The Filipino Expat Magazine

15/09/2026

Celebrating Philippine Film Industry Month!
This September, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) proudly celebrates Philippine Film Industry Month (PFIM) under the empowering theme: "Pelikula at Pilipina."

To honor this celebration, The Filipino Expat Magazine (TFEM) is looking back at a fresh, deeply personal review by Benjamin Elaydo, a teen born and raised in Spain, who watched a Filipino film for the very first time: the digitally restored masterpiece, Himala.

Screened in Barcelona in May 2024 through an event organized by TFEM, this classic left a powerful impression on a young mind bridging two cultures.

What did a first-time Gen-Z viewer think of one of the greatest Filipino films ever made?

Read the full review and find out what Benjamin had to say about this cinematic milestone!

https://www.thefilipinoexpat.com/himala-my-first-filipino-film/

This September, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) celebrates Philippine Film Industry Month (PFIM) under a fitting and empowering theme: “Pelikula at Pilipina.” In line with this celebration, TFEM shares a fresh and personal review from a 15-year-old teen born and raised in ...

02/09/2026

Filipino historian Frank Villanueva is a retired Ilonggo professor and advertising veteran based in Canada, who spent over a decade self-funding a relentless global search to bring Felix Laureano back into the spotlight.

From a chance encounter with an 1895 photograph in a Spanish monastery to unearthing marriage certificates in Antique and tracking down old studio addresses in Barcelona, Frank's passion project culminated in a historic exhibit celebrating Laureano's legacy.

Born in Antique in 1866, Laureano was a master behind the lens and his pioneering 1895 photo book Recuerdos de Filipinas served as a vital ethnological document showcasing the rich traditions of the Iloilo region on the global stage.

Read the full story:
https://www.thefilipinoexpat.com/bringing-back-felix-laureano-to-barcelona/

A retired Filipino researcher presents the First Filipino Photographer to the world. Canada-based researcher Frank Villanueva  never imagined that a chance encounter with a 1895 panoramic photograph of Iloilo’s Plaza Libertad by an unknown Filipino photographer would give his retired life a bit o...

01/09/2026

TFEM Editor-in-Chief Nats Sisma recently sat down with acclaimed Filipina author and poet Gen Asenjo for a meaningful catch-up.

Following the successful Barcelona launch of Gen's striking work, Melancholy of the Tongue, last June 2026, the two gathered to evaluate the milestone event and look ahead to exciting new collaborations in the future.
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25/08/2026

Moving abroad is never easy. Between facing the sting of homesickness and trying to find your footing in an unfamiliar country, the journey can feel overwhelming.

Instead of letting the struggles weigh her down, Zurich-based Pinay Entrepreneur and fashion designer Myka Fluri chose to transform her challenges into something beautiful.

Craving a creative outlet to express her true self amidst the transition, she decided to create a fashion brand.

Click the link below to read more:

https://www.thefilipinoexpat.com/myka-fluri-collection-the-filipina-fashion-brand-empowering-women-across-borders/

Having experienced homesickness, difficulties with cultural adjustment, and the struggles of establishing herself in Switzerland, Myka decided to make the best out of her situation. From the need for self-expression and creation of something that would reflect her personality came a fashion brand th...

19/08/2026

Living miles away from home makes us realize just how much magic our native language holds. No matter how fluent we get in adopted tongues, nothing beats the humor, warmth, and visceral punch of our own words.

To celebrate Buwan ng Wika, The Filipino Expat Magazine asked Pinoys around the globe to name their favorite native words.

Find out the words chosen by our Filipino expats. Read more: https://www.thefilipinoexpat.com/loving-a-living-mother-tongue/

Our native tongue is a living, breathing home, proving that buhay ang ating wika saang sulok man ng daigdig!

What is your absolute favorite word in your native language and why does it hold a special place in your heart?

Pinay von Alemanya Louise Baterna Mae Tolentino KM Ramos Rafael Antonio Victoria Madarieta Chelony Pinaypainter

In celebration of Buwan ng Wika, The Filipino Expat Magazine asked several Filipino expats around the world a simple question: What is your favourite word in your mother tongue? And why? As expats, living thousands of miles away from home has a funny way of shifting our perspective. We learn new lan...

02/08/2026

They told him Filipino food was a joke. So, Chef Ervin Castillo Maliwanag decided to prove them wrong.

Meet the man behind Benjamin's Cafe Victoria, Victoria’s go-to Pinoy kitchen!

Arriving in Canada in 2017 with years of food service and management experience under his belt, Ervin found himself starting over at a fast-food counter.

But big dreams don't quit. When an opportunity arose to take over a vacant restaurant space in Esquimalt, Ervin took the leap to defend the cuisine and culture he loves.

Read the full, inspiring story of Chef Ervin's incredible journey right here! 👇

🔗https://www.thefilipinoexpat.com/championing-filipino-food-in-victoria-canada/

Canada-based Filipino chef Ervin Castillo Maliwanag shares how he built Victoria´s Go-to Pinoy Kitchen. It was 2023. Ervin Castillo Maliwanag, a Filipino immigrant, was in the midst of discussions with friends and associates about opening a restaurant in Victoria. Since he arrived in Canada in 2017...

12/07/2026

To all F4 and Meteor Garden fans out there, antes, this essay is for us.

https://www.thefilipinoexpat.com/f4-jerry-yan-and-the-quiet-realizations-of-adulting/

How a reunion concert of a popular Taiwanese boyband from the 2000’s transported a generation of Asians back to their youth. I’m one of the millions of Asian females whose love and obsession for Jerry Yan and F4 were reignited through social media clips of the current F Forever concert series in...

28/06/2026

Another book launched by The Filipino Expat Magazine.

Yesterday June 27, we had the honor of hosting a truly special book launch in cooperation with Kalayaan Barcelona.

We officially unveiled the international version of Lumbay ng Dila by the brilliant Dr. Genevieve Asenjo, now available as The Melancholy of the Tongue, expertly translated by Dr. Ana Margarita Nuñez.

This event was an interactive virtual launch with Dr. Gen Asenjo joining us from Manila and Dr. Ana from Japan.

Despite the sweltering Barcelona heat, our venue was filled with warmth as members of the Filipino diaspora and our Spanish friends gathered to listen to the author and translator share the intimate stories behind the creation of this masterpiece.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this possible.

To Fidessa Literary, our Dutch publisher, thank you for trusting The Filipino Expat to be the first to launch this book in Europe.

Our Host Ali Disini, Thank you for keeping the energy high and the conversation flowing.

To Kalayaan Barcelona, Marc Malapitan for the continued support.

To all the guests, especially our Kudyapi mommies and friends who came and showed their love. Shout out to May Imperial Ivan Chris Mababangloob Solano Rosemarie Pilapil Enoserio Vivian Fernandez Nachor Leonisia Clerigo Khelly Dumpit Sanz Sotelo Nemel Reyes-Santos Karen De Lima Reyes Emily Eleuterio Elizabeth Lafiguera Soriano Emil C. Maravillas Rita Ramos Lyn Lozano Galicia Del Gadiaza Marjorie Ilumin Flores Malou Chavez Belena

To Phoebe Cariñoza Tormis, Thank you for taking care of our delicious pica-pica and refreshing palamig!

To Romel Alojado, Thank you for serenading our guests with your beautiful tenor voice; you truly set the perfect mood.

To our readers Maggie Zavala and Dr Liz Soliday Naui and Ali, thank you for making the excerpt reading heartfelt.

And of course to my Technical Team, Discovery Shot CK Sarmiento, Ruthman Leal and Charmae Llagas Caiga, none of this would have reached our global audience without your seamless work on the live stream.

From TFEM, Dheza Aguilar and I, maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat!

25/06/2026

Sixteen years after Lumbay ng Dila first took shape as a doctoral dissertation, Genevieve Asenjo’s voice is finally resonating on a global stage.

Reflecting on this journey in a recent, candid conversation with The Filipino Expat Magazine, the Antique-born writer traces her path from a manugdayaw, a village bard reciting verses at local fiestas, to an acclaimed novelist.

Read the story :
https://www.thefilipinoexpat.com/a-tongues-joy-and-lament-conversation-with-filipina-author-genevieve-asenjo/

Join The Filipino Expat Magazine, author Gen Asenjo and translator Ana Margarita Nuñez in the book launch of The Melancholy of the Tongue (Lumbay ng Dila), a journey of self-discovery that untangles the threads of history, family secrets, and the profound, often melancholic power of language.

Link and subscribe to the FB Page of The Filipino Expat Magazine for the Live Streaming on June 27, 2026 4p.m. (Spain Time)

Sixteen years after the award-winning book Lumbay ng Dila first hit the shelves, Genevieve Asenjo´s first book will soon be read by readers all over the world as Melancholy of the Tongue. “I thought it was a scam,” author Genevieve Asenjo laughs as she tells me how she almost ignored the email ...