Latest news with #Filipinos'
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
Investment agency sees potential in PH coffee for Seattle market
SEATTLE – An economic development agency in Seattle—a city known for its vibrant coffee culture—sees great potential in specialty Philippine coffee entering its market. Rebecca Lovell, chief operating officer of the Greater Seattle Partners, a public-private partnership firm promoting investments and trade in the greater Seattle region, said the Filipinos' and the city's 'shared love for coffee' could pave the way for more active collaboration with local Filipino coffee producers. 'The cultural connections run deep,' Lovell told selected journalists from the Philippines and Japan on a reporting tour of the United States funded by the State Department. 'I'd love to explore more on how we can make connections around coffee.' Home to many coffee enthusiasts and the birthplace of the world's largest coffee shop chain, Starbucks, Seattle has an abundance of diverse and independent coffee houses across the city. Lovell said while the majority of Filipino-American-owned businesses, mostly in the food industry, over the years have significantly contributed to Seattle's 'traditional' economy, she also hopes to see greater penetration of Philippine coffee in the city in the future. 'There are some really, really incredible Filipino businesses here, and you see some of the richness of the food tradition. That's where, candidly, we would start to see more of a traditional economic impact,' Lovell said. Philippine trade officials in embassies in the US and Japan said in previous interviews that Arabica, a coffee variety that the Philippines produces from its highlands, including in the Sagada mountain municipality and Benguet province in the north and Mount Apo in the south, has been in demand, as well as the Barako coffee, a Liberica type of bean consumed locally and produced in Batangas and Cavite. However, they said that in order to meet the increasing demand, more plantations in the Philippines must be devoted to these types of coffee. Discussions with US and Japanese officials are ongoing to determine how various Philippine agricultural products, including coffee, can enter their market, they said. In terms of trade and investment, Lovell said the Philippines is Seattle's 17th trading partner, 14th in imports and 21st in exports. Seattle, which is fast becoming America's tech and aerospace hub, also has the ninth largest population of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans among cities in the US, according to Pew Research Center, with over 100,000. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
29-05-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
SWS: 93% VP Sara should prioritize country's needs
Ninety-three percent of registered Filipino voters are of the opinion that Vice President Sara Duterte should 'collaboratively work to prioritize the nation's needs,' the results of the Stratbase-SWS survey conducted from May 2 to 6 showed. The commissioned survey on Filipinos' post-election expectations conducted among 1,800 registered voters nationwide and with a margin of error of ±2.31%, showed that 88% think the Vice President should 'address the impeachment charges, answer all allegations pertaining to corruption, and clear her name.' Among those who believe Sara Duterte should prioritize the nation's needs, 74% believe she 'definitely should' while 19% think she 'probably should.' Among those who think she should answer the impeachment charges, 68% said she 'definitely should' while 20% said she 'probably should.' The other actions that the survey asked respondents whether the Vice President should do are the following: Focus on implementing her own platform and policies - 86% Continue her duties as Vice President and stop politicizing - 81% Step back from criticizing the government and its initiatives - 74% "Accountability is not an option. It is foundational to public trust. Prominent leaders like the Vice President should look past politics and personal interests, and respond to the people's call for transparency," Stratbase Institute president Dindo Manhit said of the survey results. "It is about time for her to answer all the allegations filed against her. After all, it's the Filipino people who our elected officials vowed to serve," he added in a statement. –NB, GMA Integrated News
Tatler Asia
26-05-2025
- Business
- Tatler Asia
Meet Carla Mae Leonor, whose fusion of business and design is elevating Filipino creative industries
Carving a new path Despite not taking the opportunity to work for the Design Center of the Philippines, she was fascinated by the expansion of Filipino Creative Enterprises. She wanted to explore how they could expand onto the global stage. 'I started connecting more with Filipino creatives during the pandemic, when people were struggling with the uncertainties of what lay ahead,' she says. At the time, global consumer trends were shifting. With the help of social media, people began to show more interest in design as well. 'We reflected, created and experimented,' Leonor says. 'We brought down our walls as we craved connection and a sense of purpose.' In 2022, she co-founded the Bughaw Research Institute for the Development, Growth and Evolution of Creative Industries, abbreviated to BRIDGE Creatives. The startup connects creatives with data-driven, tech-enabled solutions to strengthen Filipinos' global competitiveness. At the time, the team was following the development of Republic Act No. 11904, or the Philippine Creative Industry Development Act. Drafted by Congressman Toff De Venecia in 2021, the act amplified national Creative Economies, encouraging collaborations between the public and private sectors. 'I saw how the government had the power and influence to drive change, acting as either an enabler or a bottleneck,' she says. 'I saw this gap and tried to fill it.' More from Tatler: What is pinyapel? How Filipino designers are turning pineapple leaves into sustainable home décor items Without realising it, Leonor had answered Rhea Matute's question through BRIDGE Creatives. A key part of their strategy was exploring data points about the impact of national policies and institutions. 'These snapshots of our reality are great ways for our creatives to learn and build opportunities with neighbouring countries,' she enthuses. But after RA 11904 was passed, Leonor 'realised my readiness for public service, seeing how my vision could have a nationwide impact and reach those who needed the most assistance.' Now, Leonor works on large-scale projects like Design X, pushing for more circularity in the design-manufacturing sector. She also heads ResiDisenyo, a design residency programme that revitalises Philippine craft industries and regional identity. This push for more democratised design is exactly what Leonor had in mind. 'This gives voice to the users' needs and preferences from the first stages of conceptualisation,' she says. 'It ensures that the outcomes are not only technically sound, but also meaningful to the people inhabiting those spaces.' Looking forward with hope and resilience Above Carla Mae Leonor is co-founder of the Bughaw Research Institute for the Development, Growth and Evolution of Creative Industries, abbreviated to BRIDGE Creatives Despite her achievements, Leonor recognises that the Philippines still has a long way to go in making opportunities accessible to women. 'I often found myself being underestimated by my male peers,' she says. 'I had to prove my competence, but I was lucky to find mentors who were leaders in their fields. They shared my values and empowered me not to hold back, to be confident with my authority and to know that my opinion matters.' For Leonor, it was important to dismantle the cultural weight of hiya (shame) to push her career forward. 'You'd be surprised: the people you admire from a distance could become your mentor,' she says. 'I've since learned to be comfortable in my skin and to flex my accomplishments, while humbly owning up to my imperfections,' she says. The ability to pivot is rooted in Leonor's commitment to being a lifelong learner. 'I'm a nerd at heart; my interests range from design to material science to psychology,' she says. 'I'm ready to learn from anyone at any time, allowing each lesson to refine and define my leadership skills.' It can be difficult to balance work and her private life, but Leonor prefers to see the two as integrated. 'They're complementary, with each aspect energising the other,' she says. 'In everything I do, I want to empower people to see, do and think better. I dream that one day, the Philippines' creative industries can be case studies for our neighbouring countries to learn from, the way we do from them now.' NOW READ What we lose when we forget our food: this cookbook reminds us where Filipino food came from Home tour: a family home wrapped in an architectural steel screen in Malabon, Manila Exploring Rustan's Design Circle 2025 through the eyes of 4 female interior designers
GMA Network
16-05-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
BSP to suspend ops of coin deposit machines in select malls next month
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said on Friday that it will temporarily suspend the operations of its coin deposit machines (CoDMs) in select Metro Manila malls starting June 17, 2025. 'The BSP is implementing the temporary suspension to conduct a thorough review of how to re-circulate idle coins and serve Filipinos' coin exchange needs even better. Following the review, the BSP will relaunch the Coin Deposit Machines as part of its commitment to enhancing its coin recirculation program,' the BSP said in an advisory. The BSP said the public can still deposit their coins until June 16. The central bank noted that almost P1.5 billion worth of coins have been processed in the machines since the CoDMs were launched in 2023. Further, the BSP advised that the public can still deposit their fit coins in banks. It added that those with no bank accounts may exchange their fit, unfit, and mutilated coins in banks and other financial institutions serving as currency exchange centers under the BSP Piso Caravan program. 'Unfit coins may be presented for exchange at any bank as part of their duties to promptly remove unfit currency from circulation,' the BSP said. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
New York Times
29-04-2025
- New York Times
Despair Blankets Scene of Car-Ramming Attack at Festival
On any ordinary day, the South Vancouver neighborhood bustles with the sounds of life, but Saturday was no ordinary day. It was a celebration of Filipino culture, and music from a live concert echoed through the streets as families lined up at food trucks and children played. On Sunday it was strangely silent. 'It gives me chills,' said Franchesca Gabo, taking it all in. Ms. Gabo, 20, left the festival shortly before a driver rammed his SUV into the mass of people, killing 11 and injuring more than 30. Now, she had come back, joining an impromptu vigil of people peering over police tape and trying in vain to absorb the enormity of what had happened. 'It was a happy day yesterday,' Ms. Gabo said. 'Everyone was celebrating.' The authorities say the motive for the attack did not appear to be terrorism. But beyond that little had emerged about the suspect in custody other than that he is a 30-year-old man with a history of mental illness. Now, he is charged with murder. More was becoming known about the victims at the festival celebrating Lapu Lapu Day. The youngest was Katie Le, a 5-year-old girl who was killed along with her parents, Richard Le, 47, and Linh Hoang, 30, according to local news reports. Mr. Le's 16-year-old son, Andy, survived because of a last-minute decision to skip the festival in favor of homework, relatives said. A school board in a nearby suburb said that a guidance counselor named Kira Salim was also among the dead. 'The loss of our friend and colleague has left us all shocked and heartbroken,' it said in a statement. And fund-raising began to help people wounded in the attack and repatriate the remains of at least one victim who was killed. More than 960,000 people in Canada are of Filipino descent, according to the government, with about half living in Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary. In June 2023, a government report made note of Filipinos' robust representation in the trades, health care, service and business administration sectors. 'Filipino Canadians are among the hardest working people in Canada,' the report said. Many made it to Canada via foreign worker programs, including a live-in caregiver program that ran between 1992 and 2014 and helped resettle about 75,000 Filipinos. Angelo Cruz, who grew up in the neighborhood where the festival took place, said Monday that his mother, despite having a master's degree in science, worked as a nanny until she could gain residency and help the rest of her family immigrate. 'You make that sacrifice, you let go of potentially raising your own child, because you want your child to have a better life,' Mr. Cruz said. But Lapu Lapu Day is meant to be a break from all that. 'It was the one time we wanted to express ourselves and have fun — and we couldn't even get that,' said Mr. Cruz, a human resources administrator who grew up in the community where the festival was held. 'That was heartbreaking for me.' The edge of the neighborhood was decorated with bunting in yellow, navy blue, white and red, the national colors of the Philippines, though the streets are lined by a mix of businesses and restaurants offering not just Filipino but also Vietnamese, Chinese and Indian food. On Sunday, Mr. Cruz and his family stepped out of Pin Pin, a restaurant serving up his traditional favorites like pancit palabok, a garlic noodle and shrimp dish, and the Filipino spring rolls known as lumpia. Then they headed toward the vigil sites. At one of them, Arturo Macapagal, an operating room nurse who is often in the neighborhood took a moment to say a quiet prayer, joined by a priest. 'Anytime you're gathering, especially the Filipino community, it's about food and happiness and joy and laughter and the camaraderie,' Mr. Macapagal said. When Prime Minister Mark Carney came to pay his respects, the crowd erupted into 'Amazing Grace.' Amid the mourning, life went on. Music blasted on the street from Proud Pinoy Grocery Store, a hub for specialty food products. Shoppers browsed shelves carrying dried fish called tuyo, heavy sacks of jasmine rice and sweet corn chips. A poster advertising the Lapu Lapu Day festival was still taped to door.
