Category: People and Places

VIENNA, Austria — Filipino culture, creativity, and community will take center stage this Saturday, August 8, 2026, as Hiyas & Friends presents the KULTURA Pop-Up, a one-day cultural event celebrating Filipino artistry, food, music, and entrepreneurship in the heart of Vienna. The event will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Hotel Altstadt, located at Kirchengasse 41, 1070 Vienna, and is open to the public with free admission. Joining the event is HIYAS 2.0, which will bring Red Clay Factory to the pop-up, adding another dimension to the…

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Our first night camping at the Grand Canyon went remarkably smoothly. After the sweltering heat of the Arizona desert just days prior, we enjoyed a wonderfully deep and restful sleep, helped by the refreshingly cool mountain air that settles over the South Rim after sunset. Waking up just before 6:00 AM, we wasted no time. We prepared a hearty breakfast, packed our water bottles and daypacks, and got ourselves mentally and physically ready for a real adventure: a hike down into the belly of the Grand Canyon. Descending South Kaibab…

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Desert Night and Morning Realities Our second night camping deep in the Arizona desert turned out to be an unforgettable experience. Sleeping out in the open air beneath a canopy of brilliant stars, we were treated to a breathtaking, crystal-clear view of the Milky Way stretching across the night sky. Of course, outdoor desert camping also brought a few rustic firsts for us. Navigating the outdoor earth closet facility was quite a novelty and a bit of a challenge, as we are certainly not used to such primitive toilet setups…

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Setting Off on Our 14-Day Adventure After months of anticipation and thorough preparation, our 14-day family road trip officially shifted from theory to reality. We loaded up our rental car with all the gear, bags, and supplies we would need for the journey ahead. With everyone settled in, Steven took the wheel for the first leg of driving, navigating us away from Pueblo and out toward the majestic landscapes of southern Colorado. Discovering Great Sand Dunes National Park Our first major stop brought us face-to-face with one of North America’s…

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If you listen to a second-generation Filipino-Austrian in a Viennese café, you will hear flawless local dialect—complete with the sharp, rhythmic cadence of Wienerisch. They navigate the Gymnasium system with ease, understand the subtle social codes of Austria’s urban youth, and consider a snowy winter as natural as any lifelong local. Yet, for many of these young adults born to the pioneering generation of Filipino nurses and workers who arrived decades ago, belonging is rarely a simple equation. While their parents’ story was defined by economic sacrifice, labor integration, and…

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VIENNA, Austria – Music has always been at the heart of worship, lifting prayers and bringing people closer to God. Recognizing the important role of sacred music in the liturgy, the Filipino Catholic Community (FCC) in Vienna organized a Music Ministry Workshop on 29 July 2026 at Salvator am Wienerfeld, featuring acclaimed Filipino baritone Zip Mercado De Guzman as guest facilitator. The workshop gathered members of the FCC Music Ministry—choir singers, instrumentalists, music leaders, and volunteers—for a day of learning, inspiration, and spiritual renewal. Through vocal exercises, choral techniques, and…

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Vienna, the historic capital of classical music, recently played host to a triumph of Filipino-Canadian artistry. The Himig Kabataan Cultural Society (HKCS) Choir has officially earned the Gold Award at the prestigious 15th World Peace Choral Festival (WPCF). A Celebration of Global Harmony Since its founding in 2010, the WPCF has served as a premier international platform, bringing together talented choirs from more than 60 countries to celebrate peace, unity, and cultural exchange through music. This year, the festival added another unforgettable chapter to its legacy, underscored by the stunning…

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by Hector Pascua Walk into almost any hospital or care facility in Vienna, and you will inevitably hear it: the soft, melodic cadence of Tagalog slipping through the corridors, woven seamlessly between interactions in fluent Austrian German. Step into the Votivkirche on a Sunday, and you will see a vibrant community whose faith and fellowship breathe life into the historic stone walls. For over fifty years, Filipinos have been weaving themselves into the social fabric of Austria. Yet, their integration story is rarely the subject of fierce political debate or…

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