It was a spring night in May when Barangay Los Angeles held their annual singing competition, Barangay Idol. One by one, young vocalists took to the stage to entertain a theater packed audience and judges in hopes to win the grand prize. A young male vocalist named Nico De Castro walked onto the stage with more than hope in mind. As the audience waited in anticipation, the twenty-two year old explained the significance of his performance; he saw it as his “second chance."
Unbeknownst to many, he shared with the crowd the biggest challenge of his life; he is HIV positive. That night, we were reminded of the realities of our community, the fight against HIV is truer today as it was nearly 30 years ago and the fact Filipinos still have the highest infection rates among Asians and Pacific Islanders in Los Angeles.
As grim as it may seem, Nico De Castro also reminded us the innate strength, we as Filipinos have to persevere in times of hardships and adversity. This month Nico shares his life with The Malaya Project revealing the source of his strength and insight to lessons he learned along the way.
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