YAMAN Exhibit: Showcasing the Philippines’ teeming treasures
By Marivir R. Montebon
New York - Jerry Sibal and Edwin Josue of the Friends of the Philippine Society have raised the bar of Philippine cultural and trade exhibitions as they opened Yaman (treasure) in the heart of New York City on October 31, 2025.
Set in the iconic Marriott Marquis in Times Square, Yaman was true to its literal meaning - an interactive showcase of the abundance of Philippine arts and crafts and inspirational stories of select Filipino men and women.
Organizers Edwin Josue (left) and Jerry Sibal (right) with Philippine Consul General in NY Senen Mangalile during the YAMAN opening. They wore exquisitely woven and embroidered Philippine suits.
RN Kym Villamer de Leon, Director of Patient Experience at Mount Sinai Hospital and member of the Philippine Nurses Association.
At the formal opening on festive Halloween, Josue thanked their supporters and said, "we are not only celebrating Filipino American History month this October. We are also making history."
Yaman, a brainchild of Sibal, is set to become a yearly undertaking in the Big Apple. "This is a team effort. I'm doing this for the love of our weavers. Please support them to sustain our indigenous arts. I've been around for awhile, and this may be my last (legacy) project," he said, quiet emotionally.
Cecille Castillon-Weinstein, president of The Dreamweaver Collective, one of the exhibitors of YAMAN featuring the artistry of southern Philippines at Marriot Marquis on Times Square.
The T’boli tribe presents the banga dance where women dance carrying several clay pots on their heads.
YAMAN, a well-attended cultural affair in the heart of New York City.
In the East Coast, there are more than 262,000 Filipinos in the diasporic communities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. According to the 2014 government census, about 94,000 are living in New York, and concentrated mainly in the borough of Queens. Nationwide, Filipinos rank third among Asians, tailing the Chinese (2nd) and Indians (1st) in the most recent census.
From October 31 to November 2, well-participated Yaman featured top line Filipino and Filipino American culinary artists, entrepreneurs, couturiers, and performers. Sibal and Josue wanted to link the diasporic communities with artisans and entrepreneurs to keep alive Philippine culture and economy. The undertaking was noble and compelling, with the practical challenge of the high cost of mounting a cultural extravaganza.
Jerry Sibal (middle) with Edwin Josue and Judge-elect Eve Cho Guillergan for Civil Court Municipal District 2 Queens.
Weaver Elena Balbas of Abra on her loom, rides on a jetplane for the first time to be in New York for the YAMAN exhibit.
FilAm journalist Kristine Johnson chats with Amb. de Leon and other Filipinos after her fireside chat: Her Story, Her Power: A Filipino American in Media.
Elena Balbas, one of the participating weavers who flew in from Abra, demonstrated how paghahabi (weaving) is done using cotton threads which her family creates. She has learned the art from her mother and has taught her children as well. Her income from weaving has sent all her three children to school. "We need a steady demand for our habi," she said, as their constant challenge.
Weaving (i.e. textiles, mats, tapestries, and baskets) is a pervasive indigenous art in rural Philippines which dates back to pre-Spanish colonial times and generationally handed down, mostly by women.
A concert by AGT champion Sofronio Vasquez highlighted the closing of YAMAN. The Filipino champion is flanked here by organizers Jerry Sibal and Edwin Josue.
Loida Nicolas-Lewis (4th from the right) with (l-r) Amb. Mario de Leon, Corazon Reyes, Dr. Connie Uy, Dr. Angie Cruz, Dr. Emilio Quines, Marietta Lamar, Edwin Josue, and Ms. Eleanor de Leon.
The three-day exhibit opened with a fireside conversation with Loida Nicolas Lewis, Philippine philanthropist and leader and Filam Lee Hower, co-founder of LinkedIn on "How to be a successful Filipino American.”
It was a substantial, inspiring forum, to begin with, as YAMAN poses to be the Philippines premier cultural and trade exhibition in the heart of NYC.
Pinas Sadya co-founder and designer Skeeter Turgut (seated) modernizes the Filipiniana.
An abundance of wisdom with Loida Nicolas Lewis and Lee Hower.
Lewis and Hower shared their journeys as lawyer-billionaire and digital technology investor, respectively. The weighty part was when Lewis, a Filipino household name here and otherwise known as ‘pambansang tita (national aunt)',’ quipped that she has GOD (Goal setting, Obedience to a code of ethics, and Determination), taking inspiration from her parents from Sorsogon who walked the talk.
Living up to its name, Yaman kicked off with abundance of wisdom from sparkling Filipino American leaders, artists, professionals, and innovators. #
