The Ned Legaspi Page

Why did How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies resonate across Southeast Asia?

Was it marketing? Was it spectacle? Or was it cultural DNA alignment?

I returned to The Shift with Trisha Carter to apply the CIS Bamboo Framework to this Thai film that moved audiences from Thailand to the Philippines.

Collectivism.
Respect for elders.
Bun khun. Utang na loob.

The emotion feels universal. But the expression is deeply Southeast Asian.

If you love film, culture, and storytelling that travels, you might enjoy this episode.

Spotify link in the comments.

February 25, 2020.

My mother died on the anniversary of EDSA People Power.

Every year, when people post about EDSA, about freedom, about democracy, I remember something else. A hospital hallway. A phone call. The moment I was told she was gone.

Her death certificate says: acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis. That is the medical term. But it does not describe who she was. It does not say that she was patient. That she prayed for us every day. That she carried the family quietly, without asking for recognition.

She did not stand on EDSA in 1986. She was at home, raising children. Cooking. Cleaning. Worrying about tuition. But in her own way, she believed in the same things. She believed that goodness matters. That you do not give up on people. That you hold on to faith even when things are hard.

I did not witness her last breath. She was declared dead on arrival. There was no dramatic goodbye. No final speech. Just a sudden silence. A shock that felt unreal.

On February 25, as the country remembered a peaceful revolution, I was learning my own lesson about letting go.

EDSA was about people choosing courage over fear.

For me, that day became about choosing love even in the middle of helplessness. Accepting that I cannot control everything. Accepting that sometimes life ends without giving us closure.

A few weeks later, the pandemic would begin. The country would change. The world would change. And I would have to move forward without her.

Every February 25, I feel two things. Grief and gratitude.

Grief, because I still miss her voice. Her presence. Her simple advice.

Gratitude, because I had a mother who loved me well.

When people ask if EDSA still matters, I think about her. Change does not always start in the streets. It starts at home. In the values our parents teach us. In the way they shape our character.

My mother’s revolution was not loud. It was daily. It was steady. It was love.

And every February 25, I remember that letting go is not forgetting. It is learning to carry their love differently.

That is what I carry now.

That is my own version of... People Power.

My maiden podcast guesting is now live!

I’m happy to share that I’m a guest on The Shift, a podcast hosted by Trisha Carter, an Organizational Psychologist and explorer of Cultural Intelligence (CQ).

The Shift is all about how we increase awareness of ourselves and others, and how we learn to “shift” our perspectives, especially across different cultures.

In this episode, we talked about my journey as a CQ Fellow, my 30 years in global media with ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel, and the framework I discuss in my book, Culturally Intelligent Storytelling for Southeast Asian Creators, including the CIS Bamboo Framework.

And for my fellow Filipino listeners… I just realized my Filipino-ness totally surfaced in the interview because I kept dropping little Filipino interjections like “diba?” and “noh?” (Filipino version of “right?” and “isn’t it?” in English). Hahaha. 😄

Link in the comments.

Today, I recorded my very first podcast guesting on The Shift, hosted by Trisha Carter.

The Shift is a podcast that explores how we increase our awareness of ourselves and others and learn to see things differently through cultural intelligence and metacognition.

In this episode, we talked about my journey as a Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Fellow, my 30 years in global media with ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel, and the framework I developed in my book, Culturally Intelligent Storytelling for Southeast Asian Creators.

We also discussed how stories travel across cultures, why some resonate globally while others don’t, and how cultural values shape meaning, emotion, and audience connection.

I’ll share the link once the episode is live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.

Grateful for the thoughtful conversation, Trisha. This was a meaningful first podcast experience.

Sharing this Rappler piece by Alfon Cabanilla on ABS-CBN’s return to free TV via ALLTV2, where I was interviewed as part of the industry analysis.

The article looks beyond simple ratings and situates the return within the larger shifts in Philippine media, platforms, and audience behavior.

At this point, the question is no longer just who leads the ratings race, but how relevance, reach, and viewing habits are being redefined.

Can ABS-CBN shake up ratings race with return to free TV on ALLTV2? ABS-CBN’s return to Channel 2 raises questions about whether it can meaningfully disrupt the Philippine television ratings race at a time when overall TV viewership is declining and more Filipinos are turning to streaming platforms

For 30 years, my professional life revolved around The Filipino Channel (TFC).

Through TFC, I encountered overseas Filipinos across continents. In studios, in communities, in airports, in living rooms, in stories shared quietly after shows and events. My understanding of migration during those years was largely experiential, learned through immersions in different countries, conversations with migrants, and secondary data from research and audience studies.

I thought I already understood migration.

Last year, I decided to return to the classroom, this time not as a media practitioner but as a learner.

I enrolled in the Professional Course on Global Migration offered by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and UP-CIFAL Philippines. CIFAL, or the Centre International de Formation des Autorités et Leaders, is part of the UNITAR Global Network, dedicated to building the capacities of public servants, leaders, and practitioners working on sustainable development and global governance.

This time, migration was no longer only about stories and audiences. We examined migration governance, human mobility, international law, human rights, gender equality, labor migration, vulnerabilities, diaspora contributions, social protection, and the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration. The conversations were led by experts and practitioners from around the world, each bringing perspectives shaped by policy, advocacy, and lived realities.

What struck me most was this.

For decades, I worked with migration through media and culture. Now, I was learning migration through systems, law, development frameworks, and global cooperation.

And slowly, I saw the bridge.

Migration is not only a policy issue. It is not only a development issue. It is not only a labor issue. It is deeply cultural.

Every migrant carries values, identities, communication styles, family structures, expectations, fears, and hopes across borders. And every host society interprets those differences through its own cultural lens.
In many ways, this course brought me back to the heart of my work today.

Cultural Intelligence.

Understanding how people move across cultures, how they adapt, how systems include or exclude, how dignity is preserved or lost, and how stories shape belonging. Migration and CQ are not parallel paths. They intersect constantly.

Thirty years ago, I learned migration through stories. Today, I continue learning it through systems, policy, and culture. And full circle, I find myself working at that intersection, where migration, identity, storytelling, and cultural intelligence meet.

Still learning. Still bridging. Still moving.

Another meaningful learning journey completed.

This trip brought me to four Filipino posts: LA, DC, New York, and San Francisco. Each visit gave me a different view of the Filipino story.

LA opened the journey.
DC grounded it with my meeting with the Ambassador.
New York added its energy and creativity.
San Francisco closed it with a feeling of home.

Four cities. Four perspectives. Four reminders of why storytelling matters.

Today I fly back to Manila. And after all the fours on this trip, I am most excited to return to the four who never fail to lift my spirit: my four dogs. Good things really do come in fours.

ABS - CBN Foundation International in collaboration with Kapwa Kollective invite you
to a gathering dedicated to community, creativity, and meaningful storytelling:

NedTalks@SentroFilipino: The Fil-Am Creative Conversation
Book Launch + Talk

Join Filipino American creatives and community members for an engaging and thoughtful session with Ned Legaspi, international author and Cultural Intelligence educator. Together, we’ll explore how storytelling, cultural identity, and creative work can uplift our communities and strengthen our shared kapwa.

📅 December 6, 2025
🕓 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 Sentro Filipino, San Francisco

This event is FREE and donations to ABS-CBN Foundation International’s Sagip Kapamilya—supporting families displaced by recent earthquakes and calamities—are greatly appreciated.

To Register: email [email protected] | text 415-812-7575

We look forward to welcoming you to an afternoon of insight, connection, and community-building.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DRSE8YulFq2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

ABS - CBN Foundation International in collaboration with Kapwa Kollective invite you to a gathering dedicated to community, creativity, and meaningful storytelling: NedTalks@SentroFilipino: The Fil-Am Creative Conversation Book Launch + Talk Join Filipino American creatives and community members for an engaging and thoughtful session with Ned Legaspi, international author and Cultural Intelligence educator. Together, we’ll explore how storytelling, cultural identity, and creative work can uplift our communities and strengthen our shared kapwa. 📅 December 6, 2025 🕓 4:30–6:30 PM 📍 Sentro Filipino, San Francisco This event is FREE and donations to ABS-CBN Foundation International’s Sagip Kapamilya—supporting families displaced by recent earthquakes and calamities—are greatly appreciated. To Register: email [email protected] | text 415-812-7575 We look forward to welcoming you to an afternoon of insight, connection, and community-building.

Thank you for all the birthday love! 🎂 Feeling blessed and grateful today. Maraming salamat po!