Assemblymember Raga and community partners will host the first-ever Filipino American History Month Little Manila Parade & Block Party on Sunday, October 18, in Woodside, Queens, home to Little Manila, the cultural heart of the New York metropolitan area's 250,000-strong Filipino American community.

The celebration takes place on the anniversary of the first documented arrival of Filipinos in the continental United States in 1587, when Filipino sailors aboard a Spanish galleon landed in what is now Morro Bay, California.

The Dreamweaver Collective will present Nawa Heritage Day on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at The Living Room at Full Circle in Gardiner, New York, as part of the inaugural Dreamweaver Festival, a month-long Filipino American History Month celebration.

Loida Nicolas Lewis foxtrotted and Eleanor de Leon gracefully swayed on the dance floor, at the 38th anniversary celebration of the Foundation for Filipino Artists, Inc., one of the oldest Filipino organizations in NY. Many played at the casino tables, while the others found sheer happiness with bingo games.

Dubbed as “Casino Night,” the foundation pioneered an interactive socio-cultural extravaganza where guests had the fun time to dance, watch a fashion show, play bingo or be at the "casino", and just simply meet old and new friends.

The elevated kind of fun, steering away from the usual eat-and-dance party, was hosted by Jocelyn R. Bernal.

Stalwarts in Philippine theater and literature composed the panel of remembrances in the two-day event of Ma-yi Theater. Titled Stages of Resistance: Theater, Memory, and the Politics of Truth, the forum was well-attended by Filipinos in New York.

Keynote speakers were Bonifacio Ilagan, an award-winning playwright, filmmaker, journalist, and activist, and Philippine National Artist for Literature Nicanor Tiongson.

More than 200 volunteers, community organizations, local businesses, and neighborhood residents came together on Saturday, October 3, 2026, for the 4th Annual Filipino American History Month Little Manila Community Cleanup, continuing an annual tradition of celebrating Filipino American History Month through service, community pride, and care for the neighborhood.

Forgotten Island continues to blaze on top of the box office charts, but I bet it will be a generational favorite for decades to come, such as Moana, E.T. and The Sound of Music. It is overwhelmingly rich and compact in adventure, cinematic color, movement, and transition, and most of all, culture. The originally dreaded Philippine dwarves and tiyanak (vampiric baby) were animated to be so adorable.

Filipino leaders in the diplomatic and nonprofit sphere here said that all members of the Security Council must have veto powers, adding their voices to the call to either equalize or entirely abolish the veto power within the SC for the sake of substantial peace.

New York State Assemblymember Steven Raga secured $100,000 in NYS funding for the Emerald Isle Immigration Center (EIIC) for Fiscal Year 2026–27 to support EIIC’s immigration services.

The funding comes at a critical time as demand for immigration services continues to grow and nonprofit organizations providing these services face significant funding challenges.

An advocacy group recently held a forum at NYU seeking the participation of Fil-Ams on two major themes: China's hegemonic role and developments in the West Philippine Sea, and the Duterte administration's war on drugs, democratic deficit, and questions of impeachment and political accountability.

“The writings of Resil, the love he gave to his family and his disciples, his dedication to his craft, are his own contributions to the ongoing construction of the reign of God.” - Fr. Ramon Echica on the requiem mass of Dr. Resil Mojares, Philippine National Artist for Literature.

National Artist Dr. Resil Mojares has always been larger than life. This cool adviser of the student paper Today’s Carolinian guided me gently to be a journalist. That prompting became a lifelong guidance.

After 13 years, the Philippines once again wears the Miss Supranational crown as Katrina Llegado is crowned Miss Supranational 2026. Also, Miss Reina Filipinas pageant debuts.

International pageants fan Felix Manuel writes.

The pilot Masterclass on Writing & Journalism with Dr. Marivir Montebon was well-received by its pioneering nine cohorts from the US and Philippines.

“I especially appreciated how our cohort's discussions applied the discipline's foundational emphasis upon ethics to today's context, such as when we discussed AI and accountability vis-à-vis plagiarism,” said Sean Colaljo from UC Berkeley.

Under Senen Mangalile’s watch, the PCGNY received the 2025 Best Organization Award from the Department of Foreign Affairs “for having promoted Philippine interests in the Northeast, improved bilateral ties, and maintained high standards of public service and diplomacy.”

On his last Media Hour, he gave us a litany of accomplishments which will be turned over to upcoming Consul General Amb. Maria Elena Cristina Maningat.

Veteran entertainment journalist Jo-Ann Maglipon and film scholar Joel David gathered top Philippines films in 𝙎𝙄𝙉𝙀. 𝙁𝙄𝙇𝙈. 𝙋𝙀𝙇𝙄𝙆𝙐𝙇𝘼.: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 100+ 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙡𝙢𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝘾𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙖, mapping out key moments in local filmmaking.

The book was launched in August in Manila.

The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) concluded its 16th National Empowerment Conference with a renewed commitment for Filipino American empowerment through public service, entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, community health, and safety.

A long-running Filipino choir, the Kayumanggi Choral, celebrates its 35th anniversary this year with a concert titled ‘Himig Pamana - A Musical Heritage’ on October 11, 2026 at the Merkin Hall in NYC.

New York just launched its first winter escapade of the Very Important Pinoy (VIP) Tour 2027. Scheduled to take place on February 7-21, 2027, the 2027 edition marks the first time the VIP Tour will be jointly undertaken with the Winter Escapade program with travelers from the United States and Canada.

"Filipino audiences could be so judgmental. It's something I am personally concerned for youth. Social media has amplified hate. Digital technology has become scary," he said during a breezy Saturday luncheon with some members of local New York media at Sushi Tokkoro on Madison.

Art House Theatre in Jersey City will host a landmark double feature, celebrating queer Filipinx art, history, and identity on Friday, August 7, 2026.

Watch the two critically-acclaimed works: Because of You: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo, a documentary on queer Filipinx history, and Anak ni Tapia: Leaving Mother, a deeply personal solo theatrical performance exploring migration, identity, and queer experience. Both works have earned acclaim internationally.