Soldier Besomes First Fil-Am General in Hawaii Army National Guard

Newly installed Brig. Gen. Roy J. Macaraeg (Hawaii Department of Defense)

Hawaii Army National Guard Col. Roy J. Macaraeg was promoted to brigadier general in a ceremony Tuesday at Washington Place, becoming what is believed to be the first Filipino soldier to attain the rank of general officer in the history of Hawaii’s citizen soldier ranks, Gov. David Ige’s office said (See Honolulu Star-Advertiser for story).

Bayanihan Wins Best World Folk Dance Company Title

Bayanihan (Photo courtesy of Fabiene Marchesini/Festival Internacional de Folklore de Nova Prata)

Bayanihan, the country's official dance company, has emerged as a victor in the international arena of folk dancing after it won the grand prize of the 1st Federation of International Dance Festivals (FIDAF) Brazil World Championship during the 15th International Folklore Festival in Nova Prata on Sunday (See Philippine News Agency story).

Walt Disney to Develop Animated Film By Fil-Am Director

Josie Trinidad

Walt Disney Animation Studios on Tuesday, Oct. 1, tapped four new directors, including Filipina American filmmaker Josie Trinidad, to helm upcoming original theatrical features for the studio (See Inquirer.net for story).

Filipino Nurses in NY Win Human Trafficking Lawsuit

A federal judge ruled that the owners of the Sentosa group of nursing homes violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act by using threats of serious harm against more than 200 nurses from the Philippines. U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon found that the Sentosa nursing homes’ owners, Benjamin Landa and Bent Philipson, are personally liable for violations of the anti-trafficking law (See Inquirer.net for story).

Fil-Am Artist Draws Kids' Book by Bob Marley's Daughter

Artist John Jay Cabuay

When artist and art professor John Jay Cabuay was at his busiest in the final year of his master’s program at New York’s prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), he received an offer from his agent: “Bob Marley’s daughter, Cedella, is doing a children’s book and is really interested in your illustrations” (See Inquirer.net for story).

Fil-Am Becomes First Female Asian American Judge in Virginia

Maha-Rebekah Abejuela (Source: Inquirer.net)

Maha-Rebekah Abejuela, a former prosecutor, became the first Asian American woman to be a judge in Virginia on Sept. 27. According to the Washington Post, Abejuela is the daughter of Filipino immigrants (See AsamNews.com for story).

Ex-Miss U Gloria Diaz in Queenly Cameo in Netflix’s ‘Insatiable’

Gloria Diaz in Netflix’s “Insatiable” (Source: Netflix)

Filipina Miss Universe winner Gloria Diaz showed the world her queen’s walk in a cameo appearance on “Insatiable,” the hit Netflix series now on its second season (See GoodNewsPilipinas.com for story).

Fil-Am Kid, 6, Now Top US Chess Player at His Age

Scott Matthew Escalera (Source: Wikipedia)

A six-year-old Filipino American chess player is now the highest rated player at his age in the whole country, according to the latest United States Chess Federation (USCF). In the September ratings, U.S.-born whiz kid Scott Matthew Escalera ranked 22 in the under 7 group (See Inquirer.net for story).