In keeping with Positively Filipino’s goal of celebrating the 13-million-strong (and counting) Filipino diaspora, we are launching a new series titled Overseas Filipino Achievers. The series recognizes outstanding Filipinos making their mark in various countries around the world. It builds on our popular and long-running feature, “FilAms Among the Remarkable and Famous.”

But we need your help. If you know Filipinos outside the Philippines and the United States who are doing exceptional work in their adopted countries, please send their names, supporting documents or links, and photos to pfpublisher@yahoo.com.

SPAIN

Isabel Preysler, Socialite

Born in Manila, Philippines, Isabel Preysler is a Spanish-Filipino socialite and television host, and the mother of pop icons Julio Iglesias Jr. and Enrique Iglesias. At 16, she moved to Madrid to live with her uncle and continue her studies.

She began her career as a journalist for ¡Hola! magazine in 1970, where she interviewed her future husband, Julio Iglesias. In 2006, Preysler received the Women Together Award for her philanthropic contributions, alongside Hillary Clinton, Shakira, and Yoko Ono—making her the first Filipina to receive the honor.

Following her divorce from Iglesias, Preysler married Carlos Falcó, 5th Marquess of Griñón, with whom she has a daughter, Tamara Isabel. Her third marriage was to former Spanish finance minister Miguel Boyer, and they had a daughter, Ana. Her most recent relationship was with Peruvian Nobel laureate writer, journalist, and politician Mario Vargas Llosa, which ended in 2022.

In October 2025, Preysler released her autobiography, Isabel Preysler: Mi Verdadera Historia (My True Story).

Enrique Iglesias, Singer and Songwriter

Enrique Iglesias *(Source: Wikipedia/Jorge Mejia)*

In the 1990s, Enrique Iglesias was the decade’s best-selling Spanish-language artist, releasing three Spanish albums and winning a Grammy Award in 1997. In 1999, he released his first English-language album, which produced two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

With over 137 million records sold worldwide, Iglesias is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time. He and his partner, former tennis star Anna Kournikova, have four children, including twins born in 2017.

ICELAND

Keath Osk, Artist

Keath Osk is a Filipino-Icelandic singer, songwriter, and multimedia artist and a member of Yaelokre, a folk-music storytelling group. The band includes percussionist Reynaldo Capuno, guitarist Emil Ortega, drummer Eugene Rabang, and bassist JD Santos.

Yaelokre is known for its immersive performances, with members appearing in character wearing animal-themed masks and Renaissance-inspired costumes that represent figures within the project’s narrative world. The group has received critical praise for its artistry and distinctive style and has been cited as a representative of both the folk revival movement and Original Pilipino Music.

Born to Filipino parents, Osk was adopted by an Icelandic family. Growing up, his mother—a singer—taught the children how to play guitar and sing, while his father read fantasy stories and fairy tales to them.

JAPAN

Charito Vergara, Jazz Singer

By the age of five, Charito Vergara had already memorized and performed classic Tagalog songs. Her Mass Communication studies at the University of Santo Tomas were cut short when her family returned to La Union following the declaration of martial law in 1972.

An uncle who played guitar in a band helped her secure a nightly gig at the Hyatt Hotel’s Kalesa Bar. She later moved to Japan to work at a music club in Sendai City, where she sang jazz for five years. Sensing a shift in her career, Vergara relocated to Tokyo, where a record producer invested in her first studio recording.

Asian Journal describes her artistry as follows:

“Her highly personal and expressive vocal style incorporates the breadth of her musical interests, from straight-ahead soulful ballads to hard-swinging grooves and improvisational adventures. Charito’s approach to jazz is fresh and invigorating, paying tribute to the tradition while constantly exploring and expressing herself.”

With numerous albums, awards, and stage performances to her name, Vergara founded the Tokyo-Manila Jazz & Arts Festival, which provides scholarships, musical equipment, and educational support to deserving artists.

Yuka Saso, Golfer

Born in the Philippines to a Filipina mother and a Japanese father, Yuka Saso began training in golf at age eight. She won her first gold medals for the Philippines in both the women’s individual and team events at the Asian Games.

She was one of three Filipino golfers who competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, finishing ninth in the women’s individual event. Saso turned professional in November 2019 after earning a Japan LPGA Tour card in 2020.

Holding both Philippine and Japanese citizenships early in her career, Saso was required to renounce her Philippine citizenship upon turning 22, in accordance with Japanese nationality law.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Nathaniel Alapide, Sand Artist

Nathaniel Alapide (Source: Filipino Times)

Nathaniel Alapide uses the beaches of Dubai as his canvas and has earned recognition from Guinness World Records for his large-scale sand art. His journey began in 2014, when he created a sand drawing of a tree in tribute to his late grandmother at Umm Suqeim Beach, near the Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Impressed by his work, the hotel offered him a full-time position as a sand artist in 2015. Since then, Alapide has been commissioned by major brands such as Burberry, Adidas, and National Geographic, as well as by the UAE government during the COVID-19 pandemic for a massive “STAY HOME” message visible from the sky.

In 2022, Alapide set a new Guinness World Record for the world’s largest sand image. The artwork—measuring more than 23,000 square meters (250,000 square feet)—depicted the rulers of the United Arab Emirates and was commissioned by the Abu Dhabi Aviation Club. It took 30 days to complete and required 12,000 tons of sand in four colors sourced from across the UAE desert, according to CNN.

Because his work can be altered or destroyed by weather at any time, Alapide reflects that the temporary nature of sand art reminds him that everything is in constant change, especially in a city like Dubai.

CHINA

Jensen Moreno, Artist and Educator

Born in Bataan, Philippines, Jensen Moreno is an award-winning artist currently based in Beijing, China. She is the founder of Jensen Moreno Fine Arts, a designer, art educator, and the Director of Arts at Joy El International Academy. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Arts, majoring in Painting, from the University of Santo Tomas.

Moreno moved to Guangdong in 2013 to teach at an international school and relocated to Beijing a year later. Her recent solo exhibitions in China have been highly successful. Her fifth solo exhibition, Hall of Fame, was sponsored by the A.C. Art Museum, followed by World-Class, hosted by the Philippine Embassy for the ASEAN Ladies Circle.

Her seventh solo exhibition, Phenomenal, was sponsored by Poly International Plaza in June 2019 and featured portraits of celebrities and notable figures she encountered during her career in the Philippines, Vietnam, and China. Moreno has also participated in group exhibitions in Austria and Slovakia.

She has received international awards from Hong Kong and Italy and was named one of the Top 20 Most Inspiring Contemporary Artists in the World by the World Contemporary Art Awards (WCA). She continues to hold multiple exhibitions across China while simultaneously showing her work internationally.

MOROCCO

Elvie Dela Cruz, OFW Advocate

A native of Pozorrubio, Pangasinan, Elvie Dela Cruz arrived in Morocco in 2009 as a household service worker. Over time, she became a trusted advocate and lifeline for distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Despite her modest income, she founded the Filipino Society of Morocco (FSM) to support fellow Filipinos in need.

Her most significant contributions involve assisting dozens of OFWs who suffered severe abuse, including withheld wages, denial of rest days, and illegal confiscation of passports. Dela Cruz has successfully intervened in numerous cases, helping workers obtain due compensation, secure legal employment, and even recover from hospitalization.

In recognition of her tireless advocacy, she received the Banaag Award in 2024.

NEW ZEALAND

Victoria Velasquez Vincent, Model and Pageant Titleholder

Victoria Velasquez Vincent *(Source: Instagram)*

Victoria Velasquez Vincent was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, to a mother from Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines. She competed in the Miss Universe Philippines 2021 pageant, placing second runner-up and earning the title Miss Universe Philippines Charity 2021.

Vincent later won Miss Universe New Zealand 2024 and represented the country at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant in Mexico. She did not advance to the Top 30.

Franki Russell, Beauty Queen and Actor

Born and raised in Dunedin, New Zealand, to a New Zealander father and a Filipina mother, Franki Russell moved to Sydney at 18 and later relocated to the Philippines to pursue an acting and modeling career.

She was appointed Miss Universe New Zealand 2024 and was set to compete at Miss Universe 2024. However, following controversies in her acting career and the cancellation of the Miss Universe New Zealand franchise, she was stripped of her title. On August 30, 2024, the Miss Cosmo Organization announced that Russell had been appointed New Zealand’s representative to Miss Cosmo 2024, its inaugural pageant.

In an interview with GMA News Online, Russell shared:

“I grew up very Kiwi, but my mother introduced the Philippines in small ways—she made halo-halo, leche flan, adobo. I tried Filipino things growing up, but it wasn’t until I moved to Manila in 2019 and joined Pinoy Big Brother that I really experienced it. It was like a crash course in being Filipino—like eating balut on live TV. It was a roller-coaster ride, but I’d say I’m as much Filipina as I am New Zealander.”

DENMARK

Patricio and Rufina Valenzuela, Community Advocates for Au Pairs

Patricio and Rufina Valenzuela *(Source: Rappler/Ana P. Santos)*

At 69, Patricio “Pat” Valenzuela is one of the first Filipinos granted political asylum in Denmark. In the 1970s, while working as a metal worker at the Subic Naval Base, he joined a strike demanding higher wages and better working conditions. He was imprisoned and tortured, then released two years later.

After marrying and starting a family, Pat found himself unable to secure work due to his opposition to the Marcos dictatorship. He returned to Samal, Bataan, to organize protests and was later shot twice during a military encounter, leading to another imprisonment. In 1992, he joined his sister in Denmark.

Rufina “Pinay” Valenzuela was among the forty-nine Filipina chambermaids recruited to work at Hotel Scandinavia in Copenhagen in 1973, just as Europe’s guest worker program was ending. The group later became known as “The 49ers.”

In retirement, Pat remains active in Migrante Denmark and Radio Pinoy, a weekly program addressing Filipino issues. Together, Pat and Pinay provide shelter, meals, and emotional support to au pairs escaping abusive host families. In the absence of a Philippine embassy in Denmark, the small Filipino community has stepped in to fill the protection gap—forming a vital safety net for those in need.

The Magazine

Overseas Filipino Achievers, Part 1