Emerging Lights

As we enjoy more sunny days, let's focus our thoughts on Jason Day, the sensational Filipino-Australian golf champ, who is a major competitor in the US Masters this week. As our writer I. Wilfredo Ver narrates in "How Jason Saved the Day," Jason, whose mother is Filipina, proved that he had nerves of steel when he competed and won the 2013 World Cup of Golf in Melbourne despite mourning the death of eight relatives, including his maternal grandmother, from Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda just a few days before the competition. Already ranked 4th best in the world, Jason's prospects in this biggest tournament in the most mental of sports, is definitely bright. A few days ago, Sports Illustrated declared him "on the verge of a major breakthrough" in tomorrow's Masters.

Another man to watch this week is James Olivas, a Filipino American, who has partnered with a nonprofit called One Million Lights to distribute solar lamps to a community in Negros Occidental which still doesn't have electricity. Quite a feat for James who is still a high school student in California but who writes passionately about his getting to know his parents' homeland.

An emerging giant -- that's what the Filipino American community in Las Vegas has become as its numbers explode (already the biggest Asian community in the city) and some of its leaders seek political office. Writer Bert Eljera in "What's In the Cards for Filipinos in Las Vegas," celebrates the growing clout of the community to which he belongs, which has already made significant inroads in most of the industries in the area, beyond the hospitality and healthcare industries.

May your spring days be full of sunshine and new beginnings.