A meeting with Commission on Filipinos Overseas Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II gave co-editor Lorna Lardizabal Dietz a new opportunity to celebrate an award-winning anthology that gives voice to Filipino migrants around the world.
Dietz, a San Francisco-based writer and co-editor of Diaspora Journey: Philippine Migration and Diaspora Narratives, recently met Ang during his town hall with the Filipino community. She brought a copy of the book for a commemorative photograph and autograph, months after the anthology received a Print Journalism Award in the Best Book, Non-Fiction/Anthology category at the CFO’s 2025 Migration Advocacy and Media Awards.
The recognition carries particular meaning for the anthology’s four co-editors, who live in four different parts of the world: Leila Rispens-Noel in Davao, Philippines; Cindy Wong in Hong Kong; Ma. Ophelia Butalid-Echaves, known as Maya Butalid, in the Netherlands; and Dietz in California.
Dietz is a San Francisco-based community publicist, journalist and cultural empowerment advocate. She serves on the board of directors of the San Francisco Filipino Cultural Center and was named among TOFA’s 100 Most Influential Filipino Americans in 2020 during the awards program’s 10th anniversary observance.
Rispens-Noel accepted the award on behalf of the editorial team during the CFO ceremonies in the Philippines in December 2025. Dietz, Wong and Butalid were unable to attend.
The anthology also features contributions from Filipino community leaders and writers across the diaspora, including TOFA’s Elton Lugay, Filipino American business leader and philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis, entrepreneur Marie Cunning and public servant Thelma Boac, among others.
For Dietz, the recent encounter with Ang offered a personal way to mark the book’s recognition and the collective work behind it.
“Garnering a Print Journalism Award in the Best Book (Non-Fiction/Anthology) category is a tremendous honor, especially for the Overseas Filipinos’ voices we represent,” Dietz wrote in a Facebook post.
Published by 8Letters Bookstore and Publishing, Diaspora Journey: Philippine Migration and Diaspora Narrativesgathers personal accounts from Filipinos whose lives have been shaped by migration. The collection includes stories from nurses, architects, undocumented migrants and people with disabilities, presenting the varied experiences of Filipinos building lives outside the Philippines while maintaining ties to home.
The anthology examines the emotional and practical realities of migration, including displacement, identity, work, family and belonging. It is a follow-up to the earlier anthology Diaspora Journey: Stories of Philippine Migration to Hong Kong.
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas established the Migration Advocacy and Media Awards to recognize works that raise public awareness of Filipino migration, advocate for overseas Filipinos and contribute to a deeper understanding of migration issues.
The book’s global character is reflected not only in its narratives but also in its editorial team. Its worldwide launch took place in October 2024 at the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands, with then-Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya and members of the Filipino Dutch community. The editors joined the event by livestream from their respective locations, Dietz said.
Coordinating an in-person book signing has remained a challenge because the four editors are based in Asia, Europe and North America. Dietz said the team hopes to organize future signings and participate in more book festivals.
The publisher has also announced plans for additional anthologies, according to Dietz.
Diaspora Journey: Philippine Migration and Diaspora Narratives is available through 8Letters Bookstore and Publishing, as well as Lazada and Shopee in the Philippines. Booksellers interested in carrying the title may contact 8Letters at 8letters.books@gmail.com.
