Makilala TV

A COMMUNITY EFFORT MAKILALA TV talk show was established by two women, Maricor Fernandez, a public access producer at QPTV, and journalist Cristina DC Pastor. Their journey began in 2013 when they asked themselves, "Why not?" They were soon joined by three talented and opinionated women: Jen Furer, Maria Cruz Lee, and Rachelle Ocampo, creating a strong team that Cristina rounds out. In the summer of 2013, MAKILALA (which means "get to know" in Tagalog) launched as a monthly talk show on Queens Public Television in Flushing, marking the first program of its kind for the Filipino American community in the New York area. The show became a platform for discussions with community leaders and organizations on various issues impacting Filipinos, including language, voting rights, healthcare, education, and gender issues. By the end of the first year, Maria stepped aside to pursue an immigration fellowship. This opened the door for a diverse array of co-hosts, allowing a wider range of perspectives and ideas to enrich the program as several dynamic women joined the team on a rotating basis. After two years, MAKILALA found a new home at the Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) in the El Barrio Firehouse Community Media Center. In September 2017, MAKILALA premiered on Bronxnet TV, and by July 2018, it reached a global audience through Kapatid International. MAKILALA is committed to delivering informative and engaging discussions to homes across New York via MNN, while also expressing gratitude to QPTV for the opportunity to shine a light on the Filipino community, which has often been overlooked in media. Support from community leaders, organizations, and everyday individuals has been tremendous. Our tapings are energized by donations of food, musical talents, and services from wonderful supporters like Ivie Joy Florals and makeup artist Victor Palmos, who have been with us since the start. This support indicates to us, as one viewer put it, that MAKILALA is "on your way to bigger things." We share that sentiment as well.