Filipino Fridays

Welcome back to Filipino Fridays! We got a fun episode for you with our friends RJ & Byron joining us. If you listened to the family feud episode, we got some great news to share. Well we're still in the middle of the pandemic and definitely feeling the itch to travel again. If you're planning to visiting the Philippines one day, this episode is for you! We share why it's more fun in the Philippines, what to prepare for your first-time visit (mentally and physically), and we also share some tips on what to pack for your visit. We share some stories of our experiences along with what's next on our bucket list for the Philippines the next time we get a chance to travel again. Lots of laughs to expect with your favorite chaotic quartet!

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We're back with a remarkable episode featuring an emerging leader looking to bring science and diversity to Canadian politics.

ABOUT DR. PHIL DE LINA 

Phil De Luna is a scientist and carbontech innovator turned first-time candidate for political office. He is currently on leave from the National Research Council of Canada where he led a $57M Canada-made cleantech program. De Luna is a Governor General Gold Medal scientist and has published in high-impact journals like Science and Nature. He was a Carbon XPRIZE finalist, a Forbes Top 30 Under 30, and hosts a podcast about science and behaviour. De Luna is currently the Green Party of Canada candidate for Toronto-St. Paul’s and is running to bring more diversity to parliament and more science to politics.

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]. Music: Hot Coffee by Patrick Patrikios

Compelled by the mission to promote peace, unity and understanding in these tumultuous times, our special guest is Chris Soriano - the writer, producer, director and star of the film, "Zeus". In collaboration with eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, Chris created the film to raise awareness against anti-Asian hate. Chris was inspired to produce the film after witnessing the horrifying hate crimes that were happening to the Asian community during the pandemic. We discussed the journey behind making the film, and how important it was to stay true to the authenticity of the Filipino cultural experience. Keeping the accent we hear at home? Check. Being discouraged to reach for our dreams? Check. Rising above the challenges you thought would knock you out? Check. We also talked about what to understand when confronted with anti-Asian discrimination and racism, along with how we can provide support as a bystander when incidents occur. We discuss about the growth and learning we gain about ourselves when faced with life-changing experiences. We also talk about how Manny Pacquiao got involved with the film and setting the precedence to create more Filipino stories in filmmaking.

Almost killed by neighborhood gangs at 13. Stamped with a low GPA of 1.98. Denied admission to college. Chris Soriano made a plan to reverse the outcome of all these negative experiences. He uses movies to show his common theme to “find a way, even when there is no way.”

We're back with another fun episode y'all! Our special guest is Robert Enriquez - writer, producer, director and star of the post-apocalyptic zombie flick, "Escape to the Cove". We talk to Robert about the process behind making his film, and how the unique occurrences caused by the pandemic aided in directing his film. Robert also takes us through the journey of his long standing career in the entertainment industry, advocating for diversity in the early stages of establishing his talent management company. As a 6'5 mixed Filipino, Robert shares his own experience about the lack of representation for Filipino and Asian roles when he started out as an actor. We also discuss how the industry is now working on diversifying roles and seeing a future where the stories we see on the screen reflect the multicultural landscape we live in today. We have some fun and ask Robert which Filipino dish he would be willing to get bit by a zombie for. Lastly, Robert shares advice on how to thrive in the industry - by embracing your true self as an actor and as a person, surrounding yourself with a trustworthy team and focus on mastering your craft.

Robert successfully owns and operates Red Baron Management and Films—A 20 year old Management and Production Company. Clients have starred in many Hollywood films and TV shows such as Run The World, Wonder Years, The Last OG. GLOW, Happy Together, Straight Outta Compton, 22 Jump Street, The Equalizer, The Carmichael Show, Blackish, and MANY more.

As Director/Producer Robert has made many films that have gone on to distribution in more than 18 different Countries,  Has brokered deals with  Amazon, Google Play, Comcast, Showtime, Netflix, Lionsgate, and placed in many film festivals—not to mention Tony and EMMY Recognition.

In release right now Robert has 'Escape to the Cove' on Amazon and in July 'Adventure Harbor' will be released By Relativity Media.

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]. Music: Hot Coffee by Patrick Patrikios

Hey y'all! We're back with another powerful episode - our special guest is Gelaine Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Cambio & Co., a Filipino jewelry company that provides sustainable livelihood for artisans in the Philippines and empowers Filipinos in the diaspora to #WearYourHeritage.

She’s the co-founder and CEO of Cambio & Co., a Filipino jewelry company that provides sustainable livelihood for artisans in the Philippines and empowers Filipinos in the diaspora to #WearYourHeritage. She’s also the CEO of Sinta & Co., a boutique for socially conscious Filipino weddings. Gelaine is also the creative behind Fierce Fans Forever, a weekly newsletter about content marketing and authentic storytelling for BIPOC e-commerce founders.

Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine, Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, CBC, Rappler, OMNI Television and ABS-CBN. Gelaine was also a recipient of the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award in 2019.

Connect with her at www.gelainesantiago.com and on Instagram @gelainesantiago 

You can also find us at shopcambio.co and shopsinta.co 

Hey y'all! We're back with another episode - continuing with our Community Cultivator Series our special guest is JedRocks from Table Tutors.

Hey y'all! We're back with another episode - continuing with our Community Cultivator Series for Filipino Heritage Month in Canada, our special guest is Raquel Stewart from Bukobaba. In today's episode we learn about the origin story behind the Bukobaba brand and the story behind the name (it is the most adorable story ever!) Driven with a purpose to good, Raquel set out to help local coconut farmers and producers by bringing premium Filipino coconut products to Canada.  Bukobaba products are made in small batches, hand-crafted, and sustainably sourced by using traditional Philippine method that retains the integrity and quality of each product. Knowing how the farmers have struggled to pass down their family traditions in coconut farming and protect their families, we discuss why it was important for Raquel to play a role in providing a sustainable livelihood for farmers, in hopes of empowering the next generation. We discuss the strategy behind the brand - why it was significant to build a universally appealing brand but remained rooted in Filipino culture. We speak about what it means to be a part of the Filipino Food Movement happening in Vancouver and the future of Bukobaba as it continues its mission to make an impact by bringing awareness to Filipino culture and its products to the world.

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

We're back with another powerful episode - continuing with our Community Cultivator Series for Filipino Heritage Month in Canada, our special guests are Iona and Paolo from Kape Coffee. As a leading disrupter in the specialty coffee industry, Kape Coffee strives to provide ethically sourced, farmer-first, and direct-trade coffee to consumers in Canada. We talk about the history of coffee farming in the Philippines and how integral it is to support farmers with a sustainable livelihood. We discuss our relationship with coffee and how it can it can serve as a bridge to connect to our culture and heritage and decolonize our identity. We speak at length about how our Filipino traits of honor, excellence, service and selflessness are representative of our identity. By channelling those traits we attain the deepest sense of what it means to be Filipino - Kapwa or "makipagkapwa", the shared interconnectedness and fellowship we have with each other. The sincere and earnest quality of caring for each other in our community is rooted in "kapwa"- where by uplifting one another, we see each one of us succeed. We also talk about how we developed "the heritage of smallness" and how we've been conditioned to see ourselves as inferior and lowly due to colonization and battling that mentality by having conviction in our identity as a Filipino. 

Kapé is a social enterprise helping Indigenous women coffee growers in the Philippines thrive and build sustainable livelihoods by promoting their unique coffees to the global stage. Behind this venture are wife and husband team Iona & Paolo, who met at a café in 2005 and have since brewed countless cups of coffee together. Working closely with native coffee growers in Benguet, Davao Del Sur, and other coffee farming communities in the Philippines, Kapé brings some of the most unique, flavourful, and farmer-direct coffees from the Philippines' Indigenous communities to Canada and beyond. Kapé aims to highlight the stories behind each cup; honour strong women and families behind great coffee; and make a difference by creating more equitable coffee practices from origin to cup.

Hey y'all! We're back with another episode - in honor of Filipino Heritage Month in Canada, we will be featuring some of the notable Filipino-Canadian entrepreneurs who are putting Filipino products on the world map. Kicking off our 'Community Cultivator' Series is Vincent Garcia from Kasama Chocolate. We talk about the the history of cacao in the Philippines, the story behind creating bean-to-bar chocolate from Philippine cacao beans, and becoming a disrupter in the specialty chocolate industry by winning international awards with Filipino chocolate products - including gaining accolades for their single origin 70% Davao chocolate bar. By being rooted in the Filipino identity and gaining international recognition, Kasama Chocolate is an example of when we are stand in our power as a Filipino, we become living examples of Filipino excellence. The heart of the company is also rooted in its name, "Kasama" - which is the Tagalog word for friendship, camaraderie and collaboration - proving that success is a collective effort best achieved, together. In the spirit of community, we also talk about why it's important to work together towards openness and dialogue behind our struggles in order to learn from each other and elevate each other to thrive and succeed. We also discuss the generational shift happening today where many 2nd gens and beyond are rising to the challenge and becoming a part of the Filipino culture movement.

Thank you to our partners Potato Corner BC and CiTR 101.9 FM for supporting this podcast. Follow Filipino Fridays Podcast on Instagram: @FilipinoFridaysPodcast Email us at [email protected]. Follow Archie on Instagram: @saychiees / Follow Archia on Instagram: @nah.tividad Music: Hot Coffee by Patrick Patrikios

In celebration of Filipino Heritage Month in Canada, we are back with another episode featuring Filipino-Canadian filmmaker Joella Cabalu. The award winning director and producer joins us to talk about her new short film, 'Ode to a Seafaring People' featuring spoken word artist Sol Diana. A story that poetically reveals the often-hidden world of Filipino seafarers, and in doing so celebrates the resiliency of the Filipino community. Produced by Lantern Films, the film is one of the collection of stories featured in 'Behind the Facade', airing on Knowledge Network.

Her first mid-length documentary, It Runs in the Family (2015) — a personal exploration of acceptance and what the modern queer family can be in the Filipino diaspora — won the Audience Choice Awards at the Seattle Asian American Film Festival and Vancouver Queer Film Festival and a special jury mention at CAAMFest for the Loni Ding Award for Social Justice Documentary. In 2021, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and the DOC BC + YT + NWT Breakthrough program, Joella is developing Nakabingwit: First Comes Love, a feature-length documentary that follows four Filipino Canadians and their white partners as they navigate race and romance against the backdrop of Canadian multiculturalism. Nakabingwit is Joella’s first feature documentary as a director.

Joella is an alumni of the Langara Documentary Production Program (2015), the BC Arts Council Early Career Development program (2014-2015), Hot Docs Shaw Media Diverse Voices program (2015), and CBC Development Workshop for Diverse Creators (2016).