April 22, 2026

Cool and Competent

April 22, 2026/ Staff

There’s probably no business as tough as show business. So, it’s always good for the spirit to see Filipinos and Filipino Americans breaking through in U.S. entertainment. This week we feature rising talents who make us proud.

Stand-up comedians often chided TV medical dramas for not being realistic because the “hospitals” didn’t have any Filipino doctors, nurses, and technicians on their staff. They can chide no more. The hit series The Pitt on HBO Max has memorable Filipino American characters buzzing about the Emergency Department of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Center.

Among them is Dr. Trinity Santos, played by Isa Briones who taps into a reservoir of heavy emotions that Filipinos are known to display in their everyday lives, writes our correspondent Anthony Maddela (Isa Briones, the Cool, Competent Filipina Doctor on ‘The Pitt’). The London-born star had already made a mark on Broadway stages before The Pitt. Read how she runs.

Meanwhile, BINI, a P-Pop girl group riding the candy-colored global K-Pop wave, made quite a splash at the famous Coachella music festival (BINI’s Coachella Breakthrough by Julienne Loreto). Their view count online was second only to festival headliner Justin Bieber’s.

Meanwhile, historian-soldier Alex Fabros shares another part of his memoirs, this time about coming of age amid America’s emerging counter-culture as the dark clouds of the Vietnam War loomed (Chess, Janis Joplin, and My Father’s Herbs).

We’re sharing with you another early access to Episode 2 of Ink and Identity. The Filipino Story team travels to meet Apo Whang-Od, the famous 109-year-old mambabatok (traditional tattooist) of Buscalan, Philippines. This episode begins to explore what Ginhawa means through the lens of a living legend.

[Read It Again]

A Certifiably Sustainable Way of Life by Chiara Cox

In Coron, Palawan: Earth-Friendly Farming with a Side of Eco Tours by Glenna Aquino

[Video of the Week] Filipino Americans Meet Whang Od: Legendary Tattoo Artist of Buscalan

In The Know

San Francisco ceremony honors WWII Asian American nurses
https://asamnews.com/2026/04/14/filipino-and-asian-american-wwii-nurses-honors/?

LOOK: A New Rebel Bakehouse Inside Historic, Picture-Perfect Baguio Landmark
https://www.spot.ph/eatdrink/the-latest-eat-drink/rebel-bakehouse-bell-house-baguio-a2962-20260330-bsc?utm_source=Facebook-

Why we’re excited about all-kundiman concert at MiraNila
https://www.thediarist.ph/why-were-excited-about-all-kundiman-concert-at-miranila/

Food’s Vital Role in the Country’s History by Felice Prudente Sta. Maria
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DXGq1PlAgwb/

Fact Sheet: U.S. and Philippines Plan the Launch of Historic 4,000 Acre Economic Security Zone to Shore Up Supply Chains
https://ph.usembassy.gov/fact-sheet-u-s-and-philippines-plan-the-launch-of-historic-4000-acre-economic-security-zone-to-shore-up-supply-chains/

The Truth About Sampaguita
https://www.facebook.com/reel/762015443407168

March 25, 2026

Dig Deep Into Our Treasure Chest of Stories

March 25, 2026/ Staff

If you usually tap into Positively Filipino through our Wednesday newsletter links, you might not realize just how deep the archive goes. We’ve been publishing for 13 years—so yeah, there’s a whole treasure chest of stories waiting for you.

Dive into the archives here:
https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/the-rack/

So… how many stories are we talking about? We don’t have an official count, but we asked Claude.ai to do the math, and here’s the vibe:

There are thousands of stories across categories like Life Stories, Fil-Am icons, history, business, entertainment, food, culture, and more. When you add them all up, it comes out to around 3,065 pieces. So far. (Real talk: some stories show up in multiple categories, so the number of unique articles is probably a bit lower—but still, that’s a LOT of content.)

Bottom line: Positively Filipino is more than just a website—it’s a whole digital tambayan for Filipino stories. Whether you’re a student, researcher, creative, policy maker, or just someone trying to stay connected to the culture, there’s something here for you.

And it’s not just about reading—we’re also a space for voices from across the diaspora. We’ve got 500+ writers (and counting!) sharing their takes on what it means to be Filipino today.

Wanna be part of it?
Check out how to submit your work:
https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/editorial/

Come through and join our growing community of storytellers, culture shapers, and thought leaders. Let’s keep celebrating what it means to be Filipino—together.

This Week’s Stories

FilAms Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 76 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

India: The Naked and the Dead by Bella Bonner

Painter Camille Dela Rosa’s Inner Cosmos by Leodivico Padua Masuli

[Read It Again]

A D.C. Springtime Concert Born in Manila by Titchie Carandang

Early Filipinos on Mare Island by Mel Orpilla

[Video of the Week] This Fish Shouldn’t Exist

In The Know

Threats within: Filipino spies in denial

https://www.rappler.com/features/newsbreak/investigative/chinese-operation-filipino-spies-department-national-defense/index.html?

US eyes a Philippine ammo facility as opposition warns of ‘warmongering’

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347561/us-eyes-philippine-ammo-facility-opposition-warns-warmongering?

Ian Tuason’s Filipino culture inspires A24’s new horror film

https://asamnews.com/2026/03/13/a24-undertone-filipino-folklore-religion-sound-design/?

Filipina tax preparer sentenced to 18 months in prison for $1.23M fraud scheme

https://www.filipinoreporters.com/post/filipina-tax-preparer-sentenced-to-18-months-in-prison-for-1-23m-fraud-scheme?

Fil-Am general lost secret Ukraine war maps on train, watchdog finds

https://usa.inquirer.net/192340/fil-am-general-lost-secret-ukraine-war-maps-on-train-watchdog-finds

March 05, 2024

Wonder Women

March 05, 2024/ Staff

It's always a pleasure to celebrate with the rest of the world Women's History Month because we take pride in Filipino women everywhere who are coming into their fullness as achievers, leaders, advocates, activists, mentors, and role models in their chosen fields.

This week, to start off this year's month-long celebration, we spotlight two women, one a long-time literary giant and the other, the first Filipina to compete in the toughest horse race on earth.

Author/publisher Cecilia Brainard regards Linda Ty-Casper as one of the greatest Filipino novelists. Her critically acclaimed 1974 novel, Three-Cornered Sun has been given new life by a woman-owned publishing house called Exploding Galaxies, whose avowed mission is, according to Brainard, "to rediscover lost Filipino classics."

Solana Lim Perez is a young Filipina horsewoman who dared compete with veterans in the ten-day extreme endurance race in the grueling Mongolian Steppes. Though she didn't win, she completed the 1,000-kilometer Mongol Derby, a singular achievement in itself. Read all about this brutal contest from contributing writer Mikeli Mapua.

Filipino and Fil-Am thespians are having their time in Broadway as ANC reporter Don Tagala reports.

Here's a book that's one-of-a-kind: San Francisco Bay Area-based author and artist Michael Magnaye's La Vie en Pose, a collection of hilarious and satirical photos of the author in cross-dressing poses. You have to see it for yourself to appreciate the daring, the imagination and the acts of subversion. Guaranteed to be a hit on your coffee table because you ain't seen anything like it.

[Partner] Discount Tix To Larry The Musical, Meet Our Larrys, And More!

[Video Of The Week] The Domestic Slaves Rescued From London’s Richest Streets