Latest news with #Filipino-Chinese
Eater
22-07-2025
- Business
- Eater
Famed Filipino Food Cart Baon Kainan Is Transforming Into a Restaurant
is a freelance food and drink writer in Portland, Oregon. She's worked in food media since 2018, with a particular focus on small businesses that have been largely left out of mainstream media. When Ethan and Geri Leung moved from Seattle to Portland to open Baon Kainan in 2021, their Filipino food cart was an instant success. It earned Eater Portland's Best New Cart Award that year thanks to its playful comfort food dishes like kare kare fries. Now, after four years and a few location moves, the Leungs will close the food cart on July 25 and open a restaurant on September 3 at the Lovely Rita space in The Hoxton hotel in Old Town. This will be a six-month residency for now, with the possibility of extension. Along with the move, Baon Kainan, whose name refers to food packed for a trip or for school or work, is getting a new concept and a new name: Pamana, which means legacy in Tagalog. 'Pamana always stuck, because at the end of the day, what we do is for our family and what we learned from them, and that's how we keep a lot of our stories and our culture alive,' says Geri. 'And I think that's what we were doing at Baon — and now we get to do it on a more expanded level.' Geri draws inspiration from her family's tattered green binder, which includes recipes from her adoptive dad's mother who lived in South Carolina and her mother's first forays into cooking so-called American food. She also takes ideas from her childhood growing up in a military family in Italy. Ethan, meanwhile, will draw from his mother's recipe journals and his mixed Filipino-Chinese heritage. Pamana will initially be open for brunch only. Some dishes will be revamped from Baon Kainan's existing brunch menu, like bistek and eggs. Rather than the braised beef served on the cart and packed into paper boxes, they'll cook whole steaks to temperature — an homage to one of Ethan's favorite dishes that his mom would make for him. Other dishes draw from memories of cooking together as a family. The tortang talong, or eggplant omelet, is an unconventional take on the classic dish, served extra-crispy in a twist that Ethan's mom and Geri devised together one day in the kitchen. The cart's popular chewy ube bibingka dessert will be revamped into pancakes, offering that same bouncy texture in pancake form accompanied by a drizzle of creme anglaise. One of the couple's favorite childhood snacks, turon — hot, crispy banana lumpia — is the inspiration for French toast topped with saba bananas and jackfruit. Molly J. Smith Baon Kainan was known for its collaborative spirit, working with other food carts and hosting a Filipino-inspired breakfast sandwich pop-up, Balong, which has since opened its own brick-and-mortar shop. Pamana will keep its collaborative culture going by serving Balong's pan de sal with garlic butter or coffee butter. They'll also use Balong's pan de sal for breakfast sandwiches stuffed with longanisa, and make pan de sal fried chicken sandwiches with gravy for dipping — a tribute to Filipino fast food chain Jollibee, which holds a particularly special place in Geri's heart. 'Jollibee has been a way for me to connect with my family in the Philippines, because I actually didn't get to meet my Filipino side until I was in my mid-20s,' says Geri. 'But the one thing that me and my cousins and my godsons and my goddaughters could actually connect on was we both love Jollibee.' Lovely Rita will continue to operate its coffee program to accompany Pamana's food. Brunch will be dine-in only to start, served on the hotel's main floor — but eventually, food will be available for take-out and even room service. After settling into brunch service, the restaurant will eventually begin offering dinner, likely in the fall. The Leungs are quiet about dinner menu details for now, but word is that the cart's pancit will make a return. In the meantime, the Leungs are excited to build community in their Old Town location. 'We have our friends at Deadstock Coffee, Goodies Snack Shop, Barnes and Morgan, all doing amazing things — we want to be in a place where we can uplift each other, too,' says Ethan. With Pamana, they'll be adding a new brick-and-mortar to the city's Filipino food scene, which has seen massive growth this year. 'We're taking up space in the Hoxton, Sunrice is opening their spot on Williams, Balong opened up in Fubonn, we got a Jollibee out in Hillsboro,' says Ethan. 'It's really cool to see — and I think there's going to be more,' says Geri. Molly J. Smith / EPDX
Borneo Post
09-07-2025
- Borneo Post
Survivors of wartime sexual slavery in the Philippines still await justice
Survivors of Filipina comfort women and descendants of Filipino-Chinese guerrilla fighters pose for a group photo in Mapanique of Candaba in Pampanga province on July 6, 2025. – Xinhua photo MANILA (July 10): As the rain subsided over Mapanique, a quiet village nestled in the rice fields of Candaba in Pampanga province, the Philippines, the air seemed to still carry the dust of the 1940s. On the morning of July 6, 10 elderly women gathered in a small courtyard under a makeshift canopy. The youngest was 92, the oldest 96. They are survivors, Filipina comfort women who endured unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Japanese invaders during World War II. Though more than 80 years have passed, tears streamed down the faces of several women as they recalled the trauma they had long carried in silence. When they learned that among the visitors were descendants of Filipino-Chinese guerrilla fighters who resisted the Japanese occupation, one of the women quietly said: 'Thank you for remembering.' At the gathering, the survivors sang a haunting ballad written especially for them: 'Please Let the Heart of Grandmother Be Healed.' One line stood out with brutal clarity: 'We were suffocating, longing to die. Our bodies and souls were torn apart.' These were not poetic metaphors, but painful truths, they had lived through some of the darkest chapters of human suffering. On November 23, 1944, Japanese forces raided Mapanique, accusing villagers of aiding guerrilla fighters. The village was sealed off. Men were rounded up, tortured, or killed. Homes were burned to the ground. Young women were dragged away and taken to the now notorious Bahay na Pula (Red House) in neighboring Bulacan province, where they were subjected to systemic rape and enslavement. The atrocity is scarcely mentioned in textbooks, but its scars remain etched into the bodies and memories of the survivors. Virginia Lacsa-Suarez, a leading Filipino human rights lawyer who has long championed the cause of the Malaya Lolas, as the survivors are known, has been a tireless advocate for official recognition and reparations. 'These women have waited for over 80 years,' Suarez said. Survivors of Filipina comfort women gather in a small courtyard to denounce unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Japanese invaders during World War II, in Mapanique of Candaba in Pampanga province on July 6, 2025. – Xinhua photo 'Not a single word of apology, not even a recognition of wrongdoing has come from the Japanese government. That silence is a second wound, one deeper than the first.' Marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Suarez said: 'Justice begins with the admission of wrongdoing. You cannot deny what happened to the Lolas. 'It is important for the Filipino people, and for the world, to remember, because only through remembrance can we prevent such atrocities from happening again.' As the women sat beneath the simple shelter, their voices continued to linger in the air: 'Give us justice. Acknowledge the pain we endured.' It was not just a song. It was a decades-long cry for truth. The issue of comfort women has drawn international attention over the years from Korea, China, and across Southeast Asia, expressed in different languages at different places, but echoing the same cries of anguish. Yet today, even as the world commemorates 80 years since fascism's defeat, there are still those who try to diminish, distort, or deny what happened. As Suarez reminded us: 'We always say history repeats itself. But history only repeats itself when we forget.' Survivors of Filipina comfort women gather in a small courtyard to denounce unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Japanese invaders during World War II, in Mapanique of Candaba in Pampanga province on July 6, 2025. – Xinhua photo The women under the canopy were outwardly calm, sitting there with quiet dignity. But within them burns a resolve, shaped by sorrow and memory. They do not know how many more years they have left to wait. – Xinhua China comfort women Philippines Xinhua
The Star
09-07-2025
- General
- The Star
Filipina comfort women still await justice
Filipina comfort women survivors gather in a small courtyard to denounce unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Japanese invaders during World War II, in Mapanique of Candaba, Pampanga province, the Philippines, July 6, 2025. - Xinhua MANILA: As the rain subsided over Mapanique, a quiet village nestled in the rice fields of Candaba in Pampanga province, the Philippines, the air seemed to still carry the dust of the 1940s. On the morning of July 6, ten elderly women gathered in a small courtyard under a makeshift canopy. The youngest was 92, the oldest 96. They are survivors, Filipina comfort women who endured unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Japanese invaders during World War II. Though more than 80 years have passed, tears streamed down the faces of several women as they recalled the trauma they had long carried in silence. When they learned that among the visitors were descendants of Filipino-Chinese guerrilla fighters who resisted the Japanese occupation, one of the women quietly said, "Thank you for remembering." At the gathering, the survivors sang a haunting ballad written especially for them, "Please Let the Heart of Grandmother Be Healed." One line stood out with brutal clarity, "We were suffocating, longing to die. Our bodies and souls were torn apart." These were not poetic metaphors, but painful truths. They lived through some of the darkest chapters of human suffering. On November 23, 1944, Japanese forces raided Mapanique, accusing villagers of aiding guerrilla fighters. The village was sealed off. Men were rounded up, tortured, or killed. Homes were burned to the ground. Young women were dragged away and taken to the now notorious Bahay na Pula ("Red House") in neighbouring Bulacan province, where they were subjected to systemic rape and enslavement. The atrocity is scarcely mentioned in textbooks, but its scars remain etched into the bodies and memories of the survivors. Virginia Lacsa-Suarez, a leading Filipino human rights lawyer who has long championed the cause of the Malaya Lolas, as the survivors are known, has been a tireless advocate for official recognition and reparations. "These women have waited for over 80 years," Suarez said, "Not a single word of apology, not even a recognition of wrongdoing has come from the Japanese government. That silence is a second wound, one deeper than the first." Marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Suarez said, "Justice begins with the admission of wrongdoing. You cannot deny what happened to the Lolas. It is important for the Filipino people, and for the world, to remember, because only through remembrance can we prevent such atrocities from happening again." As the women sat beneath the simple shelter, their voices continued to linger in the air, "Give us justice. Acknowledge the pain we endured." It was not just a song. It was a decades-long cry for truth. The issue of comfort women has drawn international attention over the years from Korea, China and across South-East Asia, expressed in different languages at different places, but echoing the same cries of anguish. Yet today, even as the world commemorates 80 years since fascism's defeat, there are still those who try to diminish, distort or deny what happened. As Suarez reminded us, "We always say history repeats itself. But history only repeats itself when we forget." The women under the canopy were outwardly calm, sitting there with quiet dignity. But within them burns a resolve, shaped by sorrow and memory. They do not know how many more years they have left to wait. - Xinhua
Malaysia Sun
08-07-2025
- General
- Malaysia Sun
Survivors of wartime sexual slavery still await justice
"Justice begins with the admission of wrongdoing. You cannot deny what happened to the Lolas. It is important for the Filipino people, and for the world, to remember, because only through remembrance can we prevent such atrocities from happening again." by Xinhua writer Nie Xiaoyang MANILA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- As the rain subsided over Mapanique, a quiet village nestled in the rice fields of Candaba in Pampanga province, the Philippines, the air seemed to still carry the dust of the 1940s. On the morning of July 6, 10 elderly women gathered in a small courtyard under a makeshift canopy. The youngest was 92, the oldest 96. They are survivors, Filipina comfort women who endured unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Japanese invaders during World War II. Though more than 80 years have passed, tears streamed down the faces of several women as they recalled the trauma they had long carried in silence. When they learned that among the visitors were descendants of Filipino-Chinese guerrilla fighters who resisted the Japanese occupation, one of the women quietly said, "Thank you for remembering." At the gathering, the survivors sang a haunting ballad written especially for them, "Please Let the Heart of Grandmother Be Healed." One line stood out with brutal clarity, "We were suffocating, longing to die. Our bodies and souls were torn apart." These were not poetic metaphors, but painful truths, they had lived through some of the darkest chapters of human suffering. On November 23, 1944, Japanese forces raided Mapanique, accusing villagers of aiding guerrilla fighters. The village was sealed off. Men were rounded up, tortured, or killed. Homes were burned to the ground. Young women were dragged away and taken to the now notorious Bahay na Pula ("Red House") in neighboring Bulacan province, where they were subjected to systemic rape and enslavement. The atrocity is scarcely mentioned in textbooks, but its scars remain etched into the bodies and memories of the survivors. Virginia Lacsa-Suarez, a leading Filipino human rights lawyer who has long championed the cause of the Malaya Lolas, as the survivors are known, has been a tireless advocate for official recognition and reparations. "These women have waited for over 80 years," Suarez said, "Not a single word of apology, not even a recognition of wrongdoing has come from the Japanese government. That silence is a second wound, one deeper than the first." Marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Suarez said, "Justice begins with the admission of wrongdoing. You cannot deny what happened to the Lolas. It is important for the Filipino people, and for the world, to remember, because only through remembrance can we prevent such atrocities from happening again." As the women sat beneath the simple shelter, their voices continued to linger in the air, "Give us justice. Acknowledge the pain we endured." It was not just a song. It was a decades-long cry for truth. The issue of comfort women has drawn international attention over the years from Korea, China, and across Southeast Asia, expressed in different languages at different places, but echoing the same cries of anguish. Yet today, even as the world commemorates 80 years since fascism's defeat, there are still those who try to diminish, distort, or deny what happened. As Suarez reminded us, "We always say history repeats itself. But history only repeats itself when we forget." The women under the canopy were outwardly calm, sitting there with quiet dignity. But within them burns a resolve, shaped by sorrow and memory. They do not know how many more years they have left to wait.
Malaysia Sun
07-07-2025
- General
- Malaysia Sun
Feature: Survivors of wartime sexual slavery still await justice
by Xinhua writer Nie Xiaoyang MANILA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- As the rain subsided over Mapanique, a quiet village nestled in the rice fields of Candaba in Pampanga province, the Philippines, the air seemed to still carry the dust of the 1940s. On the morning of July 6, 10 elderly women gathered in a small courtyard under a makeshift canopy. The youngest was 92, the oldest 96. They are survivors, Filipina comfort women who endured unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Japanese invaders during World War II. Though more than 80 years have passed, tears streamed down the faces of several women as they recalled the trauma they had long carried in silence. When they learned that among the visitors were descendants of Filipino-Chinese guerrilla fighters who resisted the Japanese occupation, one of the women quietly said, "Thank you for remembering." At the gathering, the survivors sang a haunting ballad written especially for them, "Please Let the Heart of Grandmother Be Healed." One line stood out with brutal clarity, "We were suffocating, longing to die. Our bodies and souls were torn apart." These were not poetic metaphors, but painful truths, they had lived through some of the darkest chapters of human suffering. On November 23, 1944, Japanese forces raided Mapanique, accusing villagers of aiding guerrilla fighters. The village was sealed off. Men were rounded up, tortured, or killed. Homes were burned to the ground. Young women were dragged away and taken to the now notorious Bahay na Pula ("Red House") in neighboring Bulacan province, where they were subjected to systemic rape and enslavement. The atrocity is scarcely mentioned in textbooks, but its scars remain etched into the bodies and memories of the survivors. Virginia Lacsa-Suarez, a leading Filipino human rights lawyer who has long championed the cause of the Malaya Lolas, as the survivors are known, has been a tireless advocate for official recognition and reparations. "These women have waited for over 80 years," Suarez said, "Not a single word of apology, not even a recognition of wrongdoing has come from the Japanese government. That silence is a second wound, one deeper than the first." Marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Suarez said, "Justice begins with the admission of wrongdoing. You cannot deny what happened to the Lolas. It is important for the Filipino people, and for the world, to remember, because only through remembrance can we prevent such atrocities from happening again." As the women sat beneath the simple shelter, their voices continued to linger in the air, "Give us justice. Acknowledge the pain we endured." It was not just a song. It was a decades-long cry for truth. The issue of comfort women has drawn international attention over the years from Korea, China, and across Southeast Asia, expressed in different languages at different places, but echoing the same cries of anguish. Yet today, even as the world commemorates 80 years since fascism's defeat, there are still those who try to diminish, distort, or deny what happened. As Suarez reminded us, "We always say history repeats itself. But history only repeats itself when we forget." The women under the canopy were outwardly calm, sitting there with quiet dignity. But within them burns a resolve, shaped by sorrow and memory. They do not know how many more years they have left to wait.
