Is it truly “More Fun in the Philippines?  Well technically not any more, because that marketing campaign ended in 2023.  Now it’s “Love the Philippines”, but do we?  They say there’s “no place like home” (which is especially fitting, since this is episode “227”… look it up, kids), but for Elaine and Producer Mike, who were both born in the US, going to the Philippines was always going to be a different sort of homecoming.  And in many ways, Elaine and Producer Mike going to the Philippines is the closing of a chapter of TFAL, in which these specific aspirations have finally been accomplished:  Elaine has gone to the Philippines for the first time ever, and Producer Mike finally made a return after 20 years.  And in both cases, it was everything and nothing either of them expected.  What does that even mean?!  Well listen to the episode and find out!

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ThisFilipinoAmericanLife.com, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

What have your experiences visiting the Philippines been like?  Should the whole TFAL crew go there next? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected].

For generations, society has taught Filipinos and Filipino Americans what our specific gender roles should be. For men, masculinity is usually associated with ideas of strength, competition, emotion-less, family responsibilities, and protection. At times, these concepts can create narrow definitions of manhood and can pigeon-hole heterosexual men into certain prescribed racial, classed, and gender identities. How can Filipino men navigate an increasingly isolating, brutal, and hyper-masculine society particularly in the United States? How do men make room for different forms of masculinity? How do men reject notions of toxicity, violence, and domination as they remake and redefine heterosexual masculinity for ourselves?

In this TFAL episode, Joe talks to Don Martinez, a Marriage and Family Therapist based in Pasadena, and Joseph Reynoso, a psychoanalytic clinical psychologist based in New York City. They get into a deep conversation about masculinity among Filipino American men, cultures of domination, familial obligations, ideas of success and failures, and so much more. They barely scratch the surface on this initial conversation, but we hope you find the conversation fresh, interesting, and thought-provoking.

NOTE: This was another feeble attempt by Joe to record and edit the episode without the almighty Producer Mike (who was still in the Philippines). Please direct any hate mail to him.

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ThisFilipinoAmericanLife.com, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

Do you have thoughts on Filipino American masculinity? Let us know and maybe we’ll have further discussion on a future episode! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected].

As referenced in the episode, here is Joseph Reynoso’s latest work, Sports and Psychoanalysis, an edited volume of essays that explores the intersection of sport and psychoanalysis.

Did you know that men from the Philippines prior to colonization wore penis pins and rings in order to pleasure their sexual partner during intercourse? Yes, many of our ancestors had all kinds of sex toys and pleasure enhancers. In many ways, being open to sex and sexual pleasure can be seen as a form of anti-colonialism. Everyday, many Filipinos and Filipino Americans have tried to push for a more sexually liberated society, much to the chagrin of the conservative folks in our community and in the Philippines,

Got a question for Goddess Cecilia? Let us know and maybe she’ll come back for a future episode! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected].

Episode 224 | Living with the Land – A Conversation with Dennis Arguelles

This past fall, TFALpodcast’s Elaine took a California Naturalist Training Institute course with Community Nature Connection (CNC). CNC offers this course to anyone who aspires to be a steward of the land. CNC also offers customized trainings like:

In this episode Elaine has a conversation with Dennis Arguelles, Southern California Director with National Parks Conservation Association Dennis’ journey from Filipino and Asian American community organizing to urban planning to the National Parks Conservation Association. This conversation highlights the pastoral connection Filipinos have to nature. Dennis shares about his experience with farmers in the Philippines and how they live with the land instead of separate from the land, which echoes sentiments of land stewardship that indigenous people of California and indigenous people globally emphasize. 

Here are links to the Merlin and iNaturalist apps mentioned in the episode:

Merlin Bird App

iNaturalist

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on ThisFilipinoAmericanLife.com, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

How do you live with the land? Are you an aspiring naturalist? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected].

If it’s a music episode, you know Producer Mike is behind it!

In our 3rd and final episode in our Toronto series, we got to get a hangout with Michelle and Kat, two members of the “queer Filipinx kulintang gong punks” crew Pantayo whose incendiary yet soulful music defies even the sheer idea of a genre. We also got to check in with bedroom pop purveyor Denice Quimbo AKA Ruru, a more recent Toronto transplant by way of Manila who describes herself as a “multi-disciplinary artist, producer, and singer-songwriter,” a description as you’ll soon hear is an incredible understatement.

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on our site, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

Do you know any other artists from Toronto we should listen to? Keeping in mind that Producer Mike already listens to Broken Social Scene constantly…

Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected].

Song clips used in this episode with artists permission:

Pantayo – “Heto Na”

Pantayo – “Sapa(n)ahon”

Pantayo – “One More Latch (Give It To ‘Ya)”

Ruru – “Chewing Gum”

Ruru – “Tonight!”

Ruru – “It Matters Until It Doesn’t”

We continue our Toronto series with discussions on two very important issues that affect us – politics and golf. As with every visit to another city, we love to talk about the local political scene. Here to talk to us about Canadian politics is Member of Parliament and Minister of Small Business Rechie Valdez. She was elected to the House of Commons in Canada in 2021 representing Mississauga-Streetsville and is the first Filipina Canadian member of Parliament. Listen as she discusses her story as a corporate banker to a baking entrepreneur to one of the most powerful elected officials in Canada as well as the wonderful programs she initiated. Canada is truly doing something way better than here in the U.S.

And then we talk about golf. We talk to Adam Robles, founder of Rise Bogey League, a local golf association in Toronto. Here we discuss efforts by the League to re-imagine golf as a game for everyone, and not just rich, white men. Golf is a growing game, even among Filipinos in the diaspora. Robles talks about harnessing that energy and helping Filipinos advance in the sport. They also try to convince Joe to get into golf. (Nice try, guys!).

We also discuss our efforts to try to track down Garnet Lechon Sauce. #IYKYK

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on our site, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

Have you been to Toronto? Have you tried Garnet Lechon Sauce??

Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected].

Here are more photos from our trip to Toronto and interviews!

In honor of Filipino American History Month, the TFAL crew goes to Canada!!!  A couple of weeks ago, we had the wonderful opportunity of visiting our neighbors FAR north, Toronto!!!

It’s been a while since we’ve traveled to another city, so we made the most of it!

During our short trip, we got to meet some awesome kababayan! For the next few episodes, you’ll get to hear from some of the movers and shakers of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). First, we discuss our initiation to Toronto when we quickly discovered we’re yucky Americans as well as a lesson on how to pronounce it correctly. Joining us in the intro is friend of the podcast, and Toronto native, Carlo Dela Fuente, and local comedian Alia Rasul. We are then joined by Jovie Galit of Pinay Collection to discuss her company and its mission to fight for social justice in the Philippines and Palestine.

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on our site, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

Have you been to Toronto? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected].

Here a few photos of the interviews:

Last but most certainly not least in our series of Island Woman Rise episodes, we have returning guest Faith Santilla! This episode is a wee bit different in that we call it “Ask Tita Faith” where Faith answers questions from TFAL listeners. Will this be something we do in the future? ABSOLUTELY! Will we start to have conversations about perimenopause? YES! Because no one told us that this was a thing and some of us seem to be going through it. Will Joe be a part of these convos? Probably not because Gerlie is going to take over, like she should. (j/k j/k Joe).

A post shared by Bambu DePistola (@bambudepistola)

ISLAND WOMAN RISE: Ruby Ibarra, Klassy, Rocky Rivera, Faith Santilla, & Kimmortal at the beautiful Ford LA Theater on Saturday, October 5, 2024. Doors open at 7pm. Show starts at 8pm. TFAL is proud to be a sponsor of this show and can’t wait to see these amazing artists underneath the stars. Island Woman Rise: Buy Tickets Here

Show tip: Bring a sweater. It will get lamig! Need a hoodie? Pick up a TFALpodcast hoodie or long sleeve shirt here: TFALpodcast Merch

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on our site, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

What would you ask Tita Faith? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected]. We’ll use your question in the next episode of Ask Tita Faith!

Continuing our Island Woman Rise series with a lovely conversation with Filipino-Canadian Kimmortal! The TFAL crew shares how we tried to reach out to Kimmortal in 2019 when we traveled to Vancouver, BC. The interview did not pan out because the universe had other plans for us. They share their journey as an artist with the TFAL crew and we manifest a Filipino North American queer musical!

Check out Kimmortal’s music video Blue and Orange, which we speak highly of in the episode.

ISLAND WOMAN RISE: Ruby Ibarra, Klassy, Rocky Rivera, Faith Santilla, & Kimmortal at the beautiful Ford LA Theater on Saturday, October 5, 2024. Doors open at 7pm. Show starts at 8pm. TFAL is proud to be a sponsor this show and can’t wait to see these amazing artists underneath the stars. Island Woman Rise: Buy Tickets Here

Show tip: Bring a sweater. It will get lamig! Need a hoodie? Pick up a TFALpodcast hoodie or long sleeve shirt here: TFALpodcast Merch

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on our site, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

Are you a part of the Sad Femme Club? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected].

What what? Another episode of TFALpodcast? Yup. This time the TFAL crew chops it up with Klassy, the youngest artist on the Island Woman Rise line up. Klassy shares her journey as a Historic Filipinotown kid with a talent for drawing and writing lyrics. Find out which TFAL crew member has tattoos done by the talented artist!

Listen to GOOD SEEDS by Klassy here:

You can also check out the music video for REDIRECT here:

ISLAND WOMAN RISE: Ruby Ibarra, Klassy, Rocky Rivera, Faith Santilla, & Kimmortal at the beautiful Ford LA Theater on Saturday, October 5, 2024. Doors open at 7pm. Show starts at 8pm. TFAL is proud to be a sponsor this show and can’t wait to see these amazing artists underneath the stars. Island Woman Rise: Buy Tickets Here

Show tip: Bring a sweater. It will get lamig! Need a hoodie? Pick up a TFALpodcast hoodie or long sleeve shirt here: TFALpodcast Merch

Listen or download the episode through the embedded player on our site, or subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever your favorite podcasts are found.

Are you excited to see Klassy at Island Woman Rise? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail at (805) 394-TFAL or email us at [email protected].