For majority of the estimated 10.2 million Filipinos living abroad, having an avenue that connects them back to their roots in the Philippines while allowing them to engage in intelligent conversations about pressing social issues is a welcome concept.
Undeniably, some Filipino-foreigners still experience culture clashes from both sides of the fence as they are sometimes considered “non-native” whether they’re in the foreign country they grew up in or in the Philippines. For most however, the more important question is: who are Filipinos becoming across the entire diaspora?
Local Philippine mobile app KUMU attempts to answer this question by presenting Next Day Better’s Intersections — a compelling series that features the untold stories of Filipinos all over the United States and their respective insights about today’s social matters such as sex education, gender equality, bullying, education crisis, and racial empowerment among many others.
KUMU’s partnership with NextDayBetter through ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel (TFC) also prioritizes the voice of Filipinos all over the world by giving importance to acceptance and inclusivity. The mobile app also paves the way for such interactive discussions among its users by hosting open forums that will feature special guests from KUMUnities on its KUMU Presents channel within the mobile app. Intersections topics likewise will take the spotlight on KUMU’s the Beki Quiz game show this September.
For its first season, Intersections presents several interesting personalities from across the U.S. who share their respective stories about how it’s like to be Filipinos who face certain social challenges in the world. The pilot episode “Shameless” aired on September 3 and featured Oakland-based Andrea Barrica and Joanne “GoFitJo” Encarnacion who both talked about Barrica’s experiences as a queer Fil-Am and her vision for a shame-free sex education concept for all. “Everyday sexuality is booming,” Barrica shared in the episode. “We have to start educating women about all the organs in their bodies,” she adds.
Succeeding Intersections episodes will be aired every Saturday on TFC over a span of three months starting September, with each one challenging viewers to participate in social discussions about global issues that every Filipino is passionate about.
Learn about the challenges of a Filipina immigrant teacher; the experiences of a gay Filipino in the U.S. Catholic community and his dialogue with a priest about spirituality; a Filipino author’s battle for his Filipino identity and family; a Filipina’s rise in the competitive world of international music and entrepreneurship; and a Filipino-Hawaiian’s story about the cost of tourism in his community.
With so many Pinoys still struggling to find purpose while living in their homeland, viewers can learn so much from these Filipino storytellers who are brave enough to break barriers and carry Philippine pride high by making a difference elsewhere.
To know more about NextDayBetter’s Intersections and join relevant discussions, download KUMU for free at the Google Play and App Store.
