Cebuana Engineer Is on Artemis II Control Team

Arianne “Nikki” Jubay Lazaro, an engineer from Balamban, Cebu, gained recognition for her role in NASA’s Artemis II mission. She is part of the Orion Fracture Control Team, ensuring the spacecraft’s Environmental Control and Life Support System remains intact during space travel (See Cebu Daily News for story).

Maria Ressa to Get '26 Daniel Pearl Journalism Award

Maria Ressa (Photo by Joshua Lim/Creative Commons License)

Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa will be honored with the 2026 Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism, the Los Angeles Press Club has announced (See Inquirer for story).

Los Angeles Library Honors Carlos Bulosan

Carlos Bulosan (Source: Inquirer/University of Washington)

Carlos Bulosan’s name will soon find distinguished company in famous writers like John Steinbeck and Robert Louis Stevenson as a public library in Los Angeles is formally dedicated in his honor (See Inquirer for story).

Lad from Mindoro Wins Top Prize in Natural Science Olympiad

Nine-year-old Warren Wade Casuga was named Absolute Winner of the VII Copernicus Olympiad Global Round. Representing the Philippines, the young learner from Oriental Mindoro dominated the Natural Science category and emerged as the top overall performer among participants from 16 countries (See Facebook for story).

Cerritos, California Swears In First Filipina Mayor

Cerritos Mayor Lynda P. Johnson (Source: Inquirer.net)

Lynda P. Johnson was sworn in as Cerritos, California’s first Filipina mayor, marking a historic milestone for the city as it approaches the 70th anniversary of its incorporation (See Inquirer.net for story).

Fil-Singaporean Filmmaker Wins Special Jury Award at Sundance

Rafael Manuel (Source: Facebook)

Filipino-Singaporean Rafael Manuel’s film Filipiñana won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Vision at Sundance 2026. Five countries co-produced it: Singapore, U.K., Philippines, France, Netherlands (See Facebook for story).

Covid-Era’s Community Pantry Returns Amid Oil Price Hike

Community Pantry for Drivers (Source: Rappler)

Patricia Non revived her Community Pantry to help public transportation drivers amid price hikes triggered by Trump’s war on Iran. The setup, stocked with vegetables like sayote and kangkong (chayote and water spinach), along with packs of rice, quickly drew drivers in need. With less than two hours, everything was gone (Watch Rappler Video on Instagram).

Filipina Tech Leader Awarded French National Order of Merit

Kat Borlongan was recently named a recipient of the French National Order of Merit, a distinction awarded by the French government to individuals who have rendered outstanding service (See ABS-CBN for story).