Filipino American Students Dominate in Academic Competition

My exclusive report on Fil-Am decathlon champs.

Over 40 percent of those picked to be decathlon competitors are of Filipino descent, says Academic Junior High Decathlon director Jo Solomonson. Solomonson, a Filipina educator, saved the competition, one of the most popular in Southern California, four years ago when the program almost succumbed to budget cuts.

My Oscars reports

This past awards season I covered the three major awards: The Emmys, the Golden Globes, and the Oscars.

I was the first Filipina TV reporter to cover all three in one year so it's been a humbling and pinch-me-please-unbelievable experience.

I grew up in a small barrio in Batangas where I had to beg neighbors to open their window so I can watch with them when Hollywood awards aired. While at the Emmys and the Globes interviewing big stars, I had an "Am I really here?"moment of panic. I had to get over it quickly because stars were coming and I had a job to do.

People only see the glamourous side of it, but covering an awards show, especially these big ones, involves a lot of painstaking hard work and preparation behind the scenes. But it is fun, I'm not gonna lie.

ABS-CBN.com doesn't allow video embedding so please go to these links to watch my report on Fil-Am producers whose short film won an Oscar, plus Fil-Am nominees Matthew Libatique and Hailee Steinfeld:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/entertainment/02/28/11/fil-ams-sweep-oscars-best-short-film

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/02/28/11/shell-be-oscars-one-day-pinay-winners-dad


And here's the report I did for Balitang America. Go to the beginning part of this video to see my report. It's weirdly set at the end:

(Photo credit: Benjie Uy)

Kobe Bryant Sponsors Filipino Kids to Attend His Basketball Academy

Here's my TV report on a wonderful project by Kobe Bryant, Fil-Am bag designer Gina Lopez Alexander, and the Black Card Circle Foundation.