Filipino identity rediscovered: Animated series connects diaspora to roots

Filipino-Americans are finding new ways to reconnect with their roots—and for filmmaker Joel Nathan “Bani” Logroño, that journey is being told through animation.

- BY ANNA MARIE P. LAQUI

Appearing on The Chairman’s Report hosted by Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II, Logroño on Friday shared the origin and mission of The Filipino Story, a nonprofit initiative that started during the pandemic in the United States and now serves as a cultural touchstone for Filipino families abroad.

“The Filipino Story... it’s just like a friend telling you what being Filipino is,” said Logroño. “It’s educational, but not necessarily that kind of academic language.”

The initiative was born out of The Filipino School in San Diego, California, which once offered language and cultural classes for Filipino-American families. When the school closed during the pandemic, its founder, Filipino-American entrepreneur Tony Olaes, envisioned a new format inspired by The Bible Project, using animated storytelling to pass down cultural values and historical memory.

The series is a team effort powered by a 10-person creative group, including historians, music composers, and animators, driven by a common goal: to reconnect the Filipino diaspora to their identity.