The Wait Is Over: Urbandub Is Officially in Canada
Written by Anjo | Filipino TV It’s finally happening. Urbandub, the iconic Cebu-based band that defined a generation of Filipino rock fans, is bringing their music across Canada—and after years of hoping, trying, and waiting, I’m finally getting to see them live again. Back in 2018, we at Filipino TV tried to bring Urbandub to Toronto. […]
Kitchie Nadal, 20 Years Later — The Concert That Changed Everything for Us
by Anjo Pallasigui Twenty years ago, we took a leap of faith by producing Kitchie Nadal’s first Canadian concert. Looking back now, it feels like the spark that lit everything we do today. The year was 2005. We were just rookies coming from the local OPM scene, armed with nothing but guts, a love for […]
From Apartment Stove to Toronto’s Favorite Chicharon: The Mang Mars Story
Before the storefront, before the frying stations and the delivery trucks, there was just a man in his apartment kitchen—frying pork rinds and peanuts, one batch at a time. Mang Mars (Mar Pablo Mallari) came to Toronto in 2008. A Kapampangan-Bisaya from Guagua, Pampanga, he never planned to become a food entrepreneur. His life revolved […]
A Quiet Force, A Loud Impact: How Kababayan Multicultural Centre Helps Filipino Newcomers Thrive in Canada
There are community centres—and then there’s Kababayan. For over 45 years, the Kababayan Multicultural Centre(KMC) in Toronto has quietly been doing the heavy lifting for Filipino immigrants and other newcomers long before immigration became a trending hashtag. This isn’t a feel-good story. This is real support, for real people, with real challenges. In this episode of Thrive in […]
The $20 Craving: Kyle’s Search for Delimondo Corned Beef in Toronto
Fresh from a trip to the Philippines last October, Kyle returned to Toronto with a suitcase full of essentials—including multiple cans of Delimondo Corned Beef. But several months later, his stash had run dry. And so began the hunt. Featured in the latest FTV Vlog, Kyle heads to Toronto’s Little Manila at Wilson and Bathurst, hoping to track down […]
Ribs, Memories, and the Last Hooters in Toronto
Anjo took a nostalgic trip downtown to the Hooters at Adelaide and John—the last remaining location in Toronto, and one of only three left in Canada. The reason? A surprisingly good deal: $11.99 for half a rack of ribs with fries. In a time when combo meals elsewhere can cost $17–20, it’s a steal. But […]
Jaycelyn Valencia: From Sidelines to Center Court
Jaycelyn Valencia didn’t grow up chasing a basketball dream. At first, she was just a little sister tagging along — watching her brother play in Mississauga’s Filipino leagues while her dad coached from the sidelines. But something shifted. The more time she spent at those games, the more she felt pulled toward the court. It […]
Arthur Navasero: Beat the Odds, Ball Anyway
For Arthur Navasero, basketball isn’t just a game — it’s therapy, family, purpose. He grew up in love with the sport, drawn to the brotherhood, the competition, and the way the game could instantly lift his spirits, even on the hardest days. When his father passed away in 2020, Arthur made a promise: to chase […]
Jessyka Maliksi: All Heart, All Game
Basketball wasn’t just something Jessyka Maliksi picked up — it was part of her family rhythm. Her dad, her brother, the tournaments she tagged along to as a kid — it all built into something bigger. Something she never let go of. Like many young Filipino girls, Jessyka once juggled dance, piano, even singing lessons. […]
Chasing Magic: How Jhap of Spades Turned Tricks into a Thriving Career
What if the trick was never the card flip or the disappearing coin, but the belief that you could make a living doing what you love? Meet Jassfer Paiso, better known as Jhap of Spades. Before he was one of Toronto’s most in-demand family entertainers, he was clocking in at McDonald’s and doing sleight-of-hand magic tricks […]