OSM!: Rena Avendula: Gears Up for Filipino Artists in the US

By Marivir R. Montebon
New York City

On Woodside's 52nd Street, Rena Avendula not only contends herself with promoting Filipino dishes in her restaurant called Payag (nipa hut in Filipino). She is also in the thick of whipping up dreams to raise the bar of Filipino entertainment in New York, and eventually the whole of America. Along with fellow dreamers (and believers) Howie Clavite, Peter Obach, Ruby Lagare, and Jose Paulo Cortes, Rena has created the Pinoy Pride sa America (Filipino Pride in America) which intends to showcase the multi-faceted talents of Filipinos.

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Filipino artists can create greater impact in the US.[/caption]

The Pinoy Pride sa America is a business entity that unites all non-profit organizations to create shows and cultural undertakings to raise their own financial resources, quips Rena. She observed that Filipino groups are too sporadically operating on their own thus creating limited impact in the community.

Hopefully, the Pinoy Pride will bind the organizations to create bigger visibility, she said.

On October 4, the Pinoy Pride sa America will kick off its first gig at LaBoom, with the famous rock band Aegis holding a concert along with three other bands (Filharmonic, Sheldon Magbanua, and Tony Gado), a fashion show featuring the works of Anna Puruganan and Darius Gibbs, an art exhibit by the GPENY.

Brought together by the Gawad Kalinga USA, Philippine Jaycees, Payag Restaurant, Faldef, GPENY, Falcon, HRS Innovates, and We Talk, the concert-fashion show-art exhibit will be an event to watch.

Excerpts from the interview:

1. What inspired you to form PINOY Pride sa America?

What has inspired me to form PINOY Pride sa America is my bilib sa Pinoy (my faith in the Filipino), dahil talaga namang BIDA ANG PINOY (because indeed, the Filipino is a star)! We only need to provide an opportunity and the right venue for us to showcase or to stage this. And what could be a better way of achieving this than collaborating with fellow the non-profit organizations here who have the same level of commitment.

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The challenge is right here in the US.[/caption]

2.      As a young entrepreneur in NYC, what challenges do you have in running a restaurant business?

Real competition is here. This is the greatest challenge for me and this is the very thing that keeps me focused and going. I work best under pressure.

3.      Is it much better to operate in the US than in The Philippines?

Yes, because I am here in the US for at least 310 days in a year. (Laughs) Seriously, though, here in New York, I am in a better position to introduce the best of Filipino cuisine and culture in the US market, a stepping stone to globalize our brand.

4.      What are your hopes and aspirations for the FIL-AM Community in NYC?

I hope and aspire for the Fil-Am Community not just in NY but in the whole of America: unity in show-casing the best of the Filipino in everything that we do, unity sa makikipagtulungan sa kapwa Pilipino para sa ikabubuti ng lahat (helping Filipinos for the better good), and unity sa paglingun sa pinanggalingan (looking back where we came from) by reaching out and helping our countrymen back in our homeland especially in times of need.

5.      What events are we going to expect from PINOY Pride sa America in the coming months?

A lot of plans are being considered and we shall be disclosing these very soon. But for sure they are all aligned with our mission which is to collaborate with US-based non-profit organizations in order to help promote and show-case the best of the Filipino talent.

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