Michelle De Pacina

JoySauce • 10 April 2026

The Two Lips: The Filipina Mexican dream pop besties headed to Coachella

Two lattes and a cream cheese garlic bread from Smoking Tiger felt like the right choice for a warm Saturday afternoon for Andrea and Jewlz of The Two Lips.
Seated side by side, they talk over each other while laughing, finishing each other’s sentences, and letting thoughts spill out unfiltered. It’s a perfect day in Cerritos, California, sunny and easygoing, and they match that ease completely.

JoySauce • 9 December 2025

P-pop on the rise: Why the world should be watching the Philippines

This is the rise of P-pop, or Pinoy pop. It’s a movement that combines the technical polish of K-pop, the emotional and sometimes humorous storytelling of OPM, and the warmth of Filipino culture. As the rest of Asia, and increasingly, the world, begin to listen, it’s becoming clear that the Philippines might be the next big pop powerhouse.

JoySauce • 8 October 2025

How Filipino nurses came to define U.S. health care—and now, Hollywood

Today, the Philippines remains the largest exporter of foreign-trained nurses in the United States, with about one-third of all foreign-born nurses being Filipino. Besides viewing nursing as a lucrative profession, many Filipinos see the career as a ticket out of poverty in their home country.

NextShark • 10 May 2024

These Pinoy-flavored cannabis gummies aim to break stereotypes and preserve heritage

The Asian American community may not be known for the most progressive views on recreational marijuana, but that didn’t stop Lisa Angulo Reid from launching her cannabis gummy business in 2023.

NextShark • 15 November 2024

'Hello, Love, Again': Kathryn Bernardo returns to her rom-com roots in sequel made for OFWs

“Hello, Love, Again,” might just be what Philippine cinema’s “Box Office Queen” Kathryn Bernardo is saying to herself as she steps back into romantic comedy.

NextShark • 23 August 2024

Bini is not just P-pop — they're a new vision of Filipino womanhood [interview]

Historically, the Tagalog term “binibini” was used as a respectful and formal way of addressing a young woman. Often with the connotation of being a maiden of grace, elegance and modesty, one could say a “binibini” was “very demure, very mindful.”

NextShark • 6 December 2024

'I've gone far beyond the reef': Auli‘i Cravalho on growing with 'Moana'

Auli‘i Cravalho was 14 when she was first cast as Disney’s “Moana.”

NextShark • 30 August 2024

‘A continuation of LOONA’: ARTMS dives into their journey of resilience and rebirth [interview]

“We believe that Loona is not necessarily over,” HeeJin tells NextShark. “We want to show that Artms is more of a continuation of Loona.”

NextShark • 21 June 2024

'I'm proud of you, b*tch': Vietnamese American popstar Thuy is just what we need

Pursuing music was a secret passion for Thuy — one that she had kept hidden from her parents.

NextShark • 1 August 2024

How Bini made history as the first P-pop act at KCON LA

P-pop girl group Bini is truly the “Cherry On Top” that KCON LA 2024 needed.

NextShark • 4 June 2024

Interview: Lee Jung-jae on his journey from ‘Star Wars’ fan to Jedi master in ‘The Acolyte’

Growing up in the 1970s in South Korea, Lee Jung-jae’s fascination with the “Star Wars” cinematic universe was immediate after he encountered a striking movie poster for “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” in his neighborhood.

Bulatlat • 19 April 2024

Riding the crossroads: The battle of Manila’s jeepney drivers against modernization

MANILA – Standing as an iconic symbol of the nation’s culture and resilience, jeepneys, which are upcycled leftover World War II U.S. Willy Jeeps, were the solution to the country’s post-war public transportation problem in the early 1950s. For decades, these colorful vehicles have been the lifeblood of the nation’s public transportation system, providing an affordable means of mobility for millions of commuters everyday.

NextShark • 9 February 2024

Interview: Jay Park, Ted Park, Parlay Pass share the personal journeys behind their collab track ‘Dance Like Jay Park Remix’

“Sometimes in music, I feel like we're underestimated and we're underdogs. And I guess that I just really felt like I had some things I wanted to get off my chest,” says Ted Park