A Fil-Am Pioneer on Two Fronts

/

Our most prolific contributor of Fil-Am history stories, Alex S. Fabros, Jr. has handed us another gem of a story on Ramon Reyes Lala, who was a pioneer on two fronts. He was the first Filipino to be naturalized as a US citizen: "In 1896, despite court rulings that barred Asians from citizenship Lala secured naturalization as a U.S. citizen. How he did so remain uncertain—perhaps through a loophole, persistence, or the benevolence of a sympathetic judge. But the certificate was real, and he carried it like armor," writes Fabros. And two years later, in 1898, Lala came out with The Philippine Islands, the first English-language book by a Filipino published in America. Unfortunately, we can only find a very blurred picture of the original cover but there is a 2015 reprint by Jefferson Publication (sent to us by Fabros) available online (link posted at the end of the story). It's a very interesting and valuable read, with graphic descriptions and images of the Philippines and its people in the late 1800s. 

A few years later, in 1903, as American colonialism was taking root in the Philippines, a clever act of creative subversion initiated by Filipino/Kapampangan playwright Aurelio Tolentino had the invited American officials squirming in their seats. Tolentino's play, "Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas" was touted as a harmless historical drama (and thus approved by the American censors). In reality, it was anything but. Robby Tantingco, a noted book author and academic, posted this amusing vignette on his Facebook page to commemorate Tolentino's 156th birth anniversary on October 15.

She started out as a model and a beauty queen, became a multi-awarded actress and later on, the head honcho of the nation's biggest media conglomerate. Now retired from her corporate roles, Charo Santos-Concio has returned to acting. Her full-circle life is the stuff of inspiration and emulation, as her classmate of yore, Elizabeth Ann Quirino relates.

A short documentary titled "Oakland Ilokana" by Fil-Am Elenita Makani O'Malley puts together the voices and the stories that previously eluded the filmmaker until she focused on her grandmother Lola Marie, Marie Veronica Mendoza Rivera Yip, one of the first Filipino children to grow up in Oakland, CA's Chinatown. The film is a tribute and an archive to the grandmother, Filipinos in Oakland, and to the city itself. PF contributing writer Lisa Suguitan-Melnick reports. 

[Partner] San Jose State Mural

[Read It Again]

Quezon Saved Jews from the Holocaust by Ambeth R. Ocampo
A Lesson My Mom, the Actress Caridad Sanchez, Told Me by Cathy S. Babao
Leaving Gaza by Chupsie Medina

[Video of the Week] Boxer Pancho Villa

In The Know

Meet Pedro Fernández: FC Barcelona’s Filipino-Spanish Gem on the Rise
https://republicasiamedia.com/news/sports-news/meet-pedro-fernandez-fc-barcelonas-filipino-spanish-gem-on-the-rise/?

Hidilyn Diaz to teach at UP College of Human Kinetics in 2026: 'I’m excited and nervous'
https://philstarlife.com/celebrity/809976-hidilyn-diaz-teach-at-up-2026?fbclid

Filipinos in the 6ix | Connecting the Filipino Community
https://filipinosinthe6ix.com/?

Greatest OOTDs in Philippine History
https://www.esquiremag.ph/style/fashion/greatest-ootds-in-philippine-history-

From Colonial Roots to Global Nurses: The Evolution of Nursing Education in the Philippines
https://www.facebook.com/reel/830246312789751

/ /
, , , , ,

Staff

Our Net Gain–Alex Eala

/

The current darling of the Philippine sports scene is tennis phenom Alex Eala. The 20-year-old is now the highest ranking Filipino in Women's Tennis Association (WTA) history at number 56. Just a few weeks ago, Alex played at Wimbledon against defending champion Barbora Krejcikova of Czechoslovakia. Though she wasn't able to beat Krejcikova that time, the tennis world took notice. The general outlook is it will only be a matter of time before Alex will be vying for the championship. 

Here's a little known fact about her background: her first tennis trainor was her maternal grandfather, Bobby Maniego, who grew up in the University of the Philippines (UP) campus in Diliman. When Alex was a little girl, Maniego would take her to the UP tennis court for practice. Unfortunately, the grandfather passed away before his granddaughter started making her mark in world tennis.

Veteran sports columnist for Business Mirror Tessa Jazmines shares her story on Alex Eala.

*****

In another arena, a Filipino girl group is just as sensational. BINI, composed of eight multi-talented Filipinas, has exploded into the BINIverse and recently performed at London's OVO Wembley Arena. PF contributing writer Julienne Loreto was there and shares her unforgettable pride not just as a certified Bloom(s), often stylized as BL∞M(S), the BINI fandom, but as part of the huge Filipino community in the UK who came in hordes to support its own.

*****

The street heroes  of Binondo is the subject of a photo essay by a journalism student, Mikaelah Bianca Panopio, based on her interviews with the street vendors and workers, and her photos of them.

*****

"What to the immigrant is the 4th of July?" In this timely essay that clearly resonates in these days of extreme uncertainty, Jose Antonio Vargas eloquently dissects the effects of recent government actions on those who are the subject of unwarranted scrutiny and harassment. First published in Time magazine and reposted with the author's permission, the essay is food for thought and action.

Read It Agains: 
Boy Camara Superstar by Bella Bonner
Kapwa, Bayanihan, Makibaka! The FAJ Story by Susan V. Tagle
My Bacolod of Sights, Sounds, Smells by Lilia V. Villanueva

[Video of the Week] The History of Filipino Women That Schools Never Taught Us

In The Know

From Bohol to the World: The Heartfelt Journey of Song of the Fireflies
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/movies-and-tv/the-making-of-song-of-the-fireflies-a3690-20250703-lfrm2?

Today I Learned: The Makahiya Plant Is an Aphrodisiac
https://www.esquiremag.ph/life/sex-and-relationships/today-i-learned-makahiya-aphrodisiac-

First Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz hints she might teach at UP
https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/7/6/hidilyn-diaz-hints-she-might-teach-at-up-1115

/ /
, , , , , , , ,

Staff

Our Sports Hall of Famers

/

It may come as a surprise to this Instagram generation familiar with the accomplishments of Manny Pacquiao, Hidilyn Diaz, EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo that once upon a time, during their grandparents' and even their parents' lifetimes, the terms "Filipino" and "sports champs" were very rarely used in the same sentence.

Once in a generation, there might have been a Flash Elorde or a Eugene Torre or a Paeng Nepomuceno who dazzled with their prowess, but they were flashes-in-the-pan, so to speak -- rare occurrences. Thus, it's no surprise that in the long history of sports, only ten Filipinos so far have been recognized as Hall of Famers in their respective arenas. Our Iloilo-based contributing writer Vicente Salas introduces the "Filipino Sports Greats and Hall of Famers," a slim list that will soon expand.

Nearer to the present, Fil-Am small businesses, other than the usual karinderya, hardly made a ripple even in the Fil-Am community beyond their neighborhoods. Today, Fil-Am entrepreneurs like Raibyn Cabiling of San Diego have established a presence in both mainstream and social media, peddling such products as t-shirts, headwear and an innovative "barongorak" that invokes Filipino culture. PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela reports.

The itch to travel is universal but does it have to be done alone? PF contributing writer Ian Layugan dissects the different facets of traveling solo, and presents words of caution and the challenge of daring.

What does it take to be surrogate mother/caregiver/mentor to a chess prodigy? Lotis Key, once a star in Philippine movies and theater, found herself assuming that role and wrote about it. Read Again "A Traveling Fool." http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/a-traveling-fool

His name no longer rings a bell so PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia reintroduced him to a new audience. Read Again "Before Elorde and Pacquiao, There Was Luis Logan" on a boxing hero that should not be forgotten. http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/before-elorde-and-pacquiao-there-was-luis-logan

Always a comfort food, here's Sizzling Bangus Sisig for the Happy Home Cook: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-happy-home-cook-sizzling-bangus-sisig

[Video of the Week] The Fight Over Manila's Last Forests: Masungi Watershed