The Halo Halo Podcast

Audition Tea! As Sigi muses about musical, he coaxes Jezzie to share some tea about an audition story from the Halo Halo Podcast Host vault. Listen in on this fun warm up where Jezzie peels back a layer and shares some memories involving showing potential at a musical audition and behind the scenes on a tv show!

As Jezzie and Sigi wrap up Musical May, they dive into Filipinos Taking Over Broadway. On their pop culture catch up they rave over Hacks-Season 4, Thunderbolts, Prime Target, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and what Kellyanne Conway is up to. They segue into their Broadway ep from an earlier season and how Lea Salonga, their queen has found her way back to Broadway and in addition many Filipinos taking over “The Great White Way.” They revel over the representation in  7 musicals with Filipino leads and several who also happen to be Tony nominated. Jezzie sums up how the Filipino language as sonorant and encourages listeners to ‘Sing you heritage.'

On this warm up, your hosts turn up the volume and share their top three bangers that make them sing at the top of their lungs in the car. From hairography from Gaga, bittersweet feelings from Olivia, feeling the fantasy with Ariana, Madonna and ‘being a sheep in wolf's clothing' with the Odds, the co-host take you through their top 3!

The Halo Halo Podcast enters the Month of May with a Musical Theme. On this episode Jezzie recounts his Kylie Minogue experience. He recounts his amazing spectacle and how, “Say Something” really touches on community care. Further Jezzie guides the discussion on how the Filipino Community understands community care because of our values especially during the events of The Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver. Community Care entails collective responsibility, mutual aid, and being relationship and social justice centered. We encourage our listeners to listen to ‘Say Something' by Kylie Minogue but more importantly heed its call and help each other and help the community.

For our Social Justice episodes this April we decided to focus on the Values of the Halo Halo Podcast in a  four part series, Bravery/Courage, Grace, Kindness and Generosity. On the fourth and final episode,  Jezzie and Sigi discuss the how the previously discussed values set us up to be kind. As they take a deep look of what does it mean to be kind and how it is much deeper than being ‘nice'. As they take a moment of introspection, Jezzie and Sigi discuss examples of kindness in their own life and sharely warm their pop culture examples which include Some Good News, Good Hang Podcast, reluctant Jedi-master Obi Wan Kenobi and Hiccup Haddock from How to Train Your Dragon. For our fixing we ask our listeners, “How do you bestow kindness to others?”

For our Social Justice episodes this April we decided to focus on the Values of the Halo Halo Podcast in a  four part series, Bravery/Courage, Grace, Kindness and Generosity. On the third episode of this four part series, Jezzie and Sigi discuss the value of Generosity and how it is  not only about giving but also working from a space of cooperation. They discuss the bayanihan spirit and pop culture models of generosity including Dolly Parton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Good Will Hunting and Pose. For this fixing this week, we ask listeners,  ‘How can you be generous to others?'

For our Social Justice episodes this April, we decided to focus on the Values of The Halo Halo Podcast in a four part series, Bravery/Courage, Grace, Kindness and Generosity.   On this second episode of this four part series, Jezzie and Sigi discuss the value of  Grace and how to allow people to take up space. Upon further discussion and searching for pop culture examples they revisit their favourite series– Ted Lasso and Schitts Creek. For the fixing of the week, we ask listeners, ‘How do you provide grace to others?'

For our Social Justice episodes this April, we decided to focus on the Values of The Halo Halo Podcast in a four part series, Bravery/Courage, Grace, Kindness and Generosity. On this episode, Bravery/Courage, Jezzie and Sigi explore this value and discuss the contrast of the two. The delve deeper and look to examples in fiction, Hunger Games and Harry Potter which illustrate characters exhibiting these values in extraordinary circumstances. For the fixing of the week, we ask listeners, ‘How do you summon your courage?'

What If. . .  the Halo Halo Podcast . . . occurred for us at Western in 1999–what would that look like—--and oddly I have the answer. What if we hadn't created the podcast. .  . would we have ventured down this lane? If it wasn't The Halo Halo Podcast. .  .what would it be?

On this episode Jezzie and Sigi discuss the animated anthology series of What If and the goal of the diaspora. But first the hosts catch up and Sigi shares some Tortang Talong backstory and his love of The Residence and Jezzie reflects on a horror and a very slooowwww drama he consumed. Plus he reminds us he is seeing Kylie soon! Later they delve into the alternate universes of the MCU and pivot to the alternatives and the goal of the Filipino diaspora. For the cultural fixing Jezzie encourages us to find where and how you can invest resources in the younger Filipino generation that you are around.

The Halo Halo Podcast returns and Jezzie and Sigi are back in fine form. They return to share their hot takes on Oscars 2025. Listen in as they agree that Wicked had some highs and that for once did not watch it live.

The Halo Halo Podcast is back after hiatus! Your hosts are back in action and debrief on The Pitt, Arcane: League of Legends, Schitt's Creek and Sigi's daughter making tortang talong with her Lola. On this ep Jezzie discusses Filipino film, The Kingdom (2024), set in an alternate timeline where the Philippines was never colonized by Western powers and is a monarchy called Kalayaan. Further Jezzie discusses how the film made him think about how there is this emphasis to decolonize ourselves from Western Imperialism, and how there is an emphasis to have a clean break from colonialism. The fixing of the week encourages to be syncretic and combine beliefs and practice.

Now many of you long time listeners do recall that Jezzie and Sigi crossed paths at Western. They were  both resident staff members  at the fabled Saugeen Maitland Hall in London ON. Did you know. . . .folklore: SMH was in the Letterman top 10 list, The safety required for SMH Duke is the name of SMH's mascot Let's revisit the origin story. . . .

Jezzie and Sigi bring you another new episode of The Halo Halo Podcast to complete a trifecta of back to school oriented episodes. They discuss two pieces of pop culture based in college/university - With Honours and The Sex Lives of College Girls. Later Jezzie ties in a 2014 study by Filipino Youth Transitions in Canada, Promoting Post Secondary Pathways Among Filipino Youth in Ontario. He discusses some of the findings and poses the fixing of the week, When a Filipino Student goes to University, the whole family goes to University.  How can we accommodate this?

Sigi and Jezzie discuss high school uniforms and dress codes on this warm up and revisit what they wore during the Catholic High School days. Listen in as they discuss Out of Uniform Days and their shoe game in the 90s.

Jezzie and Sigi kick off Season 7 of The Halo Halo Podcast by continuing with the back to school theme and focusing on the FX sitcom English Teacher starring Brian Jordan Alvarez. With a killer soundtrack from hits of the 80s and 90s, the sitcom pulls you in to the life of teacher Evan Marques in Austin as he navigates school life and connecting with Gen Z world. With an engaging group of colleagues including his bestie Gwen, tired Principal Grant Morretti, and gym teacher Markie they deal with wokeness, interfering parents and challenges faced in the public school system. The 8 episode first season is filled with laughs, guest appearance from Trixie Mattel, battling school boosters and addressing generation gaps with millennials and gen z. Later Jezzie discusses Gen Z in the Filipino diaspora and that holding  multiple truths may enable generations to reconcile with one another.

On this warm up, Sigi is inspired while making lunches for his kids and ask what school-aged Sigi and Jezzie list out their top 3 snacks in their lunchboxes. So as they discuss their “baon” find out which treats topped their list!

The Halo Halo Podcast is back to tie up Season 6! After a summer of adventures to East Coast Canada, casinos and concert combos, soaking up the sun and sharing some new pop culture indulgences, the co-hosts are back to school this fall and fawn over Abbott Elementary. They discuss what attracts them to the award winning hit network sitcom which leads to Jezzie pondering about learning about Filipino Excellence growing up. Further he encourages to educate Filipino Canadian youth around us about Filipino successes.

This is an early preview of this anthology series produced by Halo Halo Pop Culture.  If you have access to this recording, it is at the courtesy of Halo Halo Pop Culture and your use is for demonstration purposes.  This recording is not for distribution at this time.  

To wrap up Filipino Heritage Month, here is Part Two of this warm up! Jezzie and Sigi welcome Diyyinah and Carlo from the Filipino Public Servants Network (FSPN) into the Halo Halo Podcast virtual studios to play “A Question in 3 Parts” and the co-hosts and guests reflect on what makes them Filipino Canadian. Listen in as they dive into this ice breaker and find their commonalities and discover their personal thoughts behind these questions.

It's June and in honour of Filipino Heritage month in Canada, we are showcasing Filipino Canadians who elevate and celebrate our community.  Last episode we brought into the Halo Halo Podcast Studios Diyannah and Carlo from the Filipino Public Servants Network who shared their story of how the FPSN was founded.  In Part Two with the FPSN we spend more time talking about how they recruited for the Network and later on in this episode we find out their thoughts on lateral mentorship.   What are you waiting for? Download and put on those earbuds to find out how Diyyinah went old school and cold called people and maybe hear Sigi ask Carlo to share a little of his Texas accent. If you're a current federal public servant of Filipino descent, and want to know more about the FPSN send an email at fpsn.rfp@gmail.com for a monthly newsletter and regularly scheduled events. You can find FPSN on GCxchange and GCpedia, as well as on their Facebook group.

On this warm up, Jezzie and SIgi welcome Diyyinah and Carlo from the Filipino Public Servants Network (FSPN) into the Halo Halo Podcast virtual studios to get their get voices ready for their full two-part episode. They play “A Question in 3 Parts” and the co-hosts and guests reflect on what makes them Filipino, and Canadian. Listen in as they dive into this ice breaker and find their commonalities and discover their personal thoughts behind these questions. If you're a current federal public servant of Filipino descent, and want to know more about the FPSN send an email at fpsn.rfp@gmail.com for a monthly newsletter and regularly scheduled events. You can find FPSN on GCxchange and GCpedia, as well as on their Facebook group.

Since it is June and Filipino Heritage Month, The Halo Halo Podcast elevates and celebrates the Filipino Public Servants Network (FPSN) in a special  TWO PART full episodes dropping this month!  In Part One: Jezzie and Sigi welcome Diyyinah Jamora and Carlo Carandang to the virtual studios to create the “Canada sandwich” with all four of them podcasting from Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax. The co-hosts dive into Diyyinah's and Carlo's immigration stories and follow their paths beginning in Vancouver (Diyyinah) and Texas (Carlo) to the Public Service.  From reveling in the fact that both of our guests worked in stores where their families sold Filipino snacks, Diyyinah shares how the FSPN came into fruition.  Download Part One of this episode now! Stay tuned for Part Two in 2 weeks! If you're a current federal public servant of Filipino descent, and want to know more about the FPSN send an email at fpsn.rfp@gmail.com for a monthly newsletter and regularly scheduled events. You can find FPSN on GCxchange and GCpedia, as well as on our Facebook group.

On this warm up, Jezzie and Sigi hold their cups of tea and rhyme out their top 3 gossip folks in pop culture. Find out who cites Alec Mapa and Jacob Ben Israel in their top 3. They dedicate this warm up to their two real life gossip folk in their friend group–you know who you are because your hair is so big because it is filled with secrets. XOXO.

On this episode Jezzie and Sigi dive into a compare and contrast of Mean Girls 2004 and the Mean Girls Musical 2024, but before they jump into all things fetch and the allure of Regina George, they discuss Jezzie's Monorail Bar Crawl in Vegas, Rachel Zegler in Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Filipino Lords in Bridgerton Season 3. As they share notes on Tina Fey's classic 20 year old staple and the newly released movie based on the musical, they revel in an amazing cast, cameos and debate elaborate shownumbers. Later the co-hosts discuss gossip and that in Filipino culture scholars suggest there is gossip and tsismis. Jezzie shares the two-fold value of this concept and observes how it sometimes begs for information and resources to be shared so someone can benefit.

This warm up has both co-hosts share their top 3 pop culture moms. Jezzie also gives Sigi a vocabulary lesson about the ballroom origin of the term “mother.” Find out who tops their lists of sitcom, musical and reality tv moms.

For this month, The Halo Halo Podcast tailored the set of upcoming eps to a Maternal May. Jezzie and Sigi go into the pop culture vault to revisit Mamma Mia the musical, movie and the sequel. Listen in as Jezzie suspends his disbelief and revels in the jukebox musical while Sigi litters the convo with consistent “WHAT IS HAPPENING?!” After much discussion on the Meryl Streep of it all, Amanda Seyfried's dewy face, the classiness of Christine Baranski and Cher wandering into the movie, the convo shifts to mothers and motherhood. Jezzie references Wilfred Galila's essay on the “Power of Pinays” where he discusses how pre-colonial and before the arrival of the Spanish, Philippine Society was seen as Matriarchal. Further, Jezzie discusses the power shared by Filipina Women in the diaspora is a quiet power.  The fixing of the week encourages Halo Halo Listeners to celebrate the Filipina Women in our lives and happy mothers' day to our mothers!

On this Taste Test and to close out our Filipino Food Themed episodes, Sigi samples the novel, Lessons In Fusion by Primrose Madayag Knazan. This novel set in Winnipeg during the pandemic focuses on Sarah who applies to compete in a reality show called Cyber Chef Next Gen. Her participation in the competition puts her on a journey on finding out more about her identity and her family. Pair this novel with the many recipes especially the matzo ball sopas because it is a warm nourishing read.  This book is a love letter on how recipes when passed on through generations tells a tale about connections and love in families. This isn't just a young adult novel, it is a cookbook that fuses together different cultures and encourages the reader to embrace all facets of their identity. Listen in on this ep and go get your copy of Lessons in Fusion!

On this warm up Sigi and Jezzie take some ideas and make it Filipino. Sigi ventures down the fast food lanes to makes them more pinoy and Jezzie finds ways to nourish not only our stomachs but our minds and style. Listen in and find out what condiment Sigi wants to be available for his Costco hot dog and what Jezzie would add to the Canadian staple Timmie's!

During this month of April and in honour of Filipino Food Month, we at the Halo Halo Podcast will be re-releasing some of our favourite Meryenda episodes, but first in their pop culture catch up Sigi talks about the Hallmark movie based in his hometown Niagara Falls and the recent limited series Apples Never Fall. Jezzie share his thoughts on the latest Rebel Moon and newly crowned Drag Superstar. Further, Jezzie discusses his rediscovered love and ventures back into Lobby Bars in his neighbourhood and revelling in Happy Hour---the perfect segue into revisting Mereyenda Epsiode 406.75 San Miguel Beer from Season Four! Cheers!

On this taste test, Sigi takes his daughter Delaney to Jollibee in Toronto right before the Olivia Rodrigo concert. As Sigi revels in CHICKENJOY with his daughter, he and Jezzie dive deep into the pairing of crispy salty chicken skin paired with warm white rice. Is it possible that it is buried deep in the Filipino DNA? And to even add more to his CHICKENJOY, the presence of ube pie served as the piece de resistance on this adventure. Listen in and this ep will have you craving for fast food giant from the Philippines.

On this warm up Jezzie and Sigi venture into some special Filipino Food Connections and revisit memories of adobo, chicharon, pandesal and ice cream. Join us for a visit down memory lane which will have you craving for more!

For the month of April and in honor of Filipino Food Month, we at The Halo Halo Podcast will be rereleasing some of our favourite Meryenda Episodes. On this ep, Jezzie and Sigi catch up and Sigi shares his Filipino filled Easter which included Olivia Rodrigo, a Jollibee jaunt and an amazing Easter Sunday Kamayan. This serves the perfect segue into the rerelease of our Meryenda Epsiode from season 3-Boodle Fight/Kamayan! Get out those banana leaves and dig in for a big serving of lumpia and bangus!

Our main episode has us going into a debate about someone who I deemed so cool, in the early aughts when he broke out into his own. . . but now if I we had to be on a mission to define cool, who would fit the bill?

On this episode of The Halo Halo Podcast, Jezzie and Sigi dive deep and figure out where they stand with Justin Timberlake. They revisit the *NSYNC boy band craze; Justified, and Sexyback albums; the Janet Jackson Superbowl controversy, his foray into acting and comedy and his latest album–Everything I Thought It Was. Further Jezzie pivots the convo to discuss the Filipino cultural value of pakikisama. This cultural value really informs the collectivistic attitudes and mentality that we as a culture possess and the influence of being family-oriented. Although this value can be weaponized, Jezzie encourages us to determine its value by asking ourselves if it benefits all of the community and that there is a feeling of inclusion.

On this very special Taste Test, Jezzie takes us on his very VIP experience in Las Vegas seeing the Madonna Celebration Tour. Get out a flight of sparking wines as Jezzie recounts his journey behind the velvet rope. Get ready Halo Halo Listeners, he goes deep into the superfan experience. And if you are interested leave a comment in this week's episode post and we will share some pics of Jezzie's limited edition swag for your viewing pleasure.

Join Jezzie and Sigi in this warm up and they chart out an alternate universe where they achieve their EGOT status. Find out who plans to win their Emmy hosting a show and who will win their Oscar in the ensemble piece, “Puzzle”. Suspend your disbelief and follow their trails to acquire their EGOT status.

The Halo Halo Podcast is back for this month of March in fine pop culture form breaking down the 2024 Oscars. From observing shimmering dresses and shiny male brooches on the red carpet to adjusting to the early start time, Jezzie and Sigi share their hot takes on one of their fave events. Meaningful speeches and flowers from previous Oscar winners got the podcast hosts elated and vibrating from a crowd pleasing Gosling/Slash performance.

 The Halo Halo Podcast brings back its suite of four Social Justice centered episodes for this month of February. In this fourth and final episode, Jezzie reviews the framework we shared with our listeners to aid them to decipher the value of a social movement. This framework can also serve as a basis to help us engage in a more meaningful fashion as opposed to just superficial engagement. It also means that it takes time, commitment and being a good ally. Good allyship involves: Being actionable— does what we say match our behaviour ?; Using your privilege to support those that we are joining in a social movement; Being okay with being criticized and sometimes embracing the discomfort; Not expecting the social movement or others to educate you and Not equating your own struggles with those of the social movement.

The Halo Halo Podcast brings back its suite of four Social Justice centered episodes for this month of February. In this third episode, Jezzie guides us in our continued discussion that cultural humility and discernment in joining social movements means not only learning about other cultures, but also learning about ourselves and social systems. This learning is continual and encourages us to be teachable and learn more about the deeper parts of one's culture. There is a need for us to move away from being ethnocentric to ethnorelative. Striving to do this and being willing to learn about ourselves in an honest fashion and debunking social systems that we are in can help us understand other cultures and histories in an authentic and respectful way, thus make us ultimately teachable.

The Halo Halo Podcast brings back its suite of four Social Justice centered episodes for this month of February. In this second episode, the focus is on Cultural Humility. It is first described by Melanie Tervalon, as a mindset which requires us to: learn from others–while honoring those that we learn from; understand and accept the differences we have with others; and be self-reflective and engage in critical self-reflection. Jezzie discusses further that when we adopt a culturally humble stance, we are in a position to then discern.

The Halo Halo Podcast brings back its Social Justice centered episodes for this month of February. In this episode the focus is on Discernment on Movements and Counter-movements. Discernment is key to understanding social movements and counter-movements. Jezzie guides a discussion on the meaning of discernment and the need to understanding the arguments behind a movement; not getting swept up in the urgency; questioning information sources and being critical of our own motivations.

Write Up-On this  Taste Test, Sigi goes into the 1999 Pop Culture Movie vault an rewatches The Talented Mr. Ripley. Find out why he would pair this flick with a duo cocktail of gin and sin and a rye and tonic. From the classic direction of  Minghella, the beauty of Italy and the talented cast, you will find yourself immersed in this psychological thriller that may have inspired shows like You and movies like Saltburn.

On this warm up, Sigi and Jezzie dust off old issues of Vanity Fair and revisit the famous Hollywood Issue where ingenues and popular stars graced the cover to promote their movies/shows for the year.  They face the imaginary task of being the guest editors and cast the Hollywood 2024 Vanity Fair cover shoot. Find out who is one the list and will land on the cover!

On this week's episode, Sigi and Jezzie remain in the 1999 movie vault and focus on two movies—American Beauty and Cruel Intentions. Later they discuss the “Implications of ‘Bahala Na'”.  The pop culture recap gets down to latest with Jezzie and his attendance at two shows of Madonna's current tour. Find out firsthand about his experience and that this marks the beginning of his own “Madonna tour”—definitely tune in to hear more about various legs of this tour as our dear co-host travels across North America in awe and fandom for his dear Madge. Join the two co-hosts as they revisit two movies that turn 25 this year.  The first being an Academy award winning and ensemble cast that covers themes that haven't aged well since 1999—American Beauty.The second, inspired by the book and movie, Dangerous Liaisons, set in the upper class neighbourhoods of Manhattan and being a predecessor for shows like Gossip Girl and Euphoria--Cruel Intentions.  The conversation laters shifts into the cultural capital topic of “Bahala Na” which has a deterministic idea that things will work out in the end and not to worry—more precisely, don't care too much about the situation and circumstance. Jezzie discusses where this term originates and where it is well rooted and what kind of difficulties can be encountered when this stance is skewed. Our fixing of the week challenges our listeners to be resourceful when active acceptance of choices are unavailable.

On this Taste Test Episode, Jezzie open up the pop culture movie vault of 1999 and re-samples "The Sixth Sense". Serve yourself up with a matcha latté as Jezzie takes us through M. Night Shyamalan's breakthrough hit “The Sixth Sense” –a psychological thriller starring Bruce Willis, playing child psychologist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe and Hayley Joel Osment,  as his troubled patient Cole Seer who apparently talks to dead people. Find out how Jezzie's revisit to this timeless, unique movie with a well documented twist brought up current themes in 2024.

On this Warm Up Ep, Jezzie and Sigi go back to the vault to 1999 and talk about their WinAmps. What music was playing on their hard drives with the HP speakers blaring in the dorms of A Lower and 6 Middle at Saugeen (Z00). Find out what tunes Sigi played when he put on the Aldo shoes, sweater vest and cargos before he headed out to the Ridout? Where did Jezzie go to hunt down exclusive Madonna remixes and who influenced him to get Celine and Tammy Wynette on his playlist?  Put on a puffy vest, dance in a mirrored tunnel and listen in!

Happy New Year Halo Halo Podcast Listeners! Jezzie and Sigi go Back to the Vault this January 2024 to the year 1999 to focus on movies that turn 25 years old— Fight Club, Boys Don't Cry and American Pie . All these films make comments on what masculinity of its time period as well as what it can mean today and the co-hosts compare notes on their views of these movies when they saw them in 1999 versus now in 2024. Later, they discuss the rethinking of Filipino masculinity in the diaspora. Jezzie references a recent study by Bagaporo and Papadelos which studied Filipino men from the Philippines and found that masculinity was influenced by various colonial influences and shaped around three features: breadwinner; Padre de Paymilia and good-natured social persona. The fixing of the week is to remind ourselves not to be bound by these masculine scripts.

Write up: A new Taste Test episode that sustain the festive spirit of the holidays, Jezzie samples Hannah Waddingham-Home For Christmas now streaming on Apple TV +. Find out why Jezzie would raise a toast with a Christmas cosmopolitan for the holiday spectacle filled with familiar Christmas songs and guest appearances from the dearly beloved show, Ted Lasso.

On this Warm Up of The Halo Halo Podcast, Sigi and Jezzie are joined by Eric and Shari from the Filipinos of Montreal. Sigi poses an epic karaoke question, what is your Christmas Karaoke song? this sparks discussion of classic staples from Wham, Bieber, David Archuleta and that "Gremlins" is definitely a holiday movie. Listen in on as they list their holiday repertoire! Maligayang Pasko and Happy Holidays from The  Halo Halo Podcast and Filipinos of Montreal! To find out more about the Filipinos of Montreal , follow them on insta @filipinosofmontreal