Why We Do…
PinoyLife believes that Filipino American stories deserve to be told and that our voices deserve to be heard. We affirm that Filipino Americans’ stories of trials, triumphs, and transformations need to be amplified so that the community will be aware of them and will learn from them. We strive to make members of the Filipino American community aware of their roots and proud of their culture.
…What We Do
PinoyLife is a media production platform company committed to providing information and lifestyle and entertainment knowledge aimed at helping members of the Filipino American community make informed decisions, which in turn is aimed at making them more effective contributors to the larger society.
We produce the livestreaming shows Talk of the Town and Usapang Fil Am. It is our hope to produce more shows and events that aim to educate and entertain the Filipino American community. We also aspire to produce collaborative work with other creatives within our platform and channel.
FOUNDERS
Richard Rillera
Ricky is the President of PinoyLife Media Corp. He hosts Talk of the Town’s “Balitaan” segment. He has been a constant and consistent leading figure in the Filipino American community since the early 80s, having served in many organizations. Ricky is still actively involved as a servant leader, an entrepreneur, a mentor and a journalist.
He is the executive editor of the Philippine Daily Mirror and has written for several publications in the U.S. and the Philippines. He is a past president of the JCI-Philippine New York and the Filipino American Press Club of New York (FAPCNY). As a journalist, he was honored by the National Association of Filipino Americans (NAFA-New Jersey), Philippine American Concerned Citizens League (PACCAL), and the Jose P. Rizal (JPR) International Foundation, Inc.
Noel Pangilinan
Noel is the Vice President of PinoyLife. He hosts Talk of the Town’s segment on Philippine and Filipino American history, “Rewind,” and co-hosts Usapang Fil Am, PinoyLife’s livestreaming talk show on issues relevant to the Filipino American community.
He teaches Filipino and Philippine history and literature at the University of Mount Saint Vincent and is a senior editor at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop. Noel is also a regular instructor for the Filipino School of New York and New Jersey and has taught at Rutgers University, Seton Hall University, and the City University of New York-Hunter College. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Philippine Studies from the University of the Philippines, and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Antero Martinez
Ner is the host Talk of the Town. He is a past president of the Philippine Independence Day Council Inc. (PIDCI) and has hosted and emceed many Filipino American community events in the tri-state area. He is also a past president of the JCI Philippine-New York Chapter and actively involved with the Ateneo Alumni of the Northeast, Inc.
He is also a member of the music ministry of the Our Lady of Peace Prayer Community at St. Jean Baptiste and a volunteer for the First Filipino Martyr Saint, Inc. He is a graduate of the Ateneo De Manila University High School and the University of the Philippines School of Economics. He is currently the accounts director at Design District Studios LLC.
Cristina Godinez
Cris is the host of Talk of the Town and Usapang Fil Am, She is an immigration attorney whose immigration law practice spans the full range of marriage-based, family-sponsored and employment visas for individuals and businesses. She also hosts Talk of the Town‘s “Immigration Basics” segment, and is also a columnist for the Philippine Daily Mirror.
Cris earned her law degree from the University of the Philippines and practiced with the largest firm in the Philippines prior to immigrating to the U.S. with her family. She is admitted to practice in the State of New York. She worked with the immigration law practice group of a top-tier global law firm and later, with the world’s largest immigration law firm. She set up and led the immigration and legal service department of the Migrant Center based in the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in New York City.
Lambert Parong
Lambert hosts Talk of the Town’s segment “Community Buzz,” a video podcast about recent Filipino community news and events. He is the executive editor and founder of Kababayan Media Corp., an independent community media organization registered in the state of New York since 2012. As a multimedia journalist, he covers the Asian and American community with a special focus on the Filipino diaspora. Some of his work appears on the online news and blog site ‘Balitang New York’ and on the YouTube channel ‘Kababayan TV’, published by Kababayan Media.
Lambert has been a member of the Filipino American Press Club of New York since 2015. An immigrant from the Philippines, Lambert has been living in America for the past 20 years. A self-described happy exile and the personal assistant to daughters Kai and Yve plus wife Ann, Lambert lives with his family in Brooklyn.
Ralph Samson
RL is the creative, technical director and the broadcast and livestream producer of Talk of the Town and Usapang Fil Am. As creative director, RL is responsible for the overall design of the show’s posters and promo materials for print and social media and print. He is also in charge of creating and managing the design of graphics, the flow of visual effects, the production of the video livestreams and podcast episodes. RL directs the editing of pre-recorded and sponsored video content for each episode.
As technical director, RL produces and livestreams Talk of the Town and Usapang FilAm episodes. RL is currently the founder and CEO of Design District Studios LLC, a design studio that provides creative services specializing in graphic design, print production, advertising and marketing materials.
