Meet Jason Lustina of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Lustina

Hi Jason, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m the founder of the Kababayan Network, a platform dedicated to connecting the Filipino American community through meaningful content, events, and partnerships. It all began with SoCal Filipinos during the pandemic. Like many of us, we were isolated at home and craving connection. I connected with a person named John Erick Pabalan on Facebook, and together we came up with the idea to create a group to unite Filipino Americans. At first, we imagined it would be a small space to share our experiences growing up in the Filipino American community through memes and posts. But within just two months, the group grew to 10,000 members.

With October approaching, and with Filipino American History Month in mind, John Erick and I decided to make the community more purposeful. We organized our first online programming to celebrate our heritage. Today, the group has grown to over 115,000 members and our Instagram is nearing 300K followers.

As the community expanded, we began receiving requests from other regions to create similar groups. So, we launched NorCal Filipinos, DMV Filipinos (DC, Maryland, Virginia), Chicago Filipinos, 808 Filipinos in Hawaii, and New Jersey Filipinos.

We also created special interest groups to cater to specific passions within our community, including D*Kababayan for Disney-loving Filipinos, Filipino Heritage Nights to support Filipino-themed nights at professional and collegiate sports events, and Bahaghari (meaning “rainbow” in Tagalog) for the Filipino LGBTQIA+ community.

These regional and interest-based groups now come together under the umbrella of the Kababayan Network which has grown to nearly 700K followers across all platforms. Kababayan meaning my fellow countrymen in Tagalog.

Additionally we have made the Kababayan Network into a non-profit and is a registered 501c3.

On June 20, 2025 SoCal Filipinos will celebrate 5 years.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As I mentioned earlier, I never expected this to grow into what it is today. But as the Facebook group continued to expand and more people joined, we had to adapt by refining our mission, purpose, and management. We also brought on a team to help manage the group, especially since we now receive over 100 post submissions and hundreds of member requests daily. We’ve also partnered with content creators to keep things fresh and engaging.

When we expanded into other regions and launched special interest groups, we formed dedicated teams to handle each area and community. With such a large following, it’s impossible to please everyone, so we’ve set clear rules and guidelines around what can be posted and when. One thing we avoid is diving into religion and politics, as those topics tend to create division. Instead, we focus on highlighting the positive aspects of the Filipino American experience while also addressing the important issues our community faces.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
SoCal Filipinos and the Kababayan Network are truly passion projects for me, and they help me stay connected to my heritage. In my professional life, I also work as the Territory Business Development Director for the West Territory at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In this role, I advise and strategize on corporate partnerships, covering everything from Colorado to the West Coast, including Hawaii and Alaska.

I’ve spent over 20 years in the nonprofit sector, working with organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, City of Hope, and now the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I grew up in Carson, California, and was what you’d call the typical “geek”—always studying, taking AP classes, and playing in the Marching Band. After high school, I attended UC Irvine, where I first got involved in cultural heritage organizations and discovered my passion for organizing. I became an active member of Kababayan, the Filipino American Club at UCI, and also joined PUSO (Pilipino Pre-health Undergraduate Student Organization), where I took on several leadership roles.

After graduating, I focused on my career and didn’t return to community organizing until I founded SoCal Filipinos. In addition to leading SoCal Filipinos, I also serve on the board of SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans) as Secretary, where I continue to contribute to the Filipino American community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://socalfilipinos.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/socalfilipinos
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/socalfilipinos
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/SoCalFilipinos1