Mona Lisa Yuchengco is a Filipino-American community activist, publisher and filmmaker. She was born in Manila, Philippines and moved to San Francisco in 1982 with her two sons. Yuchengco graduated from Assumption College with degrees in Liberal Arts and Education and earned a master's degree in Business Administration from Ateneo University. In 1992 Yuchengco founded ''

Filipinas Filipinas may refer to: * ''Filipinas, letra para la marcha nacional'', the Spanish poem by José Palma that eventually became the Filipino national anthem. * The original Spanish name, and also used in different Philippines languages including F ...

'', a magazine specifically directed toward the Filipino American community. The magazine, in its prime, covered various topics such as the lack of compensation of Filipino Veterans in World War II,

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

and Filipino identity. Yuchengco sold ''Filipinas'' in 2005 and it dropped its print version in 2010, existing solely online thereafter. In late 2012 Yuchengco started a new magazine, ''

Positively Filipino ''Positively Filipino'' got its start when Mona Lisa Yuchengco, the founder of ''Filipinas'' magazine, decided to try another publishing venture after selling ''Filipinas''. She joined with a number of former writers and editors from ''Filipinas' ...

'', that was solely available on the internet. In 2014 ''Positively Filipino'' writers took six Plaridel Awards, boosting the magazine's status.

Filmmaking career

In 2012, Yuchengco produced and directed "Marilou Diaz-Abaya: Filmmaker on a Voyage". The film is a feature documentary film about Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Yuchengco's sister-in-law, who is considered one of the 20th Century's most renowned Filipino film directors. "Filmmaker on a Voyage" screened at the

Center for Asian American Media The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) was founded in 1980. The San Francisco-based organization, formerly known as the National Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA), has grown into the largest organization dedicated to the adv ...

's CAAMFest in 2013. Yuchengco also co-produced the multi-award-winning Right Footed, a feature documentary profile of Filipino-American pilot and disability activist

Jessica Cox Jessica Cox (born 1983 in Arizona) is the world's first licensed armless pilot, as well as the first armless black-belt in the American Taekwondo Association.

that was directed by

Nick T. Spark Nick T. Spark is an American documentary filmmaker and writer. Films he has written, directed or produced include '' Regulus: The First Nuclear Missile Submarines'' (2001) the Emmy award-winning ''The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom ...

. In addition to its long festival run, the film screened in 2016 as part of a fundraiser for Philippine International Aid.

Community service and awards

Yuchengco has been involved in various charities and organizations relating to Asian American interests. In 1986 she founded Philippine International Aid, which she chairs. Among other awards, she was awarded the President's citation by

Philippine President The president of the Philippines ( fil, Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sometimes referred to as ''Presidente ng Pilipinas'') is the head of state, head of government and chief executive of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of t ...

Gloria Arroyo December 12, 2002, for her contributions to the Filipino community in the United States.

Personal life

Yuchengco is married to Lloyd LaCuesta and has two sons and several grandchildren. She is the daughter of

Alfonso Yuchengco Alfonso Yuchengco (; February 6, 1923 – April 15, 2017) was a Filipino accountant, industrialist, businessman, educator, and diplomat. He headed the Yuchengco Group of Companies, one of the largest family-owned business conglomerates in the ...

.Belinda A. Aquina, Ph.D., "Mona Lisa Yuchengco — a Many Splendored Life," ''Hawaii Filipino Chronicle'' online, April 5, 2014, at http://www.thefilipinochronicle.com/hfchronicle%20Feature-2A_04052014.html .

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yuchengco, Mona Lisa Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Filipino emigrants to the United States Assumption College San Lorenzo alumni Ateneo de Manila University alumni