Alice Gregorio-Nicolas is handing over the baton of Editor-in-Chief of The Philippine Times to Jason Cordi, also a regular contributor of The Philippine Times.
“After nearly two decades, it’s about time that we have new blood to give a fresher perspective to the newspaper. While this is my passion, I believe The Philippine Times will achieve its goal as a community newspaper if we have a new Editor-in-Chief,” Gregorio-Nicolas said.
Nicolas will remain the publisher of the newspaper to oversee the business side of its operation.
In his own words, Jason Cordi
It is indeed an honour to start this new role as Editor-in-Chief of Australia’s longest-serving newspaper publication for the Filipino community.
I was born in Australia to a Filipino mother and an Italian Australian father. My upbringing was very much a mixture of exposure to Southern Italian culture, as well as Filipino culture through various Filipino gatherings at locations such as the Springvale Town Hall, Preston Town Hall and Philippine Fiesta in Laverton, then later as a teenager at Filipino Masses in Mill Park.
I look back with pride, having been immersed into our unique culture, through exposure to the Visayan dialect and Filipino language at a young age, and our cuisine; thanks to my mother, titas and other family friends. My favourite dish is Utan Bisaya with Bulad (boiled veggies with dried fish).
While I was in High School in the northern suburbs and having been one of very few Filipinos in the school at the time, I developed an urge to learn more about Filipino culture and speak the language. I began to occasionally listen to Filipino programs on SBS Radio and 3ZZZ, and also read stories online.
In 2008, I spent almost a year in the Philippines, travelling the country, to Pampanga and Baguio in the north, and Mindoro, Boracay, Cebu, Bohol, Palawan and Mindanao in the south. It was at that time that I became more fluent in speaking Visayan and Filipino and more immersed in the culture. I got used to being called “Hey Joe!” or “Americano” quite often. I loved the Philippines!
In 2006, at age 19, I volunteered with Dulaang Bayan Melbourne (DBMI) as a stage manager, through a cousin that joined a stage play. I recall reading my first The Philippine Times newspaper during rehearsals! Soon after, I was invited to volunteer at the Philippine Fiesta of Victoria and Beauty Quest as part of the stage crew, as well as at various concerts through Liz Honey Promotions and Entertainment. In recent years, I have had the pleasure of joining Chito Javier as local production crew for Parokya Ni Edgar, Kamikazee, Juris, Nina, Morisette Amon and Darren Espanto.
In 2012, I completed a Bachelor of Business (Information and Knowledge Management) at RMIT University. I am a qualified Librarian, having worked at RMIT University, Yarra Plenty Regional Library and currently at the City of Greater Dandenong.
Aside from volunteering as stage crew at various events, I joined Share Me A Dream (SMAD) as Program Coordinator and became the Secretary in 2017. I am proud to have been involved with a locally registered charity, under the guidance of SMAD President Terry Kane, that supports some of the most vulnerable communities in the Southern Philippines.
It is through my involvement in the charity for the past five years, that I was able to find great joy in writing articles about how people in our community have been able to touch the lives of many in the Philippines. Although I have resigned from my role as Secretary, I am very much excited to undertake this new role as Editor-in-Chief of The Philippine Times to continue its legacy of ensuring publication of balanced news stories relevant to the Filipino community in Australia.
As Editor-in-Chief, I am happy to receive your feedback, ideas and suggestions going forward. My email address is jason.cordi@gmail.com.
