In today's political environment, hate, it seems, has been given a reprieve. Just like at the height of the pandemic, anti-Asian hate is as real as ever and it will take proactive community efforts to mitigate its often lethal effects.

Eric Toda was a teenager when his Japanese grandfather was assaulted randomly, presumably because he was Asian. That traumatizing experience pushed the now-adult Toda to write an impassioned essay in AdWeek in 2021 calling for the industry he belongs to -- marketing -- to act as frontliners in the fight against hate.

Toda is Meta's (formerly Facebook) Global Head for Social Marketing, indeed a powerful megaphone for his advocacy. For his laudable efforts, the Filipino-Japanese-American was recently awarded the first Dado Banatao Legacy Award by Fil-Am nonprofit Phildev. Veteran journalist and community activist Cherie Querol-Moreno introduces the anti-Asian hate crusader to PF readers.

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An award-winning Fil-Am journalist and educator shares her thoughts on “the morning after the morning after” the recent elections. For those seeking clarity and calm, her essay could provide both.

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Here's a big international event book lovers and book industry insiders can look forward to: in October 2025, the Philippines will be the Guest of Honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the biggest in the world. This means Filipino authors, editors, translators, books and publishers will be at front and center in the book publishing industry's universally recognized event. Author/publisher Cecilia Manguerra-Brainard joined the 2024 delegation and gives us a preview on what to expect.

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PF's most prolific correspondent Anthony Maddela profiles Fil-Am artist Maryrose C. Mendoza whose art speaks volumes about how she sees her Filipino and American identities.

[MUST WATCH] Ramona S. Diaz’s “And So It Begins”
Official Philippine Entry to the 97th Academy Awards for Best International Feature