a five-star lifestyle— luxury hotel accommodations, fivestar dining every day, vacations in luxury resorts, mixing with special groups of people, driving the latest SUV. We had it all, but it came at

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the expense of my husband's time with us.

When people would approach me with the usual pitch about lifestyle and travel opportunities, I wasn't interested. We already had the lifestyle they were offering!

But what I wanted was to bring back our time and freedom in our lives, especially for my kids.

The inspiration truly came in April 2014 during my parents' golden wedding anniversary.

Everything was so beautiful and bright because they had done their years together—they started with a simple business that bloomed and flourished year after year.

incredible achievement. It took me six months just to start taking phone calls and handling online reservations confidently, but we did it with determination and faith.

Q WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED ALONG THE WAY THAT OTHERS COULD BENEFIT FROM?

Q WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACED STARTING OUT? The challenges were immense!

We first tried starting a business in Manila for a year, but it wasn't enough because our kids were too young and school fees were no joke. We left that business with family and continued our journey for another year in Abu Dhabi to finalize our path.

When we finally landed in France in August 2015 with our two kids, a dog, and a forty-foot container truck, we turned our lives 360 degrees. We had courage in our hearts and pockets, with no space for fear! As my dad once said, "Our business address is where we stand at any given time."

But the real challenge was the language barrier—could I still speak English and Arabic in France? Oh, help me God! We started going around France exploring different business ideas—from a small épicerie to grocery to restaurant to buying a franchise—until we finally found 28

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our jewel in Châtelaillon-Plage: The Majestic Hotel, built in 1897!

The real challenges started there. Staff was so expensive, and we didn't have a European work lifestyle. We basically had to do everything from scratch with our four bare hands, occasionally getting four others to help, but not all the time. And let's not forget our two kids and dog were with us throughout this journey. My husband even went into depression for a year, but I never gave up. My God is my anchor and our shelter.

Q WHICH ACHIEVEMENT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? I am most proud of the courage we had to completely transform our lives and successfully establish The Majestic Hotel. Taking over a historic property built in 1897 and making it our own, despite all the language barriers and cultural differences, was an

The biggest lesson is that your business address is where you stand at any given time—mobility and adaptability are crucial. Don't let fear control your decisions; instead, fill your heart and pockets with courage.

Even when you have material comfort, if you're missing time and freedom with your family, success isn't complete. Sometimes you need to take calculated risks to gain what truly matters. Most importantly, never give up, even when those closest to you are struggling—faith and persistence will see you through the darkest times.

Q WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WORK? Traveling with my family is always first on my list after long hours of work. I love discovering new places every time, and we all love challenges and sometimes even extreme sports. There's something magical about exploring unfamiliar territories that sparks creativity and gives me fresh perspectives for my business. Each destination teaches me something new about hospitality, culture, and what makes guests feel welcome and excited.

My week is also full of activities and dancing—Oriental dancing, Latino dancing, jazz, and Pilates

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are my usual weekly routine.

These activities don't just keep me physically active; they feed my soul and creativity. The rhythm, the movement, the cultural richness of different dance styles— they all contribute to my approach to hospitality and business.

Q CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH YOUR CREATIVE OR PROBLEMSOLVING PROCESS?

time and creating a lifestyle where we're truly present for each other.

My dance routines are essential for maintaining my motivation.

When the weight of running a historic hotel feels overwhelming, I turn to Oriental dancing, Latino rhythms, Jazz, or Pilates. These activities don't just relieve stress— they reconnect me with my passion and energy. Dancing reminds me that life should have joy and movement, not just work.

Finally, staying connected with my roots through regular calls with family back home and

maintaining friendships across distances reminds me of my journey and how far I've come.

These connections ground me and give me strength during the toughest moments.

Q WHAT VALUES GUIDE YOUR DECISIONS IN LIFE AND WORK? Respect, love, and transparency form the foundation of my relationship with my husband and

When problems arise, I dance them away! It might sound unconventional, but dancing is my way of clearing my mind and finding solutions. Whether it's Oriental, Latino, or jazz, the movement helps me process stress and think more clearly. There's something about the physical expression that unlocks mental clarity.

I also rely heavily on my support network. I call my family back home often, and I make sure to connect with far-away friends as well. These conversations give me different perspectives and remind me that I'm not alone in facing challenges. Sometimes the best solutions come from simply talking through problems with people who know you well and care about your success.

Q HOW DO YOU STAY MOTIVATED WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH? My motivation comes from multiple sources. First, my family— knowing that our sacrifices and hard work are creating the freedom and time together that we always wanted keeps me going. The goal was never just financial success; it was about reclaiming our family

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kids. These three values are nonnegotiable in my personal life and guide every major decision I make. With my family, there's complete honesty and mutual respect—it's what keeps us strong through all the challenges we've faced together.

For dealing with others, I try to follow my husband's approach: kill them with kindness. Sometimes it works beautifully, and you can turn difficult situations into positive ones just through genuine kindness and understanding. But I'll be honest—sometimes it doesn't work, and that's when my "little devil" comes out from time to time to tame the wild animals along the way! Sometimes you need to be firm and stand your ground, especially in business.

family time, and maintaining a relationship that keeps me energized and grounded.

Q WHAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT YOU?

Q WHAT'S A TYPICAL DAY IN YOUR LIFE LIKE? My days are beautifully full and varied. I balance the demanding work of running The Majestic Hotel with my passion for staying active and connected. My week is packed with work activities, but I always make time for my dance routines—Oriental dancing, Latino dancing, jazz, and Pilates are essential parts of my weekly schedule.

After long hours at the hotel, traveling with my family takes priority. We're always planning our next adventure or discovering new places together. I make sure to call my family back home often and stay connected with far-away friends. It's this balance between intense work, physical activity, 30

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People might be surprised to learn that despite running a prestigious historic hotel and maintaining a sophisticated lifestyle, I have this "little devil" side that comes out when needed! While I generally approach people with kindness and try to see the best in everyone, I'm not afraid to get tough when dealing with difficult situations or people who try to take advantage.

They might also be surprised by how much I rely on dancing to solve problems. When business challenges arise, instead of sitting behind a desk stressing out, I literally dance my way through the issues. Whether it's Oriental, Latino, or jazz dancing,

the movement helps me think more clearly and find creative solutions. It's probably not the most conventional business strategy, but it works for me!

Q HOW DO YOU HANDLE SETBACKS OR CRITICISM? I find great strength in my faith and family routine. I try to go to church every Sunday with my family, and I always pray for all those people who are struggling or have lost their way. This spiritual grounding helps me put setbacks and criticism into perspective.

When people criticize or when things don't go as planned, I remind myself that everyone is fighting their own battles, and sometimes difficult behavior comes from their own struggles.

My faith gives me the resilience to bounce back from setbacks and the wisdom to see criticism as an opportunity to grow rather than a personal attack. Combined with my dance routines and family support, I have a strong foundation that helps me weather any storm.

Q WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RISK YOU HAVE TAKEN? The most important risk I've taken was convincing my husband to leave his high-paying job back in the Middle East. This wasn't just about leaving financial security— it was about completely changing

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and family, which has always been my ultimate goal. It's going to be a business and pleasure type of work, where I can share my passion for discovering new places while helping others create their own amazing travel experiences.

Q WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT THE FUTURE OF YOUR FIELD? our family's trajectory. He had a stable, well-compensated position that provided us with that fivestar lifestyle, but I saw the bigger picture: we were trading time and freedom for money.

Convincing him to take this leap with me meant putting our family's future on the line. We were leaving the known for the unknown, giving up guaranteed income to chase a dream of owning our own business and having more control over our time together. It was terrifying, but it was the risk that changed everything and led us to the Majestic Hotel and the life we have now.

trusted my own instincts from the beginning.

I would tell her to be brave enough to follow her own heart earlier, to listen to that inner voice that knows what truly excites and motivates her. Sometimes the path others lay out for us isn't the wrong path, but our own path might be even more fulfilling. Trust yourself, young Arah - you know more than you think you do.

Q

The next chapter is going to be exciting! I'm looking into the travel industry—probably starting a travel agency that specializes in group tours between France and the Philippines. It's the perfect way to combine my love for travel, my knowledge of both cultures, and my business experience. I can already envision connecting people with the beautiful places that have shaped my life—from the bustling business district of Makati to the luxury of Dubai, and now the charm of France.

This venture would allow me to spend more time with friends

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF? I would tell my younger self to study and take the course that I really liked, not what others asked me to do. I spent so much time following other people's expectations and ideas about what I should study or what career path I should take.

While everything worked out in the end, I wonder how different my journey might have been if I had

Q WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU—ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS OR GOALS?

It is the opportunity to bridge cultures and create meaningful connections between France and the Philippines. Having lived in both worlds, I understand what each culture has to offer and how they can complement each other.

There's something magical about introducing French travelers to the warmth and hospitality of the Philippines, and showing Filipino travelers the elegance and history of France.

The travel industry allows me to continue in hospitality but in a completely different way— instead of bringing experiences to guests at a hotel, I'll be bringing guests to experiences around the world. It's about creating those "wow" moments and helping people discover places that could change their lives, just like Dubai changed mine.

Q WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? I envision the perfect balance I've always been working toward.

Hopefully, I'll be able to spend six months in the Philippines and six months in France. This would be the ultimate achievement of what

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I set out to do when I convinced my husband to leave his highpaying job—complete freedom and flexibility to be where we want, when we want.

This lifestyle would allow me to maintain deep connections with my family back home while continuing to build our life in France. I see myself successfully running group tours, helping people fall in love with both countries the way I have. Most importantly, I see myself having achieved that precious commodity I've always been chasing—time.

Time with family, time with friends, and time to continue discovering new places and experiences that keep life exciting.

Q WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR OUR READERS? Life has no limitations and boundaries. Keep reaching and striving for whatever you want and whatever you believe in life. Don't let fear hold you back from taking risks or making changes that could transform your world. Sometimes the biggest leaps lead to the most beautiful landings.

My journey from the business district of Makati to the luxury hotels of Dubai, to owning The Majestic Hotel in France, and now planning a travel business between two countries I love— none of this would have happened

if I had accepted limitations or stayed within comfortable boundaries. Trust in your dreams, have courage in your heart, and remember that your business address is wherever you choose to stand at any given time.

Q WHAT LEGACY DO YOU HOPE TO LEAVE BEHIND? I want to be remembered simply as Arah. It's beautiful how my name carries so much meaning across different cultures—in the Bible it means "surprise," in Hebrew it means "a traveler," and it represents "a place of sanctuary or refuge." These meanings perfectly capture who I've become and what I hope to represent to others.

I've lived 20+ years in the Philippines, 20+ years in the Middle East, and hopefully I'll have 20+ years in France. My legacy is that of a bridge between cultures, a sanctuary for those seeking their own paths, and living proof that life can surprise you in the most wonderful ways when you're brave enough to travel beyond your comfort zone.

I want people to remember that you can be ambitious and family-oriented, business-minded and faith-driven, sophisticated and down-to-earth all at the same time. Most of all, I want to be remembered as someone who never stopped believing that

with courage, faith, and a little dancing, you can create the life you truly want – no matter how many countries or career changes it takes to get there.

Arah Sales-Gaillard's story is a testament to the extraordinary possibilities that unfold when someone refuses to accept limitations and consistently chooses courage over comfort.

Her journey from a simple family in Makati to becoming the owner of a historic French hotel, while maintaining deep cultural roots and family values, demonstrates that success is not just about professional achievements, but about creating a life of freedom, purpose, and authentic connection.

Through her upcoming venture into travel services connecting France and the Philippines, Arah continues to embody her belief that "your business address is wherever you choose to stand at any given time." Her unique blend of business savvy, cultural wisdom, spiritual grounding, and joyful approach to problem-solving through dance makes her not just a successful entrepreneur, but a true inspiration for anyone seeking to transform their life while staying true to their values. As she looks toward spending equal time in both countries she loves, Arah represents the modern global citizen who builds bridges between cultures while never forgetting that the most precious commodity in life is time spent with the people you love.

This article is a collaboration between Dennis Manaay, France Country Editor, and Margo Calderero Le-Lain, a Filipina artist, curator, and fulltime cultural advocate living in Brittany, France since 1994. She is the Founder and President of Art & Cross Cultural Exchange Society (ACCES) in Rennes, France. Margo is originally from Mauban, Quezon.

Email: acces.rennes@gmail.com

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FRANCE

Marie Veronica Expert: Where Art Meets Grace A France-based artist takes inspiration from the Renaissance

By Dennis Manaay, Country Editor, France W H E R E A RT M E E T S G R AC E

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I

n the soft light of Mozambique in 1997, Marie met the woman who would forever change the way she saw the world. A retired Russian teacher, once a professor at the prestigious St. Petersburg Imperial Art Academy, became her mentor, guiding her into the sacred realm of painting. Under her quiet, watchful eye, Marie learned not just how to paint, but how to see.

Their lessons were intimate and profound. Within those quiet hours of instruction, the professor revealed the secrets of Renaissance art: the delicate balance between shadow and light, the poetry of color, and the dialogue between emotion and form.

Yet she also taught Marie something far deeper: how to carry herself as an artist. She showed her how to speak through her art, how to communicate with clients, to value her work, and to articulate the soul behind every creation.

Marie’s earliest artistic memories are bathed in awe—the frescoes she once gazed upon on church ceilings, their celestial figures whispering stories of faith, power, and grace. It was there that her love for Renaissance art was born. To this day, her favorite master, Peter Paul Rubens, continues to inspire her— the sensuality of his color, the strength of his figures, the vitality of his spirit.

Working with oil, acrylic, and dry pastel, Marie paints as if she is conversing with her own memories.

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Her creative process is a dance between inspiration and experimentation—a spark of emotion that slowly unfolds into form and color.

Much of her art celebrates women. In her canvases, they rise strong and luminous symbols of resilience, beauty, and creation. “To me, women are the source of life,” Marie reflects. “Through my art, I want to show that women are strong, beautiful, and the ones who give us light.”

Yet Marie’s world of expression extends beyond the studio. A lover of movement and open skies, she finds balance and focus through sport particularly golf. In 2024, she participated in the 10th edition of the BMW Golf Cup Morocco qualifier at Al Houara Golf Club in Tangier, an event where passion and precision meet. The winners will go on to represent Morocco at the world finals in Bangkok, Thailand—a celebration of excellence much like the artistry she brings to her canvases.

For Marie, art and sport are kindred forms of grace each requiring rhythm, patience, and the courage to begin again with every stroke. Whether on canvas or on the fairway, she moves with intention, turning each gesture into an act of quiet mastery.

Her art does not simply exist; it breathes, it remembers, and it radiates the beauty of a life fully lived in color, in motion, and in meaning.

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NORTHERN IRELAND

The Filipino Diaspora in Northern Ireland An introduction to some of the micro-communities that make up this vibrant community

By Feds Murray, Assistant Editor, Northern Ireland, U.K.

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ver the last three decades, Filipino legal migrants from all walks of life have progressively and contentedly settled in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.

A picturesque and beautiful country, Northern Ireland has a population of 1.93 million. Filipinos have emerged to become a significant part of the National Health Service work force, private hospitals, community and home care entities, hospitality, engineering and seafaring industries.

BUILDING COMMUNITY: CULTURAL ORGANISATIONS AND FESTIVALS The vibrant, dynamic and cohesive Filipino community in Northern Ireland has certainly conquered many challenges with faith and resilience.

In 1993, pioneer community leaders of the Filipino community founded the NIFA, Fil Com NI and

PUSO-NI community organizations. In August this year, PUSO-NI, led by Indirah Yaqub Abdullah, Roy Galit and Irene Magno, showcased a stunning cultural attraction with a group of young Filipino-British and Filipino-Irish dancers performing “Singkil”, a traditional dance from the Mindanao island group of the Philippine archipelago, in an annual popular festival in Belfast, the MELA Festival.

Belfast Barrio Fiesta is a massively celebrated and popular annual Filipino festival which brings Filipinos and locals from all corners of Northern Ireland together in a rich, authentic and colourful cultural celebration of Filipino heritage. Filipino performers from different parts of the country entertain the crowd with a wide array of music and dance. Superb and nostalgic performances by celebrities from the Philippines would be one of main highlights of the festival. The festival coincides with

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the commemoration of the Philippine Independence Day in the month of June.

Filipino products such as delicacies and treats are carefully crafted boasting the culinary capabilities of many Filipino restaurant chefs, caterers and seasonal food vendors. It is a cultural immersion which creates beautiful memories of unity, belongingness and identity. In the last couple of years, Belfast Barrio Fiesta has been curated on a bigger scale than before. Many Filipino entrepreneurs and supporters from London and Dublin have collaborated with the organisers, including Malou Enginco, Marilou Astorga and Maria Tennyson, led by Lola Be).

The festival is well-supported by the Belfast council, politicians and locals. Other vital service companies which are established and operated by Filipino entrepreneurs play an important role as sponsors of the festival. In 2026, DDC UK Promotions Ltd and Belfast Barrio Fiesta event organizers will work together to produce an enormously amusing day infused with meaningful cultural celebration.

Belfast Barrio Fiesta is just one event highlighting Filipino culture in Northern Ireland. Filipinos in Ballymena, a town in County Antrim, organise Ballymena Barrio Fiesta yearly, which also attracts many members of the community. Kubo Belfast produces The Festival of Asia in Belfast. Many Filipino restaurants and food vendors participate in this popular event which is a celebration of Asian culture and food.

CELEBRATING FILIPINO EXCELLENCE: MUSIC AND SPORTS Recently, DDK UK Promotions Ltd along with other great leaders and members of the Filipino community in Belfast, Limavady and Derry pulled together in such a powerful and heart-warming “bayanihan” community spirit to fully support the world-class University of Santo Tomas Singers and the choral ensemble’s founder and conductor, Professor Fidel Gener Calalang Jr. on their first fantastic and hugely successful concerts held in St. Joseph’s Church in Hannahstown, Belfast on 21 October and Christ The King Church in Limavady on 23 October, and an incredible win in an international choral competition in Northern Ireland.

The pinnacle of the UST Singers’ performance tour in Northern Ireland was competing for the first time in history in the 13th City of Derry International Choral Festival 2025 in the iconic Guild Hall in Derry on 24-26 October 2025. The choir won the grand prize of the international choir competition, the prestigious The Oak Tree of Derry Trophy, as 36

well as garnered special awards, including the Contemporary Music Centre Award for performance of a music piece composed by a composer from Ireland and the Bishop’s Gate Hotel Award for performance of music composed before 1750.

The excellent performances of the UST Singers during their concerts and the festival proved to be a celebration of Filipino music and culture on the global stage. Moreover, the special and distinguished achievements on their unique and stellar musical artistry in the festival added to the choir’s many exceptional accolades, bringing pride and honour to all the Filipino fans and supporters of the UST Singers in NI who joyfully cheered on the choir throughout the ensemble’s victorious and unforgettable visit in NI, leaving a significant and lasting mark on the Filipino community in Northern Ireland.

In addition to musical groups, Filipinos also band together with sports in Northern Ireland. A very successful kickstart to the Inter-town Basketball League Season 2025 was filled with thrill with 12 competing Filipino basketball teams from all over Northern Ireland, hosted and organised by DDC UK Promotions Ltd on 25 October 2025 in De La Salle College in Belfast. It is the aim of the organizers to bring Filipinos closer together through sports.

Basketball is a big part of the community. The Filipino basketball players participating in the league games are championing health and wellbeing. It is a very positive element of the Filipino community to have events that foster sportsmanship and friendship. The exhilarating atmosphere is evident from the onset of preliminary games with the spectators’ display of high energy and enthusiasm.

SOME STANDOUT STARS IN FOOD, ART AND MORE The enticingly delicious Filipino food made by Filipino chefs are becoming increasingly popular in Northern Ireland. Filipino restaurants and cafes such as Taste of Manila, Vikings, Press 29, Rayles Diners, Kubo Belfast, Kalye, Platito by Mangan, Manong’s Filipino Food, Banto Bites and Peaches and Cream serve delectable dishes and desserts which invite their Filipino and local customers to dine regularly.

Filipino photographers and videographers show their creativity and technical skills in Filipino private and community events. PIXSMITH Fotos, owned by Peljun and Chada Corvera, has been serving the Filipino community with excitement and fun with a photobooth in a lot of private functions. Erwin

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Garbin Photography and other photographers, mainly from Lisburn City, started with a collaborative work with PIXSMITH Fotos in 2011. Other brilliant photographers and videographers are Daenel Carillo, Lito Mendoza and Point Shoot.

Peljun Corvera is a talented musician who is very much involved in church music in several Filipino Catholic congregations. He sings in various Filipino functions such as weddings and birthday parties.

He is the guitarist, pianist and lead vocalist of Juan Republic Band that has been mainly performing popular Original Pilipino Music (OPM), ranging from old and new Tagalog and English songs. The ensemble has been inspiring members of the Filipino community for 14 years.

Other members of the band are Dennis Francisco (band chairman and drum), Arthur Abellaneda (bass guitar), Noel Mamac (lead guitar), Kirby Bahan (keyboard), Archie Sanchez (rhythm guitar) and Gerry Magada (bass guitar). For many years, another talented band has become an evolving part of the music scene of the Filipino community is the CoolRain Band. The band plays a mixture of music genres with Domingo Crisostomo as the musical director and pianistthe vocalists are AJ Morones Salatan, Stephanie Axton, Hazel Simber and Mae Puno. Other members of the band are John Moya (lead guitar), Cris Duclayan (bass guitar), Allan Acosta (rhythm guitar), Jhun Aton (drums).

A Northern Ireland-based painter and artist, Jason Gonzales, creates art pieces with depths and textures that explore how humans encounter nature from the external environment and, more importantly, the nature within. His works are invariably imbued with calm and serenity. Jason runs Ambition Planet which is his creative platform.

MEETING CHALLENGES TOGETHER As life comes with challenges and setbacks, some of the Filipino community members who had to battle

unfortunate and tragic circumstances were helped by community leaders with compassionate support.

Aldrin Bañas is a Community Nurse for the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and a volunteer for the Apostleship of the Sea caring for migrant fishers and seafarers who supports many members of the Filipino community tirelessly. Currently, he is on the Propaedeutic year of the Diaconate, a preparatory program of the Diaconate under the Diocese of Down and Connor. He actively supports the spiritual aspect of the lives of the catholic Filipinos in Belfast. Two key church figures in Belfast are Rev. Fr. Patrick Devlin of St. Joseph’s Parish Church, (Hannahstown) and Rev. Fr. Vincent Cushnahan of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish Church (Ligoneil).

They are very supportive to the Filipinos in NI which is deeply appreciated by the community.

Meanwhile, another dedicated catholic church leader, Rosa Cueto, who is based in Lisburn, is a member of St. Patrick’s Church Lisburn Parish Pastoral Council.

She serves as part of the music ministry in the church choir during Filipino mass, a lector/scripture reader, eucharistic minister (giving holy communion to residents in a care home twice a month) and altar society volunteer church cleaner. Mrs Cueto is also a volunteer facilitator of marriage preparation courses in ACCORD Belfast. She is the first FilipinoBritish ACCORD Facilitator of Marriage Preparation Program after attaining a Special Purpose Award Certificate in Marriage Education from St. Patrick’s Pontifical University in Maynooth, Republic of Ireland. The impact of the religious leaders is valuable to the entire Filipino community.

The collaborative efforts of many microcommunities within the Filipino community in Northern Ireland remain steadfast through the years which are reflected on the success and strength of leaders and members of the community. Their stories are yet to be told to feature the different interesting facets of the community.

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AUSTRIA

‘Once We Had a Dream’ When theatre becomes a voice for change

By Lisa Ante Pangan, Austria Photos by Peter Seipel

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n autumn 2025, theatre director Daryl Jade P. Abaya toured with Vincent V. Arada, Daniel Kaen Camacho, Princess Ann Camacho, Michaela B. Canillo, Patricia Ann D. Ecalnir and William Guarino, fellows from the PREDA Youth Group across Germany, Italy and Austria. With their musical drama “Once We Had a Dream,” these young performers have been raising global awareness for years about the fates of children in the Philippines who suffer from abuse, exploitation, and poverty.

The group represents the PREDA Foundation Inc., an advocacy organization founded in 1974 in the Philippines by Irish priest Father Shay Cullen.

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strengthening human and child rights worldwide. In its centres in the Philippines, PREDA offers refuge, therapy, and new hope to vulnerable children. Many of them have been rescued from bars, nightclubs, or inhumane detention facilities. Through Fair Trade projects, including the wellknown PREDA mango products, the organization works to break the devastating cycle of poverty and exploitation. preda.org A TOUR OF COURAGE, EMOTION, AND AUTHENTICITY For their 2025 tour, the young actors learned their entire script in German, even though none of them had spoken the language before.

Their linguistic achievement alone was remarkable. But even

more moving was the depth and authenticity of their performance.

Many of the stories told in the musical drama are drawn from their own lived experiences. With only minimal stage props, they managed to convey powerful emotions and messages. They have proved that true art needs very little to make an impact.

There were moments during the performance that pierced deeply into the audience’s hearts.

One could feel the pain, fear, and helplessness that these children once endured. “Were the ‘uncomfortable’ scenes too long?” the audience was asked afterward. No—they needed to be that way. The intensity of these scenes reflects the harsh reality many Filipino children face. As spectators, we know that the

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unease we feel will fade when the curtain falls. But for affected children in that reality, it does not. The play refuses to let us look away.

FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO BURGENLAND Thanks to the dedication of organizations like PREDA Freundeskreis e.V. in Germany www.preda-freundeskreis.de and the Weltladen Eisenstadt team in Austria, the PREDA Youth Group performed across Europe, including in Eisenstadt, Burgenland.

Led by manager Petra GeigerKletzl, the team of the Weltladen Eisenstadt accompanied the theater group throughout their tour in Austria, demonstrating immense openness, warmth, and solidarity with a foreign culture.

Weltladen operates as a nonprofit organization that supports social and sustainable projects in the Global South through Fair Trade. Her store sells PREDA’s Fair Trade products, such as popular mango items, and allocates the proceeds to support the PREDA centers.

Their commitment offers hope

and reminds us that there are people brave enough to make the world a better place and be part of positive change.

I was impressed by this group of young performers and the people who supported them in pursuing their dreams despite their difficult background. I wanted to contribute too by writing about them. This is my way of supporting to create a better world— one where communities lift each other up and stand together for justice and compassion.

HOW YOU CAN HELP With a financial donation, you can help ensure that children find

safety, freedom, and the chance to build a brighter future.

More information about donations and contact can be found on: preda.org/donate You can also support PREDA’s work simply by shopping at Weltladen Eisenstadt, which directly promotes these initiatives through Fair Trade:

WEBSITE

EISENSTADT.WELTLADEN.AT

FACEBOOK

WELTLADEN EISENSTADT

INSTAGRAM

@WELTLADEN_EISENSTADT

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lisa Ante Pangan is an IVF nurse and visual artist based in Vienna, Austria. She is known for her FlowerEmbryoArt and Coffeepainting projects, as well as workshops that foster creativity and community engagement. Her heartfelt mission is to create spaces for human connection. She is an active member of the Halo-Halo Network and supports projects of the Filipino Visual Artists in Austria (FVAA), Sige! and Urban Nomad Mixes, promoting collaboration between Filipino and Austrian communities. www.anteartsvienna.at

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GERMANY

Berlin Boodle Fights and Mother-Daughter Bonds How one Filipino restaurant is rewriting the immigrant story

By Kermit Tesoro, Berlin

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“Where was I born in Manila?”

Rosaline turns to her mother, Rosalinda, mid-interview; a simple, unassuming question. And yet, like so many family stories, it had never been asked aloud. It's funny how the most basic details of our lives wait for the most unexpected settings to emerge, in this case, over a late-lunch-earlydinner boodle fight, with bare hands reaching into mounds of freshly cooked rice, a cornucopia of Filipino dishes, and a glass of Calamansi schorle.

I had come to interview them about their restaurant. It was so personal, it almost felt intrusive to be there.

Not that I'm overegging the satisfying conclusion, but it was such a joy to hear a mother and daughter genuinely complimenting each other, without a hint of cringe. I found myself part of an unfolding family memoir, witnessing a growing relationship marked by napkins, laughter, and the occasional tear.

Ms. Rosalinda was born and raised in Obando, Bulacan. At 18, she left the Philippines for Munich in 1982, a solo leap into West Germany that now sounds almost cinematic. She eventually made her way to Berlin in 1999. She had no formal business experience. But what she did have were Filipinosized cravings and aspirations, one that Chinese and Indonesian takeout just couldn’t satisfy.

“Sometimes I'd go to an "Asian" restaurant just to get something with rice, and familiar flavours” she laughed. “But it's not the same. Not the mix of ingredients we know of.”

That craving evolved into a mission: to open a Filipino restaurant not just for herself,

but for the growing diaspora community. A place for new arrivals, students, expats, and even Germans who had never heard of sinigang, and those who couldn't point to the Philippines on a map.

At first, Rosalinda considered gardening, her original passion, but found it too private, too

individual. “With plants, it's just you and the soil,” she said. “With food, you feed people. You gather them.”

A FILIPINO RESTAURANT IN BERLIN? BOLD. Filipino cuisine has long lived in the shadow of its Southeast Asian neighbours. In a city where every corner offers pho, pad thai, or Imbiss-style fried noodles, Filipino food remains an underdog. But Rosalinda never saw other Filipino restaurants as competition, quite the opposite. “We get excited when we hear someone else opened one.

It means Filipino food is becoming an option, not a mystery.”

And the customers keep surprising them.

Kare-kare minus the bagoong is a crowd

favourite. Adobo is expected.

Sinigang, surprisingly, charms the uninitiated. Even Bicol Express has found loyal converts. “We have Indian customers who regularly order our Filipino-style chicken curry,” Rosaline told me, grinning.

“And they have access to every Indian restaurant in Berlin!”

The menu keeps evolving. With the rise in vegan and vegetarian customers, Rosaline helped introduce dishes like mushroom adobo, “still true to the flavor, but plant-based,” she said.

MEET ROSALINE: THE CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGIST WITH DISH DUTY Rosaline never planned to work in gastronomy. She studied people, not plates, drawn to anthropology, not aprons. But somehow, she ended up right where she needed to be inside her mother's kitchen, absorbing not just recipes but the philosophies behind them.

“I may not be a master in the kitchen yet,” she admitted, “but I help reorient the restaurant for today's world.” As a “zillenial,” she brings in ideas from friends, social media, food trends, and Berlin’s evolving dietary quirks.

She manages logistics, customer engagement, two kids, and, on most days, her mom's sanity. “It's a lot, but I've learned to juggle.”

BUILDING COMMUNITY, ONE BOWL AT A TIME When I asked about their most cherished success, Rosalinda smiled. “We fed people who had never been to the Philippines. Who had no idea what Filipino food was, and they loved it. That's enough.”

Of course, the work comes with challenges. “Getting weekday traffic is tough,” Rosaline

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explained. “So, we tried buffets, office lunch menus, it worked well, until COVID hit.” Now, they're experimenting again, finding ways to bring the community back through their doors. Well, something awesome is brewing.

And the community has responded.

Diplomats, professionals, regulars from across Germany: all return for comfort food with a side of warmth. “We've had guests tell us they expected something fancy when they heard ‘Filipino restaurant in Berlin.’

Then they walk in and realize, it feels like home,” Rosaline said.

“That means a lot.”

THE TASTE OF NOSTALGIA When asked about the dishes closest to her heart, Rosaline didn’t hesitate: pritong tilapia (fried tilapia) and tinolang manok (Filipino chicken soup). “Those are the foods I grew up with. Eating them now brings me straight back to childhood.”

She reflected on what it meant to be “too Filipino for Germany

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and too German for the Filipino community” a familiar paradox for many third-culture kids. “Through the restaurant, I reconnected with both parts of me.”

And then, when I asked her what she's learned from her mother, things got quiet. Then honest.

“I want to be resilient like her,” she said. “She built everything from scratch, and that gave me a privilege she didn't have, the privilege to say no, to take a break, to choose. I want to give that to my kids, too.”

There was a pause. “Sometimes my daughter has a bad day at school and asks me to stay longer.

My son needs something. And I remember being that child, waiting for my mom to come home from work. Now I understand both sides.”

She added, softly: “It's my turn to take care of her.”

IF THEY THREW A FIESTA… I had one final question. If their restaurant were to host a Filipino

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fiesta, one of those grand, tablebreaking ones we have in Laguna, where I'm from, what would they serve? First three?

Without skipping a beat: Crispy pata, humba, and lumpiang shanghai. “Already with German fanbases,” Rosaline winked.

It’s tempting to frame this story as another tale of immigrant grit, but that would be too simple.

This is also about joy. About reclaiming heritage through food. About a mother teaching her daughter to be strong, and a daughter teaching her mother it’s okay to slow down.

Some stories are best told over a boodle fight. And some answers, like where you were born, can wait until lunch.

Kermit Tesoro, based in Berlin, is an artist, fashion and shoe designer.

FA C E B O O K

KERMIT TESORO

EMAIL

KERMIFICATION@GMAIL.COM

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CZECH REPUBLIC

A Taste of the Philippines in the Heart of Europe Pinoys opens a new branch and bistro in Prague’s historic Wenceslas Square

By Andy Peñafuerte III, Prague, Czech Republic A TA S T E O F T H E P H I L I P P I N E S

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he Philippine diaspora in the Czech Republic is celebrating the opening of Pinoys’ new bistro, just steps away from the historic Václavské Náměstí or Wenceslas Square.

What began as a modest brick-and-mortar store has now become a touchstone for the Filipino community in the Czech Republic, offering products and familiar tastes that remind them of home, thousands of kilometers away.

Founded by the couple Crisjel Dablo and Daniel Kuklovský, Pinoys features Filipino and Asian staples, and its newest branch at Štěpánská 626/63, right beside Václavské Náměstí, is both a symbol of success and a quiet affirmation of belonging.

“Pinoys is not just a shop but a way of keeping our culture alive and sharing it with others,” Crisjel shared during the store’s inauguration on November 1, 2025. “It’s about bringing Filipino flavor to every table.”

FILIPINO MARK IN THE PRAGUE BUSINESS AND CULINARY SCENE In 2017, Pinoys opened as a wine shop in a small space on Heydukova Street, about five kilometers from the Prague Old Town center. In the years since, Pinoys became a small grocery. During the coronavirus pandemic, Pinoys continued delivering

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supplies and food products, becoming one of the city’s local lifelines for many residents.

Beyond its business aspects, Pinoys has also served as a place to reconnect with food, language, and community. The Kuklovskýs say the new Václavské Náměstí branch continues this mission but with a broader vision with its bistro run by Filipino chef Dario Lleva. The expansive menu features iconic Filipino dishes such as adobo and kare-kare, as well as merienda items like ube biko and banana cue.

“We based the menu on the recipes in festive Filipino celebrations,” Lleva adds. “Czechs also like the dishes, especially kare-kare, because of its peanut butter sauce. The sour, salty, and sweet flavors of adobo are new to the Czech palate, too.”

Lleva also shares that the Pinoys bistro will have special weekend menus, featuring traditional Filipino food that will also cater to the local diet and preferences. Meanwhile, Dablo says the bistro will be “a place where Filipinos and friends alike can gather, eat, and celebrate our culture together.”

In time for the bistro’s launch, Pinoys also unveiled its redesigned logo, which now features the renowned Philippine tarsier. Their journey mirrors the larger story of the growing Filipino diaspora in Central Europe. Philippine Ambassador to the

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Czech Republic Eduardo Martin Meñez shared that over 12,000 Filipinos now live and work across the country, many in the service and manufacturing industries.

“I’m happy to have inaugurated the new branch of Pinoys, and I’m even more pleased that they serves Filipino food,” Ambassador Meñez said. “We have not had a Filipino restaurant in the Czech Republic for a long time, and this is a very welcome addition for our growing Filipino community.”

Ambassador Meñez also expressed his hopes that the Pinoys bistro could “make its own mark in the Prague culinary scene”, referencing the recent recognition of Filipino eateries back home by the Michelin Guide.

“There are 108 Filipino restaurants considered in the prestigious list. And maybe, this Pinoys bistro can be included in a future Michelin ranking here in Prague! It’s not about the simplicity of the venue or its surroundings but about the quality of Filipino food and the sincerity of preparation,” Ambassador Meñez said.

A COMMUNITY IN MOTION Through its online platform, the Pinoys brand extends beyond borders, delivering Filipino and Asian goods to households across the Czech Republic and

neighboring countries, including Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and more. Yet, the physical store remains the heart of the experience.

“People don’t just come here to buy soy sauce or snacks,” Kuklovský explains. “They come to talk, to laugh, to find a sense of home.”

Pinoys’ new location in Prague’s bustling city center represents not just commercial growth but visibility, showing that Filipino culture and cuisine are becoming recognized as part of the vibrant multicultural landscape in the Czech capital.

Inside the new space, the design is bright and welcoming, with Filipino details that balance tradition and modernity. Its lights are adorned with woven baskets, and the Baguio-made broom, or walis, is part of the wall display while on sale!

On opening day, laughter filled the shop as Filipinos from across the Czech Republic gathered. Tagalog and Bisaya words mingled with Czech phrases and English greetings from patrons. First-time buyers also sampled Filipino treats.

The Kuklovskýs say the new store will satisfy the cravings of Filipino and Czech communities through special pop-up menus and product sales. “We started as a small dream to bring Filipino flavor to every table,” Dablo said. “Now it’s about keeping that flavor alive in the heart of Europe.”

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SWITZERLAND

José Rizal Heritage Award 2025 Honors Outstanding Laureates in Basel Press Release from Jose Rizal Heritage Fund Switzerland, submitted by Donna Avellana Kuenzler

B

asel, Switzerland — October 25, 2025. The José Rizal Heritage Award (JRHA) celebrated its 2025 Gala Night at the historic Hotel Victoria, Basel, recognizing distinguished laureates whose work exemplifies the ideals of Dr. José Rizal; courage, scholarship, service, and cross-cultural understanding.

The evening 46

brought together diplomats, community leaders, scholars, and friends of the Filipino and Swiss communities.

The ceremony was graced by H.E. Bernard Faustino La Madrid Dy, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, H.R.H. Prince Noah de Nassau of Luxembourg and his mother, the

J O S É R I Z A L H E R I TAG E AWA R D

former Princess of Luxembourg, Dame Tessy Antony de Nassau, who also acts as a Member of the Board of the José Rizal Heritage Fund Switzerland. Their presence highlighted the Award’s mission to inspire intergenerational leadership in humanitarian work and education.

Co-presidents Lady Estrelleta Borda Ruppert, LCR (President of

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Las Damas de Rizal Switzerland) and Sir Stephan U. Breu, KGOR (Area Commander Switzerland of the Knights of Rizal) led the festivities. Their stewardship continues the tradition of honoring individuals and institutions whose contributions “resonate with the ideas and legacy of Dr. José Rizal.”

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS The evening opened with welcome speeches followed by on-stage recognition of the 2025 laureates.

Cultural highlights followed with the Pearl of the Orient Dancers, presenting three iconic Filipino pieces: the Subli from the Batangas region, the Kakawati Dance from the Ilocos region, and the Kapa Malong-Malong of

the Maranao people of Mindanao.

The gala then turns to sustainable fashion with a spotlight on MUSA banana-fiber couture, an advocacy founded by designer Ms. Joy Soo that empowers women through weaving with banana and abacá fibers, a project that began in Davao del Norte and has since grown into a socialenterprise movement.

The showcase in Basel is presented by the Swiss Representative of the House of Musa, Ms. Janine Rölli, underscoring JRHA’s commitment to innovation, circularity and community livelihoods The evening concluded with a charity auction of the painting “Der letzte Tanz” by Swiss artist Urim Ramazani, in support of

a banana-plantation project for the indigenous community in Umayam, Agusan del Sur, realized by the José Rizal Heritage Fund Switzerland.

ABOUT THE JOSÉ RIZAL HERITAGE AWARD Founded in Switzerland in 2023, the José Rizal Heritage Award is administered by the founders Lady Estrelleta Borda Ruppert, LCR and Sir Stephan U. Breu, KGOR through the José Rizal Heritage Award Organization.

The Award recognizes individuals and institutions worldwide whose achievements uphold Dr. José Rizal’s enduring values education, civic responsibility, and service to humanity.

LAUREATES OF 2025 PROF. DR. CHRISTIANE NÜSSLEIN-VOLHARD

CHRISTIAN & CHRISTINE SCHNEIDER

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Nobel laureate and pioneer of developmental genetics in Drosophila and zebrafish; founder of the Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard Foundation supporting young female scientists with children; award accepted on her behalf

by Prof. Dr. Ralf Uwe Peter.

HUMANITARIAN SERVICES Founders of Onesimo ministries in the Philippines; decades aiding street children and families through education, rehabilitation, and community programs.

DONNA MAY AVELLANA KÜNZLER SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY Procurement and digital-transformation leader at ABB; delivers global process excellence, risk & controls, and innovation across complex, multinational operations.

FRANÇOIS ANTONY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES: Educator and community advocate supporting immigrant and refugee students in Luxembourg; longtime civic leader dedicated to inclusion and social equity.

PROF. DR. ELMAR KUHN HUMANITARIAN SERVICES Theologian and interfaith ethicist; drives relief and religious-freedom work through Christians Help in Need and international dialogue initiatives.

OMER KOBILJAK CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS & MUSIC Swiss tenor with leading roles at Zurich Opera, La Scala, Salzburg Festival, and Monte-Carlo; acclaimed for lyrical power and versatility.

ELENA KUPREEVA CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS Contemporary artist with international exhibitions and charitable projects (e.g., Kids Create); featured in major magazines and art platforms.

DR. FAITH A. NUÑEZ VERHAEGEN HUMANITARIAN SERVICES Dentist coordinating long-running Philippine dental missions, disaster relief, and Happy Teeth Foundation outreach for underserved and indigenous communities.

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GERMANY

Presidential Awardee Cuizon Pledges Support for CFO Cultural Programs

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Press Release from Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO)

residential awardee and Filipino community leader Virgilio “Ver” Cuizon has committed to support the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) by serving as a resource person for its Virtual Sentro Rizal– Educational Series. His pledge was made during a meeting with CFO Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II and artists from his group, KUNST Filipino.

Cuizon, who heads the national artists’ organization, proposed several initiatives to promote Philippine culture, 48

including donating Jose Rizal– themed artworks as prizes for the Philippine Schools Overseas Quiz Bee in December. Secretary Ang also suggested master classes to be conducted by Cuizon and KUNST Filipino for art students in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Cuizon further volunteered to conduct a free art therapy session for CFO employees.

These efforts support the CFO’s mandate to strengthen cultural ties with Filipinos overseas and align with Cuizon’s long-standing advocacy for Filipino arts.

P R E S I D E N T I A L AWA R D E E C U I Z O N

ABOUT CUIZON A prominent Filipino diaspora leader in Europe, Cuizon is a multi-awarded Presidential Awardee. His recognitions include the Banaag Award (2004 and 2021) and the Linkapil Award (2006) for his work with ALAEH e.V. He also played a key role in establishing the European Network of Filipino Diaspora (ENFiD) in 2012.

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GERMANY

Filipino-Germans Eager to Reconnect Heritage Via CFO's YouLeaD program

By Commission for Filipinos Overseas

HANAU, Germany — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) received strong interest from Filipino-Germans in its Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD) Program, which helps young Filipinos abroad reconnect with their heritage.

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t the “Ugnayan sa Germany 2025: Liwaliw” cultural forum, co-hosted by the CFO and the National Book Development Board (NBDB), many participants—especially Filipino mothers—asked about YouLeaD’s requirements and application process for their children. The event gathered Filipino marriage migrants, their families, and Germans interested in Philippine culture as part of the Philippines’ role as Guest of Honor at the 2025 Frankfurter Buchmesse.

YouLeaD is the CFO’s flagship program for second and third-generation overseas Filipinos. Marie Linda L. Santos of the CFO’s Project Management Division explained that it brings youth from various countries to the Philippines for an intensive cultural and educational program that strengthens their identity and prepares them as future leaders.

Undersecretary Ma. Arlene S. Borja, CFO executive director, outlined the commission’s mandate and diaspora engagement initiatives, including the Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL) Program,

which channels support from overseas Filipinos to small, high-impact projects in the Philippines.

Participants toured the “Liwaliw” exhibit— highlighting the joy of wandering and relaxing—before joining creative workshops with Filipino artists. The event closed by reaffirming the importance of cultural exchange and sustained dialogue between institutions and the Filipino diaspora.

ABOUT THE COMMISSION ON FILIPINOS OVERSEAS The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), established under Batas Pambansa Blg. 79, is dedicated to the welfare and empowerment of Filipinos permanently residing abroad. It is distinct from the Department of Migrant Workers, which primarily addresses the needs of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and other temporary migrants.

The CFO, which is an agency under the Office of the President, works to strengthen the social, economic, and cultural ties of global Filipinos with their home country. Its primary stakeholders include Filipino permanent migrants, dual citizens, spouses and partners of foreign nationals, individuals under the Exchange Visitor Program, au pair participants bound for Europe, and Filipino descendants overseas.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT ATTY. JAN KARLO MAGRACIA OF THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY AT JKMAGRACIA@CFO.GOV.PH

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CZECH REPUBLIC

Three Filipino Books Launch in the Czech Republic An official press release from the Philippine Embassy in the Czech Republic

22 October 2025—The Philippine Embassy in Czech Republic, in partnership with Anglo-American University (AAU) in Prague and in cooperation with the National Book Development Board, organized the official launch of three books written by Filipino authors recently translated into the Czech language: The Uninvited Guests from Bikol (Nezvani hoste z Bikolu), written by Ms. Neni Sta Romana Cruz, and published by Golden Dog; and The Sadness in a Rat’s Eye and The Eyes of Santa Lucia, both written by Mr. Kristian Sendon Cordero and published by Malvern Publishing House and by Prah, respectively.

The launch, attended by representatives of Czech publishing companies, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Filipino students of AAU, was held at the Anglo American University in Prague on 22 October 2025.

The event underscores the significance of expanding Philippine-Czech relations in the academic and literary fields.

Completing the event was a feast of Filipino favorites such as chicken sisig in crispy rice, chicken adobo in fried wonton wrapper and ube langka biko by Filipino chef Dario Lleva, which delighted the guests.

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From Roots&Wings Graphic Designer to Career Diplomat My unlikely road to becoming a career diplomat, with Roots & Wings along the way

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By Marthy Arguelles Angue

henever someone finds out what I did before entering the foreign service (or whenever I tell my old branding or screenwriting clients why I can’t take on new projects any more), there tends to be a surprise in the inevitable reaction—namely, “How did that happen?”—that I find daunting to satisfy.

The simple answer is that my mother-in-law saw an ad for the 2019 exams and thought I might be a good match for it. Also, I was told it was the toughest examination in the country and couldn’t resist taking a crack at it. Also, I had just recently married a doctor and thought maybe “diplomat” paired better than “designer.” Also, I had been starting to feel constrained

up having been working from home for seven years by that time. And on goes the list of absolutely true reasons that are also ways to evade having to tell the entire story of why I decided to pick up diplomacy at 35 after a decade and a half in the creative industries.

I give myself the exact same litany of reasons to avoid that very question, to be fair.

WHEN I GROW UP Growing up, I never really knew what I wanted to be. My dad had been abroad for all but a handful of weeks of my early childhood, so I put down “pilot” when they asked us in preschool. Had they asked why, I would've said something about that strange magic

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of watching people disappear into, or emerge out of, NAIA Terminal 1.

Everything else that interested me in childhood was a matter of “strange magic.” There was the strange magic of luxury items in Sky Mall catalogues.

There was the strange magic of “the World Tonight” and “Japan Video Classics.” There was the strange magic of back issues of the New Yorker from the used book shop at our palengke, talking about politics and cultural scenes I had absolutely zero context for. I especially loved that one Ferrero Rocher commercial where the chocolates were in a pyramid, being served at an Ambassador’s reception.

I loved all of it. I longed so much to understand any of it.

I could have wanted to “go abroad” like dad did, of course. The impression you got was that going abroad was where you’re supposed to want your life to go, as what exactly being largely incidental. And we had been able to live that “Filipino Dream” (i.e. to pack up and live anywhere else) as an immigrant family in Canada for three years in the nineties until family obligations trumped custodial work and forklift operation.

Out of either patriotic fervor or plain contrarianism, I didn't pay the prospect of going back much mind. In

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fact, I hardly paid any prospects for a life-long careerpath much mind at all by the time I entered my thirties.

Not that I’ve been idle—I’d won an international marketing award, co-founded one of Southeast Asia’s most prolific digital art studios, and had rebranded a bank by then. I had an animated series in the works like I’ve always wanted, greenlit for a second season.

Sure, I didn’t really get to go on planes like I may have wanted to as a child, but wasn’t the whole point of Creative Process Outsourcing earning US American greenback dollars without having to leave mom with dad in Cavite City?

Even then, that preschool question continued to hound me like a word I’ve both forgotten and yet never actually knew: what did I want to be when I grew up? 31 and still, I was literally asking myself that very question.

“ROOTS & WINGS” CONNECTIONS I took my first solo flight abroad when I was 31. I had recently been folded into Roots & Wings magazine, and Ms. Rachel Hansen, RaW-Mags’ publisher, had commissioned me to extend my services to the 2nd European Regional Overseas Filipino Conference.

The event had been for a handful of days in Malta, but my stay in Europe had been generously extended by

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Ms. Rachel and the Filipino Community in Europe for the better part of three months: the first two having been spent mostly under the unsettling sunlight of a Stockholm summer and the last month backpacking cluelessly from Rome to Paris.

I owe the rest of my adult life to this magazine, unequivocally. I met my wife on that three-month escapade, realizing that I did in fact want to share the happiest days of my life with a friend of 12 years while traipsing alone through a secluded church piazza in Venice. I reconnected with my artist father, whose dementia had been partly why I cofounded our company as a 100% online operation, among his old masters in the Louvre. Most relevant to this story though, it was the first time I’ve ever met diplomats. Also the first time I’ve ever smelled pot (Amsterdam, obviously) and the first time I’ve ever been mugged (twice, by the same gang of teens, in two very different parts of Berlin).

Meeting diplomats and leaders of the Filipino diaspora in that conference had presented me with a new category of thing to be. I met ambassadors, consuls, Filipinos in multilateral organizations (who warned me against taking a job with said multilateral organizations at the cost of my soul) and foreign policy consultants. Many lent hours of unforgettable conversation. Some even lent rooms and meals during my meanderings through the continent.

For all my youthful dismissal about going abroad, I suppose there is something fundamental about venturing out into unknown lands that stirs a Filipino mind. Meeting all of these kababayans from every walk of life, doing incredible and interesting things, and exchanging ideas with them opened me up to ways of being. I flew back to the Philippines with my mind racing with possibilities, excited to expand my horizons beyond digital art and branding and within a few weeks of returning home, my life did change forever.

I started dating the girl I married.

got married in 2017, mostly while still co-running my company and doing branding projects and largely forgetting about the diplomacy thing. Well, just mostly.

From 2015 until the time I joined the Service, I’d been a designer and associate editor for Roots and Wings, assembling Filipino stories across Europe for publishing while covering European events in Manila for the magazine. I’d like to think that those years taught me how to mingle with diplomats in formal functions, which they most certainly did. I would also like to think that those years taught me how to dress and groom like a diplomat in formal functions, (but they unfortunately did not.)

It was at the tail end of our first year of marriage when my wife’s mother suggested that I take the foreign service exam.

I had not been actively considering a career change. Neither she nor my wife had been anything other than supportive of my career and business either. It had been a musing sent via Facebook Messenger that I took seriously for five minutes, forgot about, and later remembered just soon enough for me to submit my application at the last possible moment (I may literally have been the last applicant on the last day of applications in 2018.)

“ I OWE THE REST OF MY ADULT LIFE TO THIS MAGAZINE, UNEQUIVOCALLY.

ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER We had our first date at the National Museum. We’ve been there several times before but I admitted that it was a date at the room with the Botong Francisco Murals. That was 2015. We got engaged in 2016 and

HOW TO BECOME A CAREER DIPLOMAT Our Foreign Service Officers’ Exam was a gauntlet of five examination stages lasting one to three days, spread across the span of one year with days, weeks, or months of nerve-wracking anxiety in between. I understand they’ve since reduced the number down to four.

The first stage, the Qualifying Exam, is essentially a Civil Service Exam. Or, for those who have never done a Civil Service Exam, more or less like a College Entrance Exam with an 80% cut-off. This exam pared our batch down to less than a fifth. My dad died shortly before I received the news that I passed and placed fourth.

There had been a preliminary oral exam before the big, three day written exam back in 2019 but that seems to have been taken out. Perhaps the Board of Foreign Service Examinations figured it was better to let examinees concentrate on the three days of nonstop pen-scratching awaiting them. It was the “a little bit

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of everything that happened before, everything going on now, and everything that might happen tomorrow” nature of this test that hooked me into trying it out.

I wasn’t confident enough with a foreign language other than English to look forward to that part of the exam, but I figured I knew enough German for an exam designed for fewer takers (Spanish, as I later found out, was much more demanding). Note to takers: a clear head, a flexible wrist, and staying hydrated during the exam is much more valuable to this exam than anything you can glean from last minute cramming.

Then, there is the Psychological Examination, a battery of IQ, personality, and diagnostic tests plus face-to-face interactions with psychologists to answer the question: “are you psychologically fit to work for the government?” To clarify, the answer you would like to receive from this examination is “yes.”

Finally, there are the Oral Examinations. Less than a tenth of us remained at this point, each one of us submitting ourselves to be judged by panels and observers and, come to think of it, each other. I’ve had to answer why a designer would want to be a diplomat a handful of times during our two-day orals, perhaps wondering why anyone would leave home-based, self-employed corporate work for public service (“oh yeah, good point, why WOULD I do that?” I reply, five years too late).

The last round of Orals involved an extravagant formal dinner with extravagant formal dinner guests

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flanking each one of us examinees left and right, asking us (me) if anyone had ever taught us (me) formal social etiquette (no, I was born and raised in extraordinary social isolation, but I am very eager to learn.) Part of that dinner involved fishing a topic out of a bowl and coming up with a dinner speech extemporaneously while a room full of seasoned extemporaneous speakers stared you down for the impostor you are.

My dinner topic was about being the Ambassador to Thailand after the ASEAN Summit and so I talked about how the Summit had succeeded in bringing together and building strong ties of cooperation between the Eleven members of ASEAN. Eleven members of ASEAN. Eleven members of ASEAN. Eleven members of ASEAN. I had been working on speculative logos for the SEA Games earlier that year and the eleven rings of the SEA Games logo was so vivid in my mind that I kept repeating it in my speech. Eleven members of ASEAN. ASEAN has ten members. Or it does, until this November.

HOW TO ACTUALLY BECOME A DIPLOMAT Had I failed, I would likely not have known until January, marking an entire year after the Qualifying Exam. I passed, despite myself, by the Grace of God. I just needed a list of simple-enough clearances and medical check-ups and I was well on my way to start

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a whole new life, finally away from my work-fromhome comfort zone.

Truly, I was ready to step out and face the world in that truly life-changing year: 2020.

I did not get to start work until 2021. My first few months in the service had been work from home.

My six-month cadetship training had been entirely on Zoom. Our “Department of Foreign Affairs Day” group performance, a rite of passage for new diplomats, had been in an online game. Even then, that had been the state of the world the year I started with Foreign Affairs so that was what the work entailed. And when the world began opening back up, the work did too.

Since then, life has been a blur. Partly, it was because of the overwhelming honor of being able to bring my creative background into this avenue of service: rebranding the Department of Foreign Affairs social media ecosystem, exhibiting my work at the UN Headquarters in New York and the Osaka World Expo. Designing the UN 80th anniversary commemorative stamp for the Philippines and launching it at the Botong Francisco Mural Room. I was even served a Ferrero Rocher at an ambassador’s reception once!

Unfortunately, it’s also partly because I feel my eyesight has been declining since 2023.

I think I may have joined the service a bit later than I should have. I was told, day one, that I was probably starting at too old an age to reach ambassadorship

before retirement. Fair enough, if that was necessarily the case.

Ten years after joining Roots & Wings and going on that unforgettable journey—ten years after my first brushes with diplomacy and the Filipino diaspora—I think I’m ready to say that what I’ve wanted to be when I grew up was exactly where I am now: a Filipino diplomat.

Telling the story of my people around the world, defending their interests and promoting their well being while forging friendships on their behalf with all the peoples of the world - all I really want is to still be doing that in the event that, God forbid, I ever do grow up.

Applications for the 2026 Foreign Service Exams are open from 15 September to 30 October! Visit dfa.gov.ph for more information!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Marthy Arguelles Angue is a Filipino diplomat currently serving as a Third Secretary for the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN. His “dilang anghel” is that ASEAN will expand beyond 10 members during his posting. He is also a designer, writer, and game developer, co-founder of the digital art studio Gunship Revolution, and has been a member of Roots & Wings Team since 2015.

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Roots & Wings Welcomes New Staff Members Roots & Wings welcomes two new U.K. assistant editors this quarter, Jon Pico in Wales and Feds Murray in Northern Ireland. We look forward to featuring more coverage of their local communities in 2026.

JON PICO Jon Pico began his nursing career in 2001 as a Band 5 nurse, moving from the Philippines to the UK with determination and hope for the future. Starting in the Acute Care of the Elderly Ward before transitioning to the Intensive Care Unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital, he has grown into his role as a Senior Staff Nurse over the past 24 years. Alongside caring for some of the most critically ill patients, he has taken on leadership responsibilities—mentoring and supporting colleagues, advocating for staff well-being, and pursuing continuous professional development. His studies, which include specialist modules in Renal Nursing, Intensive Care, Clinical Leadership, and Healthcare and Ageing, have enriched his practice. He is currently working toward a Master’s in Advanced Clinical Practito further strengthen his ability to deliver high-quality, patientcentred care.

Beyond his clinical role, he has been fortunate to represent both his colleagues and the Filipino community in the UK through initiatives and events that celebrate diversity, leadership, and service. From attending His Majesty the King’s Birthday Reception at Buckingham Palace and representing his Health Board at Florence Nightingale’s historic home, to helping launch the Philippine Nurses Association UK Wales chapter and serving on the CNO Global Ethnic Majority Advisory Group, he has embraced opportunities to advocate, connect, and inspire. These experiences, along with recognitions such as the Executive Director of Nursing (EDoN) Award, have reinforced his belief in the power of resilience, teamwork, and representation. Yet at the heart of it all, his greatest fulfilment remains in caring for patients—supporting their recovery,

easing their journey, and making a difference where it matters most: at the bedside.

FEDS MURRAY An exuberant and versatile woman, Feds Murray approaches life with determination, optimism, and faith, guided by her belief in Christ and her deep commitment to pursuing her passions.

A devoted wife and mother of three, she embodies resilience and creativity in every aspect of her personal and professional life. Her identity is woven from many threads—registered nurse, soprano, writer, storyteller, community leader, and advocate for diversity, compassionate service, and mental health. With a natural warmth and a genuine love for people, she brings care, kindness, and artistry into everything she does.

Her professional journey spans decades of service across the Philippines and the

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United Kingdom, building expertise as a senior staff nurse in operating theatres and critical care. Trained at Silliman University, she has contributed her skills to major hospitals from Makati Medical Center to Belfast City Hospital, gaining extensive experience in renal, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, colorectal, gynaecological, breast, urology, orthopaedic, and general surgery. Beyond nursing, her creative spirit flourishes through vocal performance, public speaking, events hosting, and community leadership. Whether singing with The Ormeau Concert Band, serving the Filipino community in Northern Ireland, or amplifying stories as a registered commercial talent and correspondent, she continues to inspire others with her dedication, compassion, and vibrant love for the arts.

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WISHING OUR READERS A

Mer ry Christmas, and a Happy New Yea r FROM ROOTS & WINGS – THE ONLINE MAGAZINE FOR FILIPINOS IN EUROPE

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