About Us
Quality news, where you want it, when you want it.
We are all told, “live your life to the fullest”; We are here to do just that. DIASPORA NEWS AND STORIES serves as a vessel to project our passions in writing, and clue in our loyal readers as to what inspires us in this world. We will share bits of information, news events, literary and feature articles, opinions, info graphics, etcetera, that will surely reflect the lives of the Filipinos who are all part of the Diaspora. So, sit back, relax, and read on.
Staff
Editor-in-Chief
MERCEDITA CENTENO-DE JESUS
Age: 56
Hometown: Malolos
Current Residence: Bologna, Italy
Work : OFW
Other preoccupation: Artist/Painter/Dressmaker
​
​
Mercedita Centeno-De Jesus is a native Bulakenyo who now works as a family help and babysitter in Bologna, Italy but also dedicates her time and effort to empower women and youth thru the organization she founded, the Filipino Women’s League. Currently, she is also the Secretary-General of the OFW Watch Italy and a regional correspondent of Ako ay Pilipino news website.
During her college years in BCAT where she took up B.S. Architecture, she was the editor-in-chief of their school organ, The Pacesetter. She became also one of the pioneers of Liwayway’s Bagong Dugong Manunulat and a literary columnist of People’s Journal’s ALIW magazine which was distributed in the Middle East and Hongkong in the early ’90s. Before she went to Italy to join her husband, she was a freelance reporter and feature writer in some local newspapers in Bulacan.
Aside from her community service, she is also a painter and a dressmaker, with two FB groups, Likhang-Sining Bologna and Sartoria di Fashionista Filipina.
Editorial Director
RHODERICK OPLE
Rhoderick Ople is the president of Overseas Filipino Workers Watch in Italy (OFW Watch-Italy), a pro-migrant and nonprofit organization of Filipino migrant workers in Italy, which aims to promote and protect the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers in the country.
​
His journalistic background will be traced back to his university years in the 90s, when he used to work as a senior staff writer of Pacesetter- the official student publication of Bulacan State University in the Philippines. He is currently writing for Ako ay Pilipino (I Am Filipino) – a Filipino news publication in Italy.
He is also a contributor to the Rights Corridor news website based in Dubai.
Managing Editor
QUINTIN KENTZ ENCISO CAVITE
Quintin Enciso Cavite Jr. was born on October 9, 1976. His parents are Nancy Melgarejo Enciso and Quintin Deborde Cavite from Naga City, Philippines. At a young age, was already a reader of books penned by famous authors and indulged in writing essays, read a lot of poetry, and loved listening to live poetry recitations.
He was an active contributor to Ateneo de Naga University's School Organ "Blue and Gold". His favourite topics were social and political sciences and personal experiences.
He studied Philosophy at Adamson-Rogationist College and continued A.B Philosophy at Urbaniana University in Rome. He graduated in Theology in Rome, and Psychology in Uninettuno.
He was also an associate editor of a religious order's international magazine "Risonanze" in Rome from the year 2000-2004. Presently an active contributor to the Filipino Newspaper on migrants "Ako ay Pilipino" in Italy and Junior Administrator of Duran-Duran Publishing Company based in New York.
Senior Editor
CHIARA BAJET
Age: 40
Town: Pulilan, Bulacan
Current Residence: Florence, Italy
Occupation: Business Development and Marketing Specialist
Chiara graduated from the University of the Philippines in 2002 holding a degree in B.S. Business Administration. After graduation, she immediately worked in her family’s distribution business for around 6 years. In 2006, she went to Italy to take a 3-month short course in art and art history. This led her to develop an interest to live in Italy.
A few years after returning to the Philippines, she started working as the Secretary of the General Consulate of the Republic of San Marino up until 2009. In 2010, she went back to Italy to study Italian language and culture at the Università per Stranieri di Siena. From then on, she transferred to Florence to have her business degree recognized at the Università degli Studi di Firenze, where she later on pursued her Masters in Big Data Analytics and Technologies for Management.
While studying, she collaborated with different agencies on research projects with topics ranging from immigration, social media networks, sentiment analysis to smart cities, and participated in local programs for international students such as the Model United Nations - Rome. Today, she works as a business development and marketing specialist in a small IT company in Florence and as a content contributor for a digital marketing agency based in New York.
Growing up, she was very much interested in literature and journalism, and has contributed to her high school yearbook and the college newsletter.
​
Designer
MHEA DEE VILLACARLOS
Age: 26
Town: Bantayan Island, Cebu, Philippines
Current Residence: Bologna, Italy
Occupation: Freelancer Graphic and Web Designer/CAD Operator
​
She graduated from Surigao State College of University and holds a Bachelor Degree in Technical Education with a specialization in Architectural Drafting. During her studies, she also helped in her grandmas’ family business where she learned her skills in graphic design. She has 7-year experience working as a designer for the web and print industry. She has worked and collaborated with several projects based in Surigao City, Philippines including the DTI Branch of Surigao and local clients. She also won various contests for US brand marketing.
​
In the year 2017, she arrived in Bologna.
In the year 2020, she started her own personal brand in Bologna called ‘MheaDeesign- Interpreting Your Creative Vision’ and has collaborated with various projects. She is currently attending a funded Regional course for Innovative Technology applied in Additive Manufacturing. Her creative ideas and intimate knowledge about technology determine her to become successful.
​