FilAm 05-2023

Issue 63, May 2023

When journalists become the news: The Don & Tucker Show

The classic definition of a journalist is that he or she is read, but not seen or heard.

That definition has of course been stretched beyond recognition by personalities who have taken outsized roles in the public arena.

They have helped define what is news and taken sides in issues where often, their mastery of those issues skates close to racism, ignorance or personal bias.

When Tucker Carlson in Fox and Don Lemon in CNN were dismissed from their platforms in those news organizations, the reaction of those who had experienced firsthand their arrogance was nothing short of gleeful. Accounts of the way Carlson and Lemon abused their positions as prime time anchors spread with alacrity, as if to justify the comeuppance many felt at the way their fortunes have been laid low.

While holding no sympathy for Carlson and Lemon and their abuses of power and influence, maybe it is time for the media structure to return to some old-fashioned values.

Sixty years ago, people like Edward Murrow and Walter Cronkite delivered the news with an unvarnished precision dedicated to the idea of telling what happened -- with no spin. There was no bombast. It was straight news and you get to make up your own mind.

The person reading the news did not morph into someone who is the main character in the story.

On Monday evening in the last week of April, Carlson and Lemon led the network news by their unceremonious departure from their broadcasting perch. The day-after story narrated the breathless reaction of many of their colleagues who cheered their departure and humiliation.

As in a lot of things in this time and age, the way news is done reflects the defects of this period. There is a marked partiality toward

feting celebrity, the more controversial and opinionated the more watched he is. Substance is, of course, lost for ratings.

One need look no further than the way Fox reacted in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden. The network’s commentator-journalists had to echo Donald Trump’s claims of a stolen election because it was losing its audience. In effect, ratings trumped accuracy, and any pretensions of telling the truth were summarily abandoned.

The best way to repair the situation would be a return to values that were valid decades ago and still are today. Is that still possible? One would hope that decency would still matter in our hyper-partisan media universe. We are not optimistic though that this can happen given the proverbial nature of the media industry which produced a Tucker Carlson and a Don Lemon.

Most media these days has seen an utter lack of substance. It is depressing to note that valuable debates over policies often take place on PBS. What we got in firing Carlson and Lemon is a spectacle, a circus.

A deeper dive into the issues plaguing our media would serve our people better. That is the hope, but we know well that will not happen anytime soon, if at all.

Christy Bautista stabbed 30 times inside D.C. hotel room dies

A Virginia woman who was in Washington D.C. to attend a concert was stabbed to death inside her hotel room by a male suspect with a long criminal history.

Christy Bautista of Arlington and Harrisonburg, Virginia died after being stabbed some 30 times inside the Ivy City Hotel, according to reports. The murder happened on March 31 with the suspect identified in media reports as George Sydnor Jr.

“While we rejoice in the good news of the Resurrection during this Easter season, one of our kababayans is mourning the loss of a daughter and a sister, Christy Bautista. She was 31 years old,” writes Fr. Ramel Portula, CICM, pastor of St. Ann Church in Arlington in his letter to parishioners circulating within the D.C. area community. Portula is a friend of the Bautista family.

His letter reads: “You may have read about Christy and how she was brutally murdered in a hotel in D.C., stabbed over 30 times by a man who happened to be on bail for robbery charges.

“The Bautistas are Arlington residents. Christy graduated from Yorktown HS. They are parishioners of St. Ann. She was confirmed at St. Ann.

“Jimmy, her dad, told me that they were visited by the police in their Arlington home late at night on March 31 to inform them about what happened to Christy.

“Last Tuesday, the Bautista family received the body of Christy at the funeral home. I accompanied the family. We blessed her body before she was cremated.

“No one among us can possibly feel what the Bautista family is going through. So, first, we pray for the repose of the soul of Christy and for her family: parents, Jimmy and Arlene; sisters, Emily and Ashley.

“Second, the funeral mass is scheduled on May 19, Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Ann Church in Arlington.”

Christy’s sister Ashley who manages a GoFundMe page to raise funds for funeral costs said her sister “made an impact on everyone’s lives that she encountered. She was a shining light that lifted everyone’s spirits around her. She encouraged people to do things they were afraid of and cheered them on. She showed them what

true strength was through her courageous actions. She would remember one small, random thing you said and find any way to help. Her life was ended way too short by a cruel act of violence that she did not deserve.”

It was not clear how Sydnor managed to enter Christy’s hotel room. Witnesses told police they saw a man “pull back (Christy) into the room.”

The hotel issued a statement about its security protocols telling Fox News of its “recently updated security system with 19 cameras property-wide, LED parking lot lighting, and a security guard on-site that night…All guest rooms, including Bautista's, was equipped with door viewers, door safety latches, and modern, tamper-proof RFID locks with 1" safety deadbolt.”

Fr. Mel urged the community to organize a Filipino choir to sing at the May 19 funeral mass. He also suggested a little reception for the family after the mass.

“These are just small acts of mercy that we can do for the Bautista family. We would need volunteers to bring food, drinks, plates and other cutlery, parish hall set up, etc. The Bautista family doesn’t need to worry about these things. They would feel comforted.”

Clementina Ceria-Ulep is named dean of University of Hawaiʻi School of Nursing

Clementina Ceria-Ulep has been appointed permanent dean of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing (NAWSON) effective April 1, 2023, according to a March 16 announcement by the university. Ceria-Ulep has served as acting dean from August 1 to October 31, 2021, and as interim dean since November 1, 2021.

Ceria-Ulep joined the School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene faculty at UH Mānoa in 1993. She has taught in both undergraduate and graduate programs, and served in various leadership positions.

“We are very pleased that Dr. Ceria-Ulep has accepted the permanent dean position to continue to lead the Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing in providing quality education, research and service for our students, faculty, alumni and community partners,” said UH Manoa Provost Michael Bruno. “Her long career in healthcare coupled with her dedication and passion for the profession, make her an asset to the school and the university.”

As acting and interim dean, Ceria-Ulep provided academic and administrative leadership for the school, and led and coordinated the school’s academic, curricular, research and service programs to ensure the advancement of the strategic plans of UH Mānoa and UH System. She was previously associate dean for academic affairs where she oversaw the programmatic development and quality assurance of the department of nursing and department of dental hygiene.

Her clinical practice areas are in adult health and administration, and research focusing on healthy aging, physical activity and physical function.

She was instrumental in the implementation of the Hawaiʻi Statewide Nursing Consortium in 2010, the development of new undergraduate pathways to the bachelor’s degree, and the launch of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program in 2013. She has participated in three department of nursing accreditations.

She was co-principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health grant to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary time in Filipino older adults who are lay leaders from Filipino Catholic Clubs in Hawaiʻi. As chair of the Long-Term Care taskforce of the Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE), an interfaith community organization, Ceria-Ulep worked with key local and national organizations to pass Act 102, which provides working families a daily allowance to fund caregiving services for elderly family members. The achievement highlighted Hawaiʻi as a leader in the nation by being the first to pass such a law.

As the first president of FACE, she was also instrumental in the renovation of Kalihi Valley Homes. She worked with FACE members and the state government to install traffic amenities in the once dangerous Waiau

increase physical activity

interchange, Honolulu City Council to install bus shelters in Kalihi Valley and Waipahu, and priority seating for the elderly on Honolulu city buses.

“I welcome this opportunity with gratitude and joy!

I am honored and privileged, and at the same time humbled to be selected as the permanent dean of the UH Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing,” said Ceria-Ulep. “I appreciate the confidence and trust placed in me by faculty, staff, students, colleagues and administration. From teaching at all levels and serving as department chair, associate dean, acting and interim dean, I have grown so much personally and professionally at NAWSON. I will use lessons learned and experiences gained to take NAWSON to greater heights with everyone’s support and collaboration to benefit the school, university, state and beyond!

Ceria-Ulep’s success as a leader has led to numerous honors and awards, including Outstanding Alumni of the UH Mānoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, Excellence in Nursing Research Award from the Filipino Nurses of Hawaii, the Fr. Ernest Claes outstanding leadership award from the Oʻahu Council of Filipino Catholic Club, PRIDE Award from the Philippine Nurses Association of Hawaiʻi and fellow from the Pacific Century Fellows Program.

time

Ceria-Ulep is a proud UH alumna having earned her bachelor’s of science and master’s of science in nursing administration from UH Mānoa. She received her PhD in nursing administration from the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

Biden hosts BBM at White House on May 1: ‘We are family’

President Joe Biden hosted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a bilateral meeting at the White House on May 1, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced on April 20.

“During the visit, Biden will reaffirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines, and the leaders will discuss efforts to strengthen the longstanding U.S.-Philippines alliance,” she said in a statement.

She also said the two leaders will review opportunities to “deepen economic cooperation and promote inclusive prosperity, expand our nations’ special people-to-people ties, invest in the clean energy transition and the fight against climate change, and ensure respect for human rights.”

The two leaders will also discuss regional matters and “coordinate on efforts to uphold international law and promote a free and open IndoPacific,” she said further.

Marcos is expected to be in the U.S. from April 30 to May 4.

The meeting with Biden comes two months after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had announced the U.S. and the Philippines will “enhance” military cooperation in a bid to neutralize the growing regional clout of China. Austin disclosed during a visit to Manila on February 2 that Washington and Manila talked about “enhancing our mutual defense posture and strengthening our commitments under our Mutual Defense Treaty.”

Austin said Manila has approved four new EDCA locations, areas where the Enhanced Defense

Cooperation Agreement will establish a presence for military training and other related activities. He made clear the U.S. is “not seeking permanent basing sites” in the Philippines.

“EDCA is not about permanent basing here in the Philippines,” said the defense chief. “It's about providing access that allows us to increase our training opportunities with our partners, our allies here. It's about having the ability to respond in a more effective fashion as we're faced -- as we're

collectively faced with humanitarian assistance issues or natural -- or disaster response issues. And so this is an opportunity to increase our effectiveness, increase interoperability.” A basing treaty will need to be ratified by the Philippine Senate which could delay any operation should there be the spectacle of grandstanding Filipino lawmakers.

He maintained EDCA as a bilateral agreement involves only “rotational activities” to strengthen the U.S.Philippine military alliance.

The four new EDCA sites have been identified: Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; Balabac Island in Palawan; and Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan. This brings to nine the total number of “strategic” locations where joint military training will be conducted, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Austin has stated the United States and the Philippines are “more than just allies; we're family.” -Cristina DC Pastor

A Copacabana moment with Frank, Joe and Andy

In the Fifties, as I was attuned to jazz music and new talents in bands and performers, I read a lot about the Copacabana Club of Manhattan where big name stars like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope used to perform. I had no inkling that one day I would be part of an exciting event at the historic club that inspired Barry Manilow’s 1978 danceable music. But that’s getting ahead of my story.

As the first Filipino student and only Asian in a Toronto City technical school in 1959, I experienced a lot of “firsts:” My first trip outside of the Philippines, my first winter, and my first scholarship in a foreign country for postgraduate studies. At the age of 30, having won a fellowship courtesy of the Canada Council for Communication Arts for the school year 1959-1960, I finally got admitted to the Ryerson Institute of Technology to pursue advanced studies in Radio and TV Arts.

During the school’s Christmas vacations I felt like visiting New York.

Manhattan had beckoned to me even before I left Manila.

One Friday, I boarded a Greyhound for Manhattan. The bus arrived in New York at sundown, and I was lucky to get a room at the local YMCA for $1 per night. You got that right. A dollar. It’s a tiny room with hardly any space for anything else. The bathroom for all to share was down the hall. That same evening, since I was truly excited to see the

city at night, I phoned a Filipino lady friend of mine who was studying at Columbia University, to invite her to the famous Copacabana Club. She did not even hesitate. Truly my lucky day. I fetched her at her dorm, and we took a cab to The Copa.

When we entered the club, I saw that there was a comedian in the middle of his act. We were ushered to a small round table with a good

view of the dance floor about four steps down and the small stage with the bandstand. The comedian was named Morey Amsterdam, known for his vaudeville jokes. Then as I looked around, I learned that most of the waiters were Filipinos; our waiter and I and my date spoke in Tagalog.

Soon, I heard the band playing and then I heard a crooner’s voice

singing “Polka Dots and Moonbeams.” The singer looked very young and good looking. The waiter said his name was Andy Williams. Andy sang songs that were popular because they were sang by Frank Sinatra in the late ‘40s and ‘50s. While we were happily listening to Andy Williams sing I felt a tug on my jacket. It was our waiter.

“Tony, nakita mo ba kung sino ang dumating?” (Tony, did you see who just walked in?)

I looked and saw Frank Sinatra and Joe DiMaggio just seating themselves at a table not far from ours. They ordered their drinks and were chatting. Frank was smoking as usual, but Joe was not. He just listened to Andy sing. My date was just out of her mind in thrill and so asked me for a piece of paper or any business card. Our waiter produced a Copa card and handed it to her. She just sprinted towards the famous celebrities and summarily asked them for their autographs.

I was observing all this but could not hear what was going on. In a few seconds she was back and gushing, “Tony, ‘got the signatures from two sensational guys. Gosh!”

I was happy for her. While I do admire excellent show people on screen or stage, I am not the type who would approach them for autographs. At the time Frank was still nursing a broken heart after he and Ava Gardner split while Joe lost Marilyn Monroe to Arthur Miller, the playwright.

That evening as we left the Copa I looked back and wondered how soon I would ever revisit the place. It was indeed a memorable event that I would cherish for the rest of my life.

Tony Joaquin, who was a television producer-director, newspaper journalist, industrial trainer, and a soap opera actor in the Philippines, has passed away. He was 81 when he wrote this piece for Thefilam.net in 2011.

The art and patience of making ramen, according to Chef Gino Bolandrina

Ramen Chef Gino

Bolandrina hosted “Irasshaimase! A Ramen Journey” at the Anime Boston 2023 convention on April 7 where he shared how his fondness for ramen developed from watching endless anime.

Bolandrina is the chief ramen chef at KuruKuru Ramen Shop in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was joined at the event by Jessica Bolandrina, owner and chief marketing officer; and Nick Pietroniro, co-owner and chief executive officer, both of New Britain, Connecticut; and Cassie Wu of Boston.

At the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, they gave a 90-minute presentation about the history and culture of the popular Japanese noodle dish. “Irasshaimase! A Ramen Journey,” categorized as a Fan Panel, was attended by over 100 ramen enthusiasts!

Although everyone knows about instant ramen, the delicious and cheap college student's meal, Bolandrina believes that “the (homemade) traditional Japanese ramen can also be as cheap and can be even more delicious!”

KuruKuru Ramen shop’s panel sought to enlighten attendees about the culture of ramen as viewed through the world of anime! Bolandrina fell in love with ramen culture by watching anime. He described ramen history alongside his fascination with anime. At the end of the panel, he shared a secret

recipe, “to make your own cheap and delicious ramen at home!”

He explained: "Naruto (the TV series) is the first anime to show me that ramen isn't just an instant noodle. It inspired me to cook more ramen and learn more about what ramen is. It made me wonder 'Why doesn't my instant noodle look like that and what other kinds of ramen are out there?' Now, I'm taking that huge inspiration to keep learning and making my favorite dish.”

Bolandrina has been passionate about food since his childhood. At age 7, he trained at the Heny Sison Culinary School in Manila, under Chef Jill Sandique who is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education Pastry & Baking Arts program and is a renowned international ICE alumna.

His culinary journey began with an apprenticeship at The Ivy Restaurant in Boston, cooking shows (Chef Heny Sison), to employment (Harvard Faculty Club, Cambridge; Pikaichi, Boston), to teaching Japanese cooking (Bay Path Adult Evening School, Charlton).

He has traveled to Japan extensively and has enjoyed ramen in Chiba, Kanagawa, Osaka, Kamikatsu, and Tokyo. At Pikaichi in Boston, where he worked as a waiter before becoming a chef, he honed his passion for ramen. He has over 10 years of experience running and managing ramen eateries in the Greater Boston Area. At KuruKuru, he leads menu creation, daily food prep, and other kitchen responsibilities. He works with suppliers, ensures food quality in every meal, and assists with back-ofhouse tasks and duties.

For more information visit https:// www.kurukururamenshop.com/ or email info@kurukururamen.com. Anime Boston 2023 was organized by the New England Anime Society. For more information visit www.animeboston.com

Nursing is no longer just a woman’s job

Men have entered the nursing work force in the 1950s-60 while looking for employment after the end of the war. Today, men comprise about 10%-12% of all American nurses creating a diverse nursing population. How many of them are male nurses of color it’s hard to say. What we know is that Filipino male nurses are taking on greater responsibilities, holding important executive positions and making a difference in many American hospitals.

asking for my papers. Before I knew it, I was being recruited and being offered a green card,” he recalled.

Being a Filipino nurse brings out interesting reactions from people.

“It is almost a given,” Mark chuckled. “When people find out I am a Filipino nurse people say, of course what else will you be. Gus on the other hand said children often mistake him for a doctor because of the white robe and his gentle ways.

The vernacular ‘po’ and ‘opo’ are pronounced automatically when they meet Filipino patients.

“My cultural attitude comes up. I greet them with polite words and talk to them in our language,” Mark said. Gus said he tries to establish a personal connection and makes sure his patients are comfortable.

They dispel the myth that male nurses are hired usually for heavy lifting. Not always.

“It’s a misconception. We have machines for that,” said Gus.

Mark described a time when he was a bedside nurse in the trauma unit. “We had patients with gun shots and broken bones. We have modern technology but it’s time consuming so, (sometimes) they would call male nurses, doctors to pull the patient up.”

The reality of the job hit hard when the COVID pandemic struck. Mark, like many health care professionals, was “worried” he might pick up the virus.

“I was shocked on how short life is. There are patients who I just talked to in their room then five minutes later, I would be back and they have passed away,” he said.

Gus echoed him: “It was tough (times) because everyone was still trying to grasp what to do. I was working in a long-term facility where the patient was very vulnerable. It was alarming, everybody was on their guard.”

Mark said being a nurse is a gratifying job. “When people find out I am a nurse they usually say ‘thank you for all you do.’”

Asked about workplace bullying, they said it may have happened to some co-workers.

Mark said, “Personally, I have not experienced it but have seen it happen to other male coworkers.” What he has seen, he said, are office gossip and “a lot of messing around.”

Agustin Guido III, director of Nursing at New Jersey Eastern Star Home, and Mark Jordan Polon, assistant director of Nursing,

and Dialysis University Hospital

Newark shared their stories on Makilala TV, the longest running television talk show in the New York metropolitan area. The show is co-hosted by Rachelle Ocampo, Jen Furer, and Cristina Pastor and aired through Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Even as young boys, both said they felt they were destined to be nurses.

Mark initially thought of joining the priesthood until his family convinced him nursing runs in the

family. He was 14 years old when his mom, who was also a nurse, petitioned him to come to the U.S. where he eventually studied nursing.

“I wanted to become a priest, but my family had a big influence on me to go into the medical field, and it’s easier to find job,” he said.

Gus took the traditional route. He studied nursing and worked as a school nurse in the Philippines until opportunity knocked at his door six years ago. Although there were some expectations from the family, he said the “final decision” to be a nurse was entirely his.

“A doctor treating my father for cancer encouraged me to apply to work in the U.S. He helped me by

Do female patients look for same-gender nurses and male patients prefer to be attended to by male nurses?

“This applies to more to caregivers, nurses not much,” said Gus.

Mark observed occasional religious and cultural predispositions like Muslim women who would ask for women nurses. “No males in the room with the exception of the physicians.”

Nursing being a high-tension profession, Gus and Mark find relaxation through travel and shopping. Mark said he makes it a point to go on overseas vacation twice a year. He was recently in Iceland to explore and see the Northern Lights.

As for Gus, “Shopping is a stress reliver.”

Is Gloria Cabrera bidding goodbye to her salon after 50 years?

In May 2023, Gloria Cabrera Salon & Spa celebrates 50 years, an amazing story of the owner’s hard work, resilience and passion for making people look their best.

This American Dream started in Lubao, Pampanga where Gloria was born to Blas Santos, a farmer, and Lauriana Lugtu who sold vegetables in the public market.

Gloria from the start wanted to be a beautician. After graduating from high school she decided to enroll in a technical school called Aguinaldo Institute in Ilaya, Divisoria. She worked in a beauty salon in Manila, and because she did her best to service her customers, she developed a faithful group of clients. One of them encouraged her to come to the United States to work.

She asked help for her visa from then-Congressman Angel Macapagal from her district. Her father’s nephew was secretary to the congressman. She told the U.S. Embassy she would go to the U.S. to take up advanced courses in haircutting and that Macapagal would “be the one responsible” for her. That was how Gloria was able to secure her visa.

Upon arrival in New York in 1967, she got a job as a hair shampoo worker at Thomas Barrata Hair Salon. “It’s a huge salon,” she said proudly. She worked initially as a manicurist and shampoo girl because she did not have a license. One day, she told the receptionist who had become a friend of hers if she could work on clients’ hair if other hairstylists are busy. She was given some customers, but was later told to stop because the salon might get into trouble. The owner saw her skills and urged her to go to school at night and get a license. She went to school where the teacher was a Filipina. Because of her

prior experience, Gloria was only asked to complete 300 hours of class work instead of the 1,000 hours required.

“I took the written and practical tests, passed, and got my license,” she said.

At a party, she met Ben Cabrera, a Filipino aeronautical engineer who frequently visited the apartment she shared with her roommates. Initially, each of them did not know who Ben was interested in until the day he asked Gloria on a date.

They were married in 1973. Shortly thereafter, they bought an apartment at the complex on 22nd and 23rd street which also had a vacant store for rent on 23rd. On May 1973, she got the rental for 10 years.

Ben and Gloria began construction work and opened for business shortly thereafter.

Initially, her clients were mostly Filipino nurses and doctors. Her kind and compassionate manner coupled with her ability to make them look and feel beautiful won her more customers over time. Today, she has more non-Filipino than FilAm customers.

Ben and Gloria have one daughter, Caroline, who married Hector Perera, who is a finance executive on Wall Street. They have two children, Charlotte and Isaac. Sadly, her husband Ben died in 2017.

The Gloria Cabrera Beauty Salon & Spa has survived the stock market crash of 1987, the World Trade Center attacks of 2001, the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008 and the direst pandemic years from 2020 to 2022. She attributes this success to her faith in God and always doing her best to serve her customers with respect, competency, cordiality and efficiency.

After 50 years of operating the beauty salon and having turned 82 years old on October 20, Gloria Cabrera is contemplating hanging up her scissors and selling her business. Her customers would be at a loss if she retired completely, but knowing Gloria, she will find a way to stay connected with them even on a part-time basis. She would love nothing better than to make people look and feel beautiful.

Former Secretary Albert del Rosario, 83

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary

Albert del Rosario —a key figure in the filing of a landmark ruling on the South China Sea that brought Beijing before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)— passed away at 83 on April 18.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said del Rosario died while en route to San Francisco in the United States.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the loved ones of Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario. He was a consummate diplomat and an inspiring leader who led the DFA with integrity and unwavering commitment to public service. You will be missed, Mr. Secretary,” said DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo.

Del Rosario is described by the DFA as a “staunch advocate of protecting and advancing national security and promoting the rights and welfare of Filipinos both in the Philippines and abroad.”

He served as the DFA Secretary from February 2011 to March 2016 under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III.

During his time, Manila, in 2013, brought China before the Hague-based court and formally chal-

‘He personified the highest level of statesmanship, integrity, and love of country.’ U.S. State Department video

lenged the validity of its nine-dash line in the South China Sea (SCS). Three years later, the Philippines won its case after the PCA ruled that China's claims under the invisible demarcation are illegal.

Del Rosario stepped down from his post as DFA secretary due to health reasons but even after this, he continued to champion the Philippines’ sovereignty and rights over the West Philippine Sea.

Up to his death, he chaired the independent

research organization Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi), which provided the public an in-depth analysis of issues influencing the country and the Indo-Pacific.

In a statement, the Stratbase ADRi said del Rosario has been a “leader who personified the highest level of statesmanship, integrity, and love of country”.

“He has been a champion of democratic values and a rules-based international order to sustain lasting peace, security, and prosperity for all,” it said.

“He has fought for an independent foreign policy that prioritizes the interests of the country and of the Filipino people. He believed that diplomacy is a great equalizer in international affairs and that each state had an equal voice in the global community regardless of their political, economic, or military capabilities,” it added.

In a separate tweet, Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko sent his condolences to del Rosario's kin, saying his contributions to the Philippine-Japan relations and leadership to uphold the rule of law in the sea "will never be forgotten".

Del Rosario had also served as the ambassador to the United States from 2001 to 2006.

Prior to entering public service, he was on the Board of Directors of over 50 firms and his business career has spanned the insurance, banking, real estate, shipping, telecommunications, advertising, consumer products, retail, pharmaceutical and food industries. - - PNA

May 7

Calendar of Events

Epiphany Roman Catholic Church

247 Knox Ave

Cliffside Park, N.J.

May 21

OMTA Awards: Outstanding Mother – Teodora Alonso Awards (by the Knights of Rizal, Long Island & Ladies for Rizal, Long Island)

Leonard’s Palazzo of Great Neck

555 Northern Boulevard

Great Neck, N.Y.

May 25

Madz in NYC

Old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral

263 Mulberry Street, NYC

Email ilustradoevents@gmail.com

Asian Street Food & Music festival by Harvard Square Business Association (with Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance)

Contact Catherine.Uy@hspaa.org

May 12

Maria: Honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary & a Mother’s Day Celebration (by the Filipino Apostolate, Archdiocese of Newark) St. Aloysius Church

691 West Side Avenue Jersey City

May 13

Padayaw: Padayon Pagsayaw (meaning Continue Dancing) by PAFCOM

Conlon Hall

18 N William Street Bergenfield N.J.

May 14

Deadline to apply to PAFCOM

Scholarship

Contact for details: Pafcomnj@gmail. com; 347-932-6631

May 16

Limang Daang Biyaya: Celebrating the 500 Years of Philippine Christianity (by the Filipino Apostolate, Archdiocese of Newark)

May 26

The Philippine Madrigal Singers: A fundraiser for World Youth Day

Our Lady of Lourdes Church

92-96 220th Street

Queens Village, NYC

For info: 718-479-5111

May 27

10th Annual P Grad

Kalayaan Hall

Philippine Center NYC

May 27

Celebrate the Power: Pentecost celebration (by the Filipino Apostolate, Archdiocese of Newark)

Our lady of Mercy Church

40 Sullivan Dr. Jersey City

May 27

Summer Kantawanan with Gladys Guevarra

Cornhole Craze

23 Mays Landing Road Unit E Somers Point, N.J.

June 4

Philippine Independence Day Parade by PIDCI Madison Avenue, from 38th to 27th streets

July 16

41st Ilocano American Association Inc. Annual Gala & Coronation Ball

Leonard’s Palazzo

555 Northern Boulevard

Great Neck, N.Y.

July 16 to 23

44th PNAA National Convention & Cruise

Aboard Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas

July 16 to 24

Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour

Contact the Philippine Consulate General in New York for details

August 19

Fiesta In America

American Dream

East Rutherford, New Jersey

For more information, visit www.fiestainamerica.com or email info@fiestainamerica.com

October 21

PACCAL Awards

The Graycliff

122 Moonachie Avenue

Moonachie, N.J.

October 24 to 27

Journeying Together: Communion/ Participation/ Mission 4th Assembly of the National Association of Filipino Priests USA, New Jersey-New York

October 28

FACC Runway for a Cure charity gala Falls Church Marriott

Fairview Park Falls Church, Virginia

Text or call FACC at 571-352-0165 or email cancercare2022facc@ gmail.com if interested to join as one of the models

BOOKS

The SAGE Encyclopedia of Filipina/x/o American Studies

Two-volume set

Edited by Kevin Leo Yabut Nadal, Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales & E.J.R. David

Conscientious journalism comes at a price

Subjected to social and political pressure in the Philippines, Filipino American journalist, writer, and co-founder of the candidly disquisitive Rappler digital news website, Maria Ressa has exhibited nothing less than fearlessness and resoluteness in the face of it all.

In the intro of Ressa’s memoir “How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future,” human rights attorney Amal Clooney testifies to Ressa’s dauntless spirit in the uncovering of veritas. Clooney’s appreciation came in a political environment in which Ressa had been threatened with prison time under the regime of Rodrigo Duterte. Clooney states that this isn’t “because [Ressa] has committed any crime—but because the leaders in her country do not want to hear criticism.”

Ressa has been a highly visible figure both domestically in the Philippines and internationally as a dedicated observer and champion of democratic rights and freedoms. She has made it a moral and ethical imperative to communicate to her readers the calamitous ramifications of the downturning of the rule of law and liberal democracy: “We live in only one reality, and the breakdown of the rule of law globally was ignited by the lack of a democratic vision for the internet in the twenty-first century.”

But before her public life, came a very personal one. In her book, Ressa talks about her mother bringing Maria and her sister as young girls to the United States from the Philippines in 1973 and how she had to cope with life in a new world. Ressa did well in America having achieved an advanced education but also in acquiring some valuable life lessons. She would be awarded a Fulbright scholarship which would serve as a launching pad to her journalistic career.

It was upon returning to the Philippines where she transformed herself into a full-fledged journalist for several news outlets. Ressa’s hard work was rewarded when she was given the opportunity to work for CNN in 1988.

In 2012, Ressa co-founded Rappler, an internet news website. Its mission statement was to, through the medium of responsible, due diligence reporting, “speak truth to power” in the endeavor to reach for the lofty ideals of human existence rather than to suffer in silence the basest instincts of human nature.

As Ressa writes about Rappler, “My ambition was to create a new standard of investigative journalism in my country, one that would harness the social media platforms to build communities of action for better

governance and stronger democracies.”

Maria Ressa and Rappler were the perfect counterpoints to the rise of Rodrigo Duterte to the presidency in 2016. His pugnacious, illiberal, and menacing positions made a clash with Ressa and Rappler inevitable. In service of democratic values and social justice, Rappler assiduously laid bare how lies and disinformation propagated on social media helped Duterte win.

Rappler raised the stakes even higher by dredging up the enmity and depravity of the thousands of extrajudicial drug war killings that were essentially state-sponsored by none other than the head of state himself, President Duterte. But Ressa’s conscientious journalism would come at a price. Duterte’s government and his faithful legions would

retaliate against her and Rappler with political and legal persecution as well as with social media-induced (Facebook in particular) fabrications and death threats.

The themes that stand out throughout Ressa’s memoir are her generosity of insight, organic solicitude, and beginning-to-end resilience. Combined with her inner fortitude, those virtues have empowered Ressa to endure what were the “three C’s” of Duterte’s rule: “corrupt, coerce, co-opt.”

How the tables have turned since. Ressa has become the first Filipino to win a Nobel prize and has emerged as an icon of probity, professionalism, and civility. Her story is one as a dyed-in-the-wool advocate of due process and the general welfare of humankind. Ressa is proof that goodness and high-water heroism are still extant in the world.

Rodrigo Duterte meanwhile, is no longer in office and whistles past the graveyard as a potential International Criminal Court case as his murderous drug war looms on the horizon.

Navy veteran Arthur Grabiner, 97, honored for liberating Filipinos in WW II

In commemoration of the Day of Valor (Araw ng Kagitingan), decorated World War II U.S. Navy veteran Arthur Grabiner was honored at the Philippine Consulate for his service, sacrifice and valor in liberating the Filipino people from the Japanese military.

The April 5 recognition ceremony was led by Consul General Senen Mangalile at Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue. The ceremony honoring Grabiner, a lifelong New Yorker, coincides with the commemoration of the Fall of Bataan in the Philippines.

Grabiner, as a teenager, participated in the Invasion of Lingayan Gulf in Northern Luzon in the Philippines and the Battle of Okinawa. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Laurens APA153 in the Pacific Theater during WW II.

Among his numerous military honors, he was awarded one of his WW II Asiatic Pacific Medal Battle Stars plus the Philippine Liberation Ribbon 1 Star and Philippine Presidential Unit Citation for his participation in the Invasion of Lingayan Gulf in Northern Luzon.

Grabiner, 97, described a deadly attack by a Japanese kamikaze suicide aircraft on his U.S. Navy Task Unit in Philippine waters.

"Following stops on South Pacific islands including New Guinea and New Caledonia, our crew aboard the USS Laurens set sail for the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Late in the afternoon of January 12, 1945, the Laurens joined a convoy of ships comprising Task Unit 79.14.6 underway to the Philippines. At approximately 8:30am the following day, January 13, 1945, a Japanese kamikaze suicide aircraft attacked our task unit missing the amphibious command ship Mount Olympus AGC-8 and striking the USS Zeilin APA3, a sister attack transport ship, dead ahead of the Laurens. The right

wing of the Japanese aircraft struck cargo loading equipment next to the Zeilin's number 6 cargo hatch. The kamikaze plane's fuselage crashed into the starboard side of the Zeilin's housetop. Weapons carried by the aircraft exploded and started several fires on the ship. Topside damage to the Zeilin was extensive. The superstructure deck was destroyed, deck framing was damaged and several staterooms were destroyed. The suicide aircraft's engine pierced the ship's deck, the outboard bulkhead landed in a landing craft carried by the Zeilin. Seven crew members on the Zeilin, our sister ship in our task unit, were killed, three crew members were declared missing (presumably dead) and 30 crew members were wounded."

In 2019, he was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans' Hall of Fame.

Interviewed two years ago by the Jewish news site Forward.com, he described how he was looking forward to his 100th birthday.

He said, “I’m excitedly anticipating my 100th birthday. I’ll be surrounded by family including my children, grand-

children, perhaps great-grandchildren by then, friends and fellow WW II veterans. No one will tell me I can’t have a second slice of birthday cake…hey, it’s my 100th birthday celebration.”

He is a longtime resident of Flushing in Queens.

Wick:’ A beautiful choreography of mayhem

At the start of this Zen-like franchise, Keanu Reeves was called the Baba Yaga, the boogeyman feared in the underworld as a relentless killer who always gets it done no matter the odds.

In Chapter 4 of a series that has drawn a cult-like following worldwide for the life and body count of an assassin whose campaign of revenge reached its zenith in Paris, the ending of the movie hit a crescendo for seemingly showing the death of Wick as his tombstone stands side-by-side with his wife Helen.

Like the classic Japanese film “Seven Samurai,” Reeves plows through an army of fighters from the High Table, the mythical group that runs the world’s contract killers, to reach the duel against its head and eventually kills him with a head shot.

By winning his duel, John Wick redeems his honor, and restores the fortunes of his top supporter, Ian McShane, in the movie as the manager of the New York Continental, where assassins stay when they are in town for business.

The chief merit of the movie, ignoring the fact

that Reeves has only 380 words of dialogue in its nearly three-hour screen time as noted in a Yahoo film review, is the unadorned beautiful choreography of the mayhem on screen. From the running battles in Osaka to the whirling shoot-out in Paris, one could see the care with which the fight scenes were shot.

The Wick films go back to something basic in moviemaking. Filming the blood and gore of scenes takes a lot of careful moviemaking. In the age of CGI, that skill has been lost a bit under a welter of laser shows and gimmicks in science fiction, fantasy and animated movies. “John Wick” brought all that back center stage. The world is violent and in Wick’s existence, it is literally kill or be killed. To make sure the enemy is gone, you dish out a head shot, even two for good measure. Even though Reeves and his director feel JW 4 should be the last flick, the strong performance

of the film at the only measure worth tracking, its box office, raises the pressure on Lionsgate to convince its stars to come back for a Chapter 5. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t.

The current movie was dedicated to Lance Reddick, the actor who plays the concierge Charon at the New York Continental, who passed away in real life after the film was finished.

The most famous line in the movie is the prosaic “Such is life,” a stoic acceptance that the turns of living is often unfair and one just has to go on and deal with it.

Donnie Yen was superb as the blind assassin, as was Scott Adkins -- gold teeth and body suit with a flying kick to match.

If JW 4 is the last movie in this franchise, it ended on a high note. Maybe John Wick is gone and the Baba Yaga is now at peace. McShane’s character said it well at the end of the movie. “Farewell, my son” while tapping Wick’s tombstone.

We hope Wick somehow comes back for Chapter 5, but this one is a pretty good way to conclude the franchise.

‘John

What happens if I find work while receiving Social Security retirement benefits?

The National Asian Pacific Center On Aging (NAPCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of older AANHPI (Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders ) adults and their families. We operate a NAPCA Senior Assistance Center for Older Adults and Caregivers which is available in five different languages. In this column, we want to share some of the important questions we received from readers. Hope you will find them useful.

My husband is turning 65 soon and he is still working. He and I are covered by his employer’s medical insurance. He does not have 40 working quarter credits yet. Do we still need to join Medicare?

Most people sign up for both Medicare Part A and Part B when they turn 65. However, if they do not have more than 40 working credits that allow them to get premium-free Part A, they must pay $278 (30-39 credits) or $506 (less than 30 credits) per month.

If your husband’s employer has more than 20 employees and employer-sponsored insurance is “creditable”, he may delay signing up for Medicare until he stops working or loses the current employer coverage whichever comes first. He will not pay a penalty for delaying enrollment. Whether delaying Medicare or enrolling in Medicare, he should check his coverage policy with his employer before making his decision.

$1 from your benefits for each $2 you earn above $21,240. If you turn FRA during 2023, your benefit is deducted $1 for each $3 you earn above $56,520 before your birth month. Starting with the month you reach FRA, your benefits will not be reduced no matter how much you earn.

Q3. Should I pay taxes on Social Security benefits when I work while receiving retirement benefits?

Some people must pay federal income taxes on their Social Security benefits. This usually happens only if you have other substantial income in addition to your benefits. The portion of benefits that are taxable depends on your COMBINED INCOME* and filing status.

If you file as an individual ;

1) you pay no tax on your benefits when your combined income is below $25,000,

2) you pay taxes on 50% of your benefits when your combined income is between $25,000 and $34,000,

have combined income more than $44,000.

*COMBINED INCOME = Your adjusted gross income + Nontaxable interest + ½ of your Social Security benefits

Benefits based on your husband’s work credits. If you have been married for over 10 years and remain unmarried after being divorced, you can apply for Social Security Benefits when you turn 62 and premium-free Medicare Part A when you turn 65.

What happens if

I work

and get Social Security retirement benefits?

You can get Social Security retirement benefits and work at the same time. However, if you are younger than FRA (Full Retirement Age which is between 65 and 67 depending on the year you were born) and make more than the yearly earnings limit, your benefit will be reduced. If you are younger than FRA during all of 2023, Social Security Administration deducts

3) you pay taxes on 85% of your benefits when your combined income is more than $34,000.

If you file as a joint return ;

1) you pay no tax on your benefits when you and your spouse have combined income below $32,000,

2) you pay taxes on 50% of your benefits when you and your spouse have combined income between $32,000 and $44,000,

3) you pay taxes on 85% of your benefits when you and your spouse

I have been a legal permanent resident for over 15 years. My husband worked at a job during all those years. I did not work because he wanted me to stay at home and raise our three children. Last year my husband divorced me. My children are grown so he does not have to pay me anything. Am I eligible for Social Security or Medicare?

Yes, as a divorced spouse you are entitled to premium-free Medicare Part A and collect Social Security

If you have additional questions regarding the above, or around the topics of Medicare, Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, or others, there are three ways you can reach us. We will answer all of your questions in a timely manner.

Call our Senior Assistance Center at 1-800-336-2772

Email: askNAPCA@napca.org

Mail: NAPCA Senior Assistance Center, 1511 Third Avenue, Suite 914, Seattle, WA 98101

Sharon torch song used in absurd soda ad

Once in a while popular culture bestows a piece that most of us can take to heart without having to burn our wallets or spend hours to track it down and watch it. The fact that film historian and curator Paolo Cherchi Usai could include “Surprise, Surprise,” a British Airways commercial, in his list of all-time ten-best entries for Sight & Sound magazine’s 2002 survey, demonstrates how canon-formation rules about budget, running time, reception, and authorial talent don’t have to limit our capacity to recognize when a rare exception, originating from nothing but intelligent and intensive cultural assimilation and processing, comes along.

The whole point about “Surprise, Surprise,” as those of us who might have seen it on a streaming source have realized, is that despite its “universal” predicament of a two-timer caught in the act, it could be better appreciated by those who were situated in the theater where the reflexive event took place, if not those who could identify more closely with said audience and their culture. A recent advertising short, titled “Balot” and produced by the still-youthful Gigil Agency for the Philippine branch of Royal Crown Cola, requires even further preparation for those unfamiliar with Philippine culture; those whose encounters span decades will, needless to add, possess greater advantages.

Prior to “Balot,” RC Cola was in fact better known for absurdist Japanese-style ad products, always humorous but occasionally lacking in what Noypi pop-culture experts would term hugot (roughly, emo-content). Gigil itself attained some notoriety for a pandemic-themed beauty ad that had PC viewers in fits of (sanitized) hand-wringing, forcing its sponsor to pull out the presentation. “Balot” takes its own share of risks, but these pay off in varying degrees of satisfaction, primarily because the creative team opted to wholeheartedly embrace the culture that its target audience presumably shares.

It opens with a mother calling her family together as she spreads on the dining table the treats she was able to take home (hence the title, since balot literally means wrapping up) from a neighbor’s birthday party. As she starts taking out increasingly impressive dishes from her bag, a faint breeze blowing on her family’s faces suggests that myth-making is about to take place. When an entire pot of rice is followed by a whole roast piglet, the strains of a familiar movie theme song begin playing, with a somewhat familiar voice crooning the somewhat apt stanza that begins with “Balutin mo ako sa hiwaga ng iyong pagmamahal” (Wrap me up in the wonder of your love).

The song continues as party balloons float up from the mother’s bag, followed by the birthday celebrator, a party clown, and finally the song’s singer, Sharon Cuneta. The cultural insight this revelation interplays with is that the act of taking home excess food from a gathering was made less potentially embarrassing by people euphemistically calling it “sharon” – as in “I’ll sharon some of

that later.” When Cuneta herself found out, she good-naturedly hailed and celebrated the appropriation of her name in one of her recent social media posts, in the same teasing spirit that the advert performs. When the extralarge soft drink product is finally taken out and poured, its label descriptor states “Mega Litro,” once more a reference to Cuneta’s stature as the final multimedia star in Philippine pop culture, prior to its splintering into the several niches that typify millennial-era concerns. In a social-media exchange, Cuneta specialist Jerrick Josue David (not a relation) further explained why the Sharon performance in “Balot” had that touch

of the uncanny about it, beyond the narrative’s own marvelous turn. The song, “Bituing Walang Ningning” (“Star without Sparkle,” from the eponymous 1985 film), may have been Cuneta’s most successful movie theme song, but neither singer nor voice in the ad was literally Sharon herself. The impersonation, as much as the film, functioned (triumphantly) as a once-removed star tribute. This points up another Sharonian quality claimed nearly exclusively by the country’s biggest star, Nora Aunor: only these two have on record the presence of drag queens drawn directly from their mass adulators, who sustain professional careers premised on replicating their idols’ respective personas. (Sadly, Cuneta’s most famous impersonator, Ate Shawee, passed away during the pandemic.)

“Balot” will be capable of sustaining a few theoretical discussions for those inclined to swing in that direction. The fusion of fantastic elements with an identifiably lower-class context could be one starting point, alongside the fearless deployment of narrative elements associated with mainstream (a.k.a. “masa”) aesthetics. Those who feel guilty about immersing in the manifold pleasures the ad conveys might want to track the points where their educational training made them believe that this element was unworthy of valuation. Perhaps rewatching “Balot,” now or at a later moment, might help clarify these and a few other questions.

Joel David is a Professor of Cultural Studies at Inha University and was given the Art Nurturing Prize at the 2016 FACINE International Film Festival in San Francisco, California. He has written several books on Philippine cinema and maintains a blog at https://amauteurish.com.

Brian Poe Llamanzares: FPJ scion as a climate advocate

“When my grandfather passed away I went back to the Philippines to attend his wake. I remember seeing his fans line up as far as the eye could see just to pay their respects. Thousands of Filipinos lined up for days to say goodbye. It was life changing for me to talk to people from all walks of life and hear about how my grandfather inspired them or changed their lives.”

That was Brian Poe Llamanzares’s recollection of the time his grandfather, the King of Philippine cinema Fernando Poe Jr., died in December, 2004. He knew his grandparents were famous “but never knew exactly how famous” until he witnessed the sea of fans and worshippers that crowded his grandfather’s funeral.

He was 12 years old then and had lived in Virginia with his family growing up. He only saw his grandparents once a year, usually during Christmas. His father Teodoro ‘Neil’ Llamanzares built a career in information technology and his mother now-Senator Grace Poe was formerly a sales representative at CSC Scientific in Virginia.

Attending FPJ’s wake introduced Brian to his grandfather in a way he has never known before. People shared with him stories of FPJ’s goodwill, “donating schools, building communities, and helping people without asking for anything in return…He was everything a public servant should be although he never set foot in public office,” muttered Brian over a Zoom interview with The FilAm.

His favorite movie of his Lolo was “Muslim.357” where the main cop character deals with racism in a police precinct. “Asedillo,” a true-to-life biopic comes close as his second favorite. Here, FPJ portrays a mild-mannered school teacher who becomes a guerrilla fighter and later a labor organizer who leads a life devoted to championing the working class.

Growing up, Brian didn’t fully grasp the ideals that FPJ dramatized as an actor. Now at 31, he understands and felt he needed to reach out with a forceful message that could impact the country’s future.

He has written “A Sustainable Future,” a book that

touts “turn(ing) the Philippines into a socio-economic model for sustainability.” The book is chockfull of facts and insights about what the Philippines can do if it wants to become independent, climate-friendly, and a responsible leader in the Asia-Pacific region on climate justice.

A book signing was held recently at the Philippine Consulate, and he donated a copy to Harvard University. Friends and former classmates from Columbia University’s Climate School were photographed waving copies of the autographed books at a round table discussion.

His boss and mother Grace Poe is a believer and partner in the cause. The senator has sponsored more than a dozen bills that breathe life to Brian’s research. One is a measure proposing to create a department of water management to handle precious resource. Another bill seeks to “protect, conserve and rehabilitate” all the watersheds to ensure supply of irrigation water to sustain food production, another to support solar energy start-ups, and a bill urging the shift to electric vehicles and creating charging stations for a more energy-efficient economy.

“I wrote (the book) because I felt it was my responsibility to share the knowledge I had gained from my studies abroad with my fellow Filipinos,” said Brian who has a master’s degree in Climate and Society from Columbia. “Of course this is a personal interest for me but it’s also a matter of national interest.” He maintained the Philippines needs to adopt sustainable policies to remain independent and competitive in today’s global economy.

| The last Poe

Brian grew up the eldest of three children of Neil and Grace.

“My two sisters don’t call me Kuya,” he said with a chuckle. “They’re too non-traditional for that.”

Hanna is studying for a master’s degree at the University of Southern California, while Nika is a college freshman. “We’re all natural born Filipinos,” he said.

The family decided to immigrate because Neil, a former San Miguel executive, pursued studies at the University of San Francisco. Brian and his siblings were raised by “strict” but loving parents. Looking back, he felt they were harder on him being the eldest. When FPJ died, the family came home because Grace didn’t want her mother, actress Susan Roces, to be all by her lonesome. FPJ’s demise prompted Grace

to redeem her father’s good name in electoral politics. FPJ had lost the controversial 2004 presidential election to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Grace Poe went on to run for the Senate and won in 2013. She then ran for presidency in 2016, in a multi-candidate contest which was eventually won by Rodrigo Duterte. Then in 2019, Grace won her bid for re-election in the Senate with Brian as her campaign manager.

Brian has been working with his mom in the Senate since 2013 and since 2019 he has been serving as her Chief of Staff. Brian says that though he enjoys working for his mother, he isn’t solely dependent on his work in the Senate.

“I love my mom and I don’t want to leave her alone. However, working in government isn’t my only job,” he said.

He was running several companies as founder and CEO and had to take a back seat when he became Chief of Staff. At 28, he founded a company called Oracle Media Group which now publishes Manila Journal, Rapid News, and Negosyante News, all online publications. Oracle Media Group also has two print publications Alike Magazine and Rising Tigers Magazine the country’s most distributed magazine. Meanwhile, his holding company Pantheon Holdings also has stakes in several food and beverage establishments, e-sports, NFTs, fine

arts, education, tech, 360 digital marketing, reputation management, and retail.

In 2013 Brian briefly flirted with showbiz appearing on ABS-CBN as a young star. Being the ‘apo’ of the King and Queen of Philippine movie gave him a leg up in the industry. It was when he decided to join CNN Philippines as a foreign affairs correspondent in 2014 that his Lola Susan was most proud.

“My lola was excited and proud of me when I was accepted into CNN,” he shared. “She said I finally found what works for me and it has to do with the calling for public service.” He said Susan “expected a lot from me, being the last Poe.”

| Wake-up call

His book is meant as a wake-up call, but makes us wonder if entrenched landowning interests can ever be trusted with change for the sake of a green future?

Brian thinks it is possible.

“Every country has vested interests playing a part in their local politics and economic affairs. If we can show the movers and shakers of the country that it is in their best interest to invest in the future, they’ll make that investment for their children and their children’s children.”