What's the Tsismis?

Arianne, Julia, Ryan and Micah have a conversation about their experiences as facilitators at the Pinoys on Parliament 2022 Conference. They share their thoughts on family expectations and Filipino representation in the media. This episode also features the reflections and messages from Pinoys on Parliament delegates!

Tune in to hear Micah relive her cringe years, including movie theatre makeouts and a day care centre flooding! In this episode, Ryan Lacanilao asks Micah Leonida to throw way back to her junior high years. What did she look like and dress like, and what was her crush situation? What shenanigens did she get up to? Which friends did she lose touch with, and who was her favourite teacher? Ryan then brings Micah’s past to the present by tracking down people from her stories and arranging surprise zoom reunions that you can listen in on! Listen in as she talks to former bestie Natalie Czuczman about a shared crush and some dress drama (#dressgate). And feel all the feels as she talks to her Grade 9 Social Studies teacher, Kendra Van Leeuwen, about the lasting impact she had on her life.

In this episode, Nikki Mendiola chats with “I’ll Call You Tomorrow”s very own- Raeland Mendoza, one of ICYT’s iconic co-founders! Rae has broken into the art scene and cultivated a creative collective here in Edmonton, a place where not a lot of Filipinos have the chance to dream or the stomach to dare. Rae and Nikki dive into the feats, barriers, and nuances with being a creative- let alone being a FILIPINO creative. This is merely the beginning of a vast conversation! (Season 5 hint hint?)You can find ICYT on @illcallyoutomorrow and give Rae a follow @raelandmendzoza. You can bet for more collaborations in the future!

In this episode, Nikki chats with two fellow Filipinx pals from her diaspora community here in Treaty 6 territory. Together, they unpack and explore their almost-too-similar experiences with fatphobia, beauty standards, and colourism. Stepping foot into a Filipinx space can be just as daunting to those that are familiar with it, even as much as the next stranger. Titas, Lolos, and even your own mom tend to say the most unpredictable and unprovoked sh*t about your physical appearance. “Tumaba ka” (you got fat). “Ang laki ng legs mo” (your legs are huge). Sometimes, they will even try to get creative. Many Filipinx women can relate to feeling immeasurable pressure to fit into the beauty standard of thinness. What the f*ck? We’re sour to say the least!

In this episode, Micah interviews her close friends DJ Lubuguin and Michael Earl Golveo about their experiences with familial inheritance. Together, they navigate the interpersonal intricacies that arise between family members as a result of discussions about livelihood, wealth, and familial duty. Central questions woven throughout the episode include: WTT is bringing to light the spicy conversations that often occur in whispers and unpacking the emotional and practical background information surrounding familial land inheritance. Get ready, this is a complex one and we haven’t even scratched the surface.

Exploring the blog “I Would Rather Go Hungry Than Eat Filipino Street Food Again!” In this episode Arianne Barroma and Micah Leonida dive head first into the thoughts of North American travellers as they share their negative experiences with Filipino (Street) Food. A blog describes Filipino food as “disappointing” and “fatty”. The authors even go as far as to state they would “starve before eating Filipino food again”. How can blogs like this impact our community? How can blogs like this deter others from celebrating our culture? Will Arianne and Micah agree with the travel authors? Will you? Listen now to hear the reactions and unhinged thoughts of our WTT producers! Click here to read the blog: https://etramping.com/rather-go-hungry-eat-filipino-food-again/

In this episode, the WTT team channels the teenage angst and heartbreak from Olivia Rodrigo's SOUR album. When SOUR came out, Arianne Baroma says, "My windows were down, sunroof open, music on full blast, drinking my strawberry milk—I'm angry!" Ryan Lacanilao meets his fellow WTT producers Arianne Barroma, Nikki Mendiola, and Rajah Maggay for the first time in person! As they walk through a path in the forest, they draw random SOUR lyrics and tell relatable stories about their past. Listen in to hear about that time Arianne was the friend who talked to her crush about his crushes, that time Nikki was called the wrong name (an ex!), that time Rajah had a Valentine's Day mishap, and that time Ryan dated an Asian who doesn't date Asians. Also, find out about the genesis of the hashtag #RyanIsEnough. And you'll hear the WTT team belt out SOUR lyrics along the way. Acknowledgement: All lyrics referenced, read, or sang in this episode are from Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR album.

Psst, did you hear What's the Tsismis is launching season 4 this summer? In season 4, we're going unhinged—it's our sour season. Listen in as we air our grievances, from stories about exes and heartbreak to our reactions to a Filipino food hater. From experiencing fatphobia to family drama around land inheritance. Follow us on Instagram at @whatsthetsismis for more news about the upcoming season!

We're super excited to share this bonus episode with you! This is for all the Pilipinx youth out there. If you're a student, figuring out your career, or a young professional working on your skills, this is for you! Pinoys on Parliament provides mentorship, workshops, and a community of amazing people to support you through your journey. Ryan Lacanilao sat down with Simon Bondoc and Axella Apostol from Pinoys on Parliament to talk about the work they do and their upcoming virtual conference. Register for their virtual conference now! When: May 20-21, 2022 and May 27-28 Cost: Free Theme: Pagitan: Near, Far & the Spaces in Between Some news since this chat: What’s the Tsismis will be hosting one of the workshops at the conference! This podcast is all about storytelling, so if you want some experience telling your stories and creating a safe space for others to tell their stories, register for the conference and join us on May 28th! (and if you join us, you might find yourself on one of our future episodes)

Did you hear that the Christmas season begins in September? . . . . Well, at least for Filipinos it does! In today’s holiday special, Ryan Lacanilao and Nikki Mendiola look back at their favourite Filipino traditions during the holiday season—from decoration, mass, and food! A Filipino Christmas is like no other! Feasts, music, festivals, karaoke, games, and house parties are just the tip of the iceberg. As soon as the first ‘ber’ month hits, it's well known that the tunes make a grand turn for the festivities. Tune in as we chat about carolling, parol, bibingka and puto bumbong, monito monita, simbang gabi, am pao, noche buena, and more!

Thank you for joining us and playing along! The What’s the Tsismis team is super grateful to CJSR for sharing their platform with us and for bringing all of us together. Right now we are asking for your support to keep the station up and running. Fundrive ensures that we can continue to stay on the air for another year. Our program’s goal is $700. That’s basically 70 people with $10 donations! Fundrive ends on November 6 so get your donations in! Call (780) 492-2577 extension 0 or visit www.cjsr.com. Salamat!

In this bonus episode, a couple of Season 3 producers share their reflections on what it means to be resilient, and how their definitions of resilience have changed in the last year. One thing that ties all of these reflections together is gratitude. Thank you to all our listeners and to all our interviewees for listening and sharing with us. We are so fortunate to have been part of your story

Psst...Did you hear? They want more Filipinos on the big screen! In this week’s episode Arianne Barroma sits down with Ida Beltran-Lucila & Erica Cawagas to discuss the challenges and revelations of representation in the performing arts. With special commentary by Jem Golveo Toribio & Katelyn Cabalo, we take a dive into what’s happening in our arts community, and exactly why representation matters. With the success of movies and tv shows such as: Crazy Rich Asians, Kim’s Convenience, and Shang Chi (and the Legend of the Ten Rings) - where do we as Filipinx fit into the new era? Do our own stories have a place? Can our own culture stay resilient? In this episode we explore how the entertainment industry has shaped us, how it’s evolving, and above all, where else it could go.

Psssst... Did you hear that she visited a witch doctor? Did you hear she got sick after playing in the fields? Did you hear that she got “nabati”? Resilience is often attributed to experiences of adversity and pain. It is commonly described as bouncing back from your hardships, and the tremendous strength one demonstrates, allowing them to continue trekking forward. The Philippines is said to be a widely Catholic nation. Nevertheless, many also remember the folk legends and superstitions that their Lolas (grandmas) told them as they were growing up. There is a growing community of Filipinxs retracing their roots to pre-colonial beliefs. Lost records or a disconnection to family ties are only some of the challenges facing them. In spite of countless barriers, folks remain dedicated to reconstructing these systems of beliefs. This episode hopes to open the door for more conversations in the future about reclaiming our Filipinx identities and its close relationship with rediscovering spirituality/faith/religion.

Pssst… did you hear they quit their 9 to 5s? In this week’s episode Julia Juco chats with Mara Sy, co-owner of @little.canggu, and Anjo Silvoza, co-owner of @sabongfc to learn more about their transition from a hectic Manila corporate grind to the chill vibes of La Union- a small surf town in the Philippines. If you’ve been on social media lately, there’s been an influx of people teaching you how to be ‘financially free’ or becoming ‘your own boss’. This episode aims to peel the curtains back a little bit to demystify the realities of ‘hustle culture’. This season, the team is covering resilience and this episode shows that sometimes resilience isn’t about overhauling your life to something brand new. Sometimes, it’s about recognizing where you’re stretched thin and hunkering down to reinforce those areas.

Psst...Did you hear she grew up without her mom? In this week’s episode, Ryan Lacanilao chats with Francesca Doniego, Ericka Sisgundo, David John Lubuguin, and Marielle Diaz. They all grew up in the Philippines with one of their parents working abroad, and now they all live in Edmonton. It’s quite common for children in the Philippines to grow up with one or both of their parents working in another country. This is because many families find it hard to make ends meet while working at local jobs with local pay, so they go overseas. This season’s theme is resilience, and this episode touches on it on multiple levels. Parents faced with limited local options find a way to make things work by going to where there’s more opportunity to provide for their family and give future generations more opportunity. And the children of migrant workers find a way to deal with growing up without their parent and the toll that takes on their relationship. Francesca and Ericka talk about what it was like to grow up without their mom. How did they deal with bullying at school, how did it affect their relationship, and how did it shape their views on family and future plans? DJ talks about what it was like to grow up without his dad. What milestones did his dad miss, what was it like when he visited, and what kind of things do they do now that they live together again? Listen to find out!

Did you hear? She’s breaking the binary! In this episode of What’s the Tsismis, Rajah sits down with fellow producers Micah and Arianne to discuss the impact that Filipino femininity and gender roles within the Filipino culture has had on their lives. Through their discussions they go through survey responses from viewers asking about their own experiences. Get ready for a tsismis filled episode full of laughs, learning and healing. Produced by Rajah Maggay with guests Micah Leonida and Arianne Barroma.

Psst...Did you hear that they call him chinito and meztizo? Did you hear that they assumed she worked as a maid because she’s Filipino? All of these stories will be unpacked so make sure to listen in. Resilience is inherently tied to being wounded. Resilience implies being strong enough to surmount challenges along the way. How do our guests navigate new cultures, traditions, and harmful assumptions and stereotypes? What are their thoughts, and how have their relationships evolved since day one? This episode is ultimately about centering love, and having open conversations with others in order to break down commonly held ideas about inter-racial relationships.

Season 3 and we’re shaking things up. This season our episodes will explore the theme of resilience. We’ve defined resilience as a characteristic that is tied to strength, the ability to adapt, survival but also hospitality, kindness and care. The team at What’s The Tsismis also understands that resilience can be a double-edged sword. Resilience can be used to minimize or reduce people’s struggles. We see this in our community. Filipinos are often considered hard-working people. We take pride in our work, and are usually prepared to go above and beyond what is asked of us. It is important to note that sometimes resilience can be used to brush off the struggles Filipinos experience. Yes, we’re hardworking, strong, and able to surmount challenges. However, we are also people who need rest, care, patience and understanding. We hope to explore resilience in our episodes this season. We’ll be covering topics like femininity in the Filipino community, migration and the impacts of one-parent households, inter-racial relationships, and Asian representation along with so many more stories from the community. We hope that you continue to listen in and share your experiences with us. Thank you, Maraming Salamat!

In this bonus episode, the Season 2 producers of What’s the Tsismis connect to look back on the second season. What did they learn? What surprised them this season? What do they wish they had known going in? How did the community respond? One thing's for sure: We love hearing from the community, so keep the DMs coming!