Filipino Fridays

Welcome back to Filipino Fridays! It's been a minute since the last episode and we have some announcements!

- Growing up with his Nanay and Tatay and how his dad became a major influence in learning about his Filipino identity

Welcome back fam! Tune in along with the hosts of the upcoming Filipino Fridays spin-off, Dats Bastos! Podcast.

Welcome back to Filipino Fridays! We're about to light it up with today's feature episode (if you know what I mean...) Our special guest is Abi Sampson, Professor of Cannabis Regulations at Centennial College. Abi takes us through her experience leading up to a thriving career in cannabis education and advocacy. She shares with us on the personal relationship between Filipinos and cannabis - how Filipinos are uniquely positioned to succeed in the cannabis industry. She takes us through how to have the "weed talk" with our families, providing data and insight on how we can help them understand the use of cannabis today. We discuss the history of Filipinos with the use of plant medicine and its connection to decolonial work. We also speak at length about how Filipinos and BIPOC folks have been targeted for the use of cannabis due to a history of cannabis criminalization rooted in racism. As published in the Globe and Mail, Abi teaches us "Cannabis 101" and gives advice on how to deal with navigating the sensitive conversation around cannabis.

"Filipinos are no strangers to revolutions - as people who are activists, fighters of resistance and our resiliency." 

(Quotes by Abi Sampson)

It's been a banner year y'all! Thank you so much for joining us on the show. Tune in as Archie and Chia sound off on looking back on this year's memories with Filipino Fridays. A love letter to our listeners, our community who continue to uplift and amplify our work in the podcast space. Thankful to celebrate each milestone with you. Maraming maraming salamat! Listen to the end for some special announcements along with updates for Filipino Fridays in the new year. Mabuhay!

Happy Filipino Fridays Fam! We're back with another episode featuring emerging musical artist, Babylon the Babel (also known as Jarnel Gamalinda). We chat with Jarnel about the journey into learning more about his Filipino heritage. Just like many of us whose lives were disrupted by the pandemic, we entered the state of deep reflection into our cultural identity. Many of us started the journey of being in touch with our Filipino roots, putting in the work to learn more about who we are. As Jarnel shares with us - the journey can be lonely, isolating even...especially when we may have first rejected or neglected the "Filipino" part of who we are. In the process of creating his album, Jarnel was inspired by how the stories of our ancestors has survived through time - from the legendary story of Lapu-Lapu to our mythology and folklore with the tales of the Bakunawa, and our very own "pimp" mythical creature, the Kapre (listen more for that hilarious context). He takes us through the process of answering the ancestral calling by expressing himself in different mediums of art while simultaneously diving deeper into the study of his culture.

Hey ya'll! We're back with a special guest joining us the from Philippines! Our special guest is Mycs Villoso, the artistic director of the LSDC-Street,  director of The Hip-Hop Dance Convention and co-founder of AcadeMYCS dance program. As a practitioner and dance coach respected in the global dance community, Mycs shares how the art of dance is critical in self-development and identity formation. She shares with us on how to properly use hip-hop and traditional Filipino dance respectfully to avoid appropriating our own culture. (*Hint: do your research) By promoting our values and expressing our culture through dance, we must take the first steps to understanding the Filipino part first. She guides on how to be culturally sensitive with Filipino dance by being mindful of the indigenous materials, instruments and the history of the people that practice them. She also shares why its important to foster women empowerment in a largely male dominated dance community.

Welcome back to Filipino Fridays! We're back with a saucy episode that dives into an in-depth discussion about sex industry work. Joining us on this episode is digital creator and host of "Stripped by Sia" podcast, Steph Sia. We chat with Steph on a range of topics from her upbringing to the start of her career into the sex industry. We ask questions like, "what goes into an 'arrangement'? Is sex work easy money? What's a "Splenda"  Daddy? Steph takes us through what it's like to perform competitively as a pole dancer (it's a sport people!)

Follow Filipino Fridays Podcast on Instagram: @FilipinoFridaysPodcast / Email us at [email protected] / Music: Hot Coffee by Patrick Patrikios

Hey y'all we're back with another episode! Joining us on this episode are Nathalie De Los Santos from PilipinxPages and Jasmine (Audder) Monton to interview Allan Matudio about his graphic novel, "Kasama". Kasama, which means togetherness or allyship is about two friends that battle evil forces or the "manananggal". We chat with Allan on the journey of creating his novel; drawing from Filipino folklore intertwined with critical social commentary about Filipino culture. We talk about the using Filipino words intentionally throughout the novel as well as paying homage to different parts of the Filipino culture beyond the Luzon or Tagalog dominant narrative. We speak to Allan about using visual arts not only as a form of activism but also as a tool for decolonizing Filipino perspectives. We share tales about the "aswang" and "tyanak" and how these stories have impacted our lives growing up. We also talk to Allan about his community work with grassroots organizations, exercising his sense of "kapwa" by supporting and uplifting other marginalized communities.

Thank you to our partner CiTR 101.9 FM for supporting this podcast. Follow Filipino Fridays Podcast on Instagram: @FilipinoFridaysPodcast Email us at [email protected]: Hot Coffee by Patrick Patrikios

Welcome back to Filipino Fridays! We have a powerful episode featuring MLA, Mable Elmore. Mable joins us to talk about her career as the first MLA of Filipino heritage, representing the Vancouver-Kensington electoral district. A passionate advocate for social justice and human rights, Mable has been active with human rights campaigns ever since her teens. With a deep love of being of service to the community, Mable ran for office and currently serving her fourth term in the provincial government. We discuss the growing population of Filipinos in British Columbia and the context of the Filipinos being the largest global community in the diaspora. But despite our populous numbers, Filipinos are still underrepresented in senior leadership positions. We speak with Mable on the reality of structural and institutionalized racism in Canada and a foundation based on white supremacy, which have become major structural barriers that have impacted the Filipino and other racialized communities. We talk about how to be better allies with the BIPOC community by first understanding the history and impact of colonization in Canada. We speak at length about our role as settlers and what we can do to participate in meaningful dialogue regarding systemic racism, to be in genuine solidarity with other marginalized communities. We also talk about how Filipinos have been at the forefront of the healthcare system and bearing the brunt disproportionately during the pandemic. We discuss about human and workers' rights of temporary foreign workers - with many Filipinos finding themselves in complex working conditions in order to support their families. Lastly, Mable shares with us on changing our cultural understanding -  being assertive and knowing what our rights are; taking a step forward in empowerment to see the Filipino community make an impact collectively. By raising our civic literacy, increasing the understanding and awareness in our community, Mable believes in the Filipino community as a collective going to power.

Mable Elmore was first elected MLA for Vancouver-Kensington in 2009, when she made history by becoming the first MLA of Filipino heritage. Mable was re-elected in May 2013, May 2017, and October 2020. She serves as the Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors Services and Long Term Care and previous served as Parliamentary Secretary for Poverty Reduction. She is also a member of the Cabinet Working Group on Mental Health, Addictions and Homelessness.

Mable previously served as the Official Opposition spokesperson for ICBC, and the deputy spokesperson for Finance.

Mable has been an active member in the peace movement, and has worked tirelessly on a wide range of immigrant, social justice, and workers’ rights issues.

Welcome back to Filipino Fridays! We have an incredible episode featuring the award-winning journalist of CBC Radio One, Michelle Eliot. Michelle joins us to talk about Filipino representation in broadcast media and how it impacts our community. We talk about how her immigrant experience has influenced her approach in telling stories in the media, which would include asking thoughtful questions where our community and other communities of color are well represented without being "othered". By representing the experience of many others, we talk about how meaningful it is to be a voice and perspective that brings light to the immigrant experience. Michelle also takes us through the journey of her career in journalism and talks about the most exciting part of hosting a live radio show. We discuss Mabuhay BC - a feature launched in CBC during Filipino Heritage Month in Canada that focuses on stories about the robust and diverse Filipino community. From articulating the kinship and bond between the Filipino and indigenous community, to highlighting the meaning or stories behind our Filipino names and also talking about issues that reflect the Filipino people. We chat about pushing the Filipino story forward, increasing the diversity in our stories and our responsibility as an immigrant in this community and how we can be in solidarity and kapwa with others. Lastly, Michelle shares her go-to karaoke song and what Filipino food items would be found on her boodle fight (kamayan).

Her work has been recognized by the RTDNA and the Jack Webster Foundation, winning awards for her team’s coverage of the ongoing overdose crisis and the 2017 NDP and Green Party deal. She has also received nominations for her story about immigrants learning to swim later in life, and for her profile of a well-loved woman in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside who died of an overdose.

Michelle was born in the Philippines and moved to Canada with her family at 12-years old, settling in North Vancouver. Her experience as a young immigrant planted the seed of understanding for people whose lives are changed by new circumstances.

She studied English Literature at the University of British Columbia and went on to study Broadcast Journalism at the British Columbia Institute of Technology before joining CBC Vancouver in 2000.

Michelle is married with two children. She enjoys joining community events like the Vancouver Sun Run and the Pride Parade. As the parent of a child with special needs, she also likes to participate in events in the disability community.

​Aside from enjoying running, ​Michelle is also ​an avid reader, a lover of spontaneous dance parties, and an unabashed fan of old school hip hop music.