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PORTSIDE CULTURE

THE PITT AND OTHER MEDICAL SHOWS FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGE ‘BACKBONE’
OF HEALTH CARE: FILIPINO NURSES  
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Christine Pagulayan
September 13, 2025
CBC News
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_ Filipino Canadian nurses weigh in on what TV portrayals get right
and where they can go next _

Real-life registered nurse Charlee Flores, left, is pictured with
Filipino nurses from the TV shows The Pitt and St. Denis Medical. ,
(Alex Lupul/CBC, Warrick Page/HBO Max, Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

 

_READ THIS STORY IN TAGALOG. / BASAHIN ANG ARTIKULO NA ITO SA
TAGALOG._ [[link removed]]

As a registered nurse, Charlee Flores has always taken an interest in
how her profession is portrayed on television.

But when she started watching the HBO Max medical drama _The
Pitt _and the NBC comedy series _St. Denis Medical_, she was
heartened to see the shows mirror her experience as a Filipina nurse.

"I love finally that they've incorporated Filipinos in medical shows.
It is reality," said Flores, who works at Toronto General Hospital.

[A doctor is flanked by two nurses. ]

In this scene from the HBO Max series The Pitt, Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle)
is flanked by two Filipina nurses, Princess (Kristin Villanueva),
left, and Perlah (Amielynn Abellera). (HBO Max)

_The Pitt_, which debuted in January and is nominated for 13 Emmy
awards (winning two ahead of Sunday's live ceremony, including
outstanding casting for a drama series), highlights Filipino nurses in
the opening scene of its first episode.

It shows the main character, Dr. Michael Robinavitch, known as Dr.
Robby (portrayed by Noah Wyle), flanked by nurses Perlah Alawi
(Amielynn Abellera) and Princess Dela Cruz (Kristin Villanueva), who
have a conversation in Tagalog.

_WATCH | HBO MAX PROMOTES TAGALOG DIALOGUE ON THE PITT:_

This particular scene rings true for Flores.

"You can't go into a nursing unit and not see at least one or two
Filipinos," she said, noting there's a significant cohort in her unit
— on the night shift, all seven nurses are Filipino.

According to Statistics Canada, Filipinos make up 2.6 per cent of the
total population
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yet 32.5 per cent of adult immigrants
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the Philippines are employed as nurses or health-care support workers
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They make up the second-largest racialized group
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in Canadian health care.

[Woman in black shirt and grey jacket poses outside Toronto General
Hospital.]

Registered nurse Charlee Flores, pictured outside Toronto General
Hospital, believes Filipino nurses should have been featured on
medical TV shows a long time ago. (Alex Lupul/CBC)

It's a similar picture in the U.S., where Filipinos account for
about four per cent of registered nurses
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despite making up only one per cent of the total population, according
to National Nurses United. The U.S. Census Bureau identifies the
Philippines as the largest supplier of foreign-born RNs in the U.S.
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Yet the popular medical series _ER_, which ended in 2009,_ _did not
feature a single Filipino nurse throughout its 15-year run, while
G_rey's Anatomy_ only introduced a Filipina nurse in its 17th
season. 

Shows like The_ Pitt_ and _St. Denis Medical _are beginning to
shift this narrative, bringing wider attention to a long-overlooked
community.

Jennifer Beganovic, a registered nurse in Yellowknife "felt so proud"
of the Filipino representation in _St. Denis Medical_. 

"We are seen, they can see us now, they recognize us," she said. "It's
a long time coming."

[Four nurses in scrubs walking down hospital hallway. ]

Nico Santos, centre, plays Rene, who is recognized as the lead nurse
of the 'Filipino Mafia' on the NBC comedy series St. Denis
Medical. (Ron Batzdorff/NBC)

'Filipino Mafia' goes viral

Clips from _St. Denis Medical_ recently went viral thanks to a
storyline focused on the "Filipino Mafia." It's not a gang of mobsters
but rather a group of nurses who gossip and strut through the hospital
with confidence, drawing parallels to the clique of popular girls from
the 2004 film _Mean Girls _known as "The Plastics."

_WATCH | THE 'FILIPINO MAFIA' EXPLAINED ON ST. DENIS MEDICAL:_

"Hearing the language on screen, seeing a bit of our culture sprinkled
in, like them being in the break room and sharing food — I thought
that was really nice," said Ashley Briones, a registered nurse in
Toronto with experience in various health-care settings, including
urgent care and community health. 

[Nurse in scrubs standing next to sign that says happy nurses week. ]

Registered nurse Joanne Villariza said she wants Filipino nurses to be
portrayed as hard-working and resilient on TV. (Submitted by Joanne
Villariza)

Briones acknowledged the comedic exaggeration but emphasized that the
show clearly respects Filipino nurses, portraying them as hardworking
and skilled. 

"Filipinos really work their ass off when they are in their job, and
… they're very resilient," said Joanne Villariza, a registered nurse
in St. John's. She said the "Filipino Mafia" idea represents the
comfort and solidarity among Filipino nurses. "We came from the same
country, the same culture, the same practices back home. That's why we
also want to work with the same people."

Beganovic says she especially loves seeing the culture of sharing
food on the show. She said that when Filipino nurses get together,
they feed everyone, and that eating together provides a sense of
belonging and community. 

[Nurse wearing glasses stands behind table that has cupcakes, Filipino
food, cake, and soda bottles. ]

Registered nurse Jennifer Beganovic celebrates her birthday with a
buffet organized by colleagues in Yellowknife. (Submitted by Jennifer
Beganovic)

Charlee Flores loved the fact that the nurses engage in _tsismis_,
which means gossip in Tagalog.

"That's exactly what happens! We talk to each other, not even just
making jokes necessarily, but like talking to each other about, like,
diagnoses," she said. "It's easier for a lot of people to talk to each
other in their native tongue and just work together in that sort of
way."

Filipino nurses seek careers in North America

[Woman in blue nurse scrubs sitting on bench in park.]

Registered nurse Ronna Miller is pictured outside her workplace,
Riverview Health Centre in Winnipeg. She said she is proud to come
from a family of nurses. (Travis Golby/CBC)

Ronna Miller, a registered nurse in Winnipeg, said the reason many
Filipinos pursue health-care careers in North America is because there
are limited opportunities back home, and working here allows them to
support their extended families.

Miller estimates that "seven or eight nurses" in her family have
immigrated to Canada since 2011, through the provincial nominee
program, all sponsored by her uncle. "I'm proud to say that yeah,
we're a family of nurses and we're just … happy to serve … and
care for other people."

[Nurse in teal scrubs and a colourful headband and bag strap standing
in the middle of a street. ]

Meriel Gasco, who works in Toronto, is grateful for the sense of
community she shares with her fellow Filipino nurses. (Evan
Mitsui/CBC)

Meriel Gasco, a registered nurse in Toronto, has a group chat with
fellow nurses called "Filipino Mafia." She said that senior Filipino
nurses nurtured her when she was still a grad nurse. 

"That sense of community ... really helped me grow into my
profession," she said.

The actors on these shows understand the significance of representing
this profession accurately and the responsibility that comes with it.
Filipino American actor Amielynn Abellera says playing Perlah on _The
Pitt _is an honour. 

[A woman in a hijab and hospital scrubs typing in front of a computer
screen at a hospital.]

Amielynn Abellera portrays Perlah Alawi, a skilled emergency
department nurse, on the TV show The Pitt. (Warrick Page/HBO Max)

"It's an incredible thing of what my generation will pave for the
rest," she told CBC News. 

She is optimistic about the growth of representation in the
industry. 

"What a gift for my daughter to be able to see a nurse on screen and
be like, 'Oh, that's like Lola !' Because my mom's a nurse. I'm like,
'Yes, it is like Lola!'"

What makes Abellera's character especially notable is that she is
Muslim. In the Philippines, Muslims only represent about six per cent
of the population
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according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. 

Raised Catholic, Abellera researched the experiences of Filipino
Muslims and worked with writers to adjust lines to better reflect the
faith. 

"Writers would change it on the spot and be very, very happy for the
feedback," she said, highlighting the inclusive and collaborative
atmosphere on set.

[Nurse wearing bloody surgical gown and orange vest on the phone in
the emergency room department.]

Kristin Villanueva plays knowledgeable and dedicated emergency
department nurse Princess Dela Cruz on the TV show The Pitt. (Warrick
Page/HBO Max)

Filipino American actor Kristin Villanueva, who plays Princess
on _The Pitt,_ hopes characters like Princess and Perlah can
contribute to meaningful change, emphasizing "this is not a one-off,
this is not special anymore, this is just what it is. It's a
requisite, it's an exact mirror of what is real life."

Representation 'long overdue'

Elaine Chang, an associate professor at the University of Guelph
specializing in Asian North American cultural studies, says the
representation of Asian characters in medical shows is "long
overdue." 

She noted that historically, these shows have depicted a hierarchy
dominated by white doctors, sidelining Asian actors and discouraging
them from pursuing careers in the entertainment industry.

"There is this sort of fallback where we can get our score, our
diversity points, by putting people of colour in roles that don't
really matter. But to have [their inclusion] driven by story is
crucial," Chang said. "So as long as there are writers, producers,
directors who drive that content, you know, we'll be better off." 

[Five nurses in scrubs sit at a table in the hospital break room
sharing lunch.]

In the break room of St. Denis Medical, nurses gather to share lunch,
highlighting the significance of food in Filipino culture. (Ron
Batzdorff/NBC)

Emman Sadorra, a Filipino American writer on_ St. Denis Medical_,
said that growing up, he noticed the disparity between the Filipinos
in real-life hospitals and their absence on screen. 

"Filipinos are everywhere in the health-care industry," he said.
Sadorra pitched and co-wrote the _St. Denis Medical_ episode
"Salamat You Too" ("salamat" means thank you in Tagalog)_,_ which
features the "Filipino Mafia."

"This is me wanting to lean into my real life, and knowing that I have
so many Filipino family members and friends who work in the
health-care field that should have a story on TV."

[Woman wearing medical hair net and scrubs in front of monitors. ]

Cynthia Hortelano, an anesthesiology assistant in Westminster, B.C.,
wants to see more Filipino health-care workers in leadership positions
on screen. (Submitted by Cynthia Hortelano)

Filipino nurses as fully developed characters

Sadorra expressed hope that younger generations from all backgrounds
will see themselves in well-rounded roles on screen. 

"I think it's so important now to highlight the sort of beauty of
diversity, versus being afraid of it." 

Chang appreciates that Filipino nurses are finally being recognized on
screen, but points out that they are still often absent from
leadership roles.

Cynthia Hortelano, an anesthesiology assistant in New Westminster,
B.C., has been in the health-care profession for nearly 40 years. She
said Filipinos are the "backbone" of hospitals, and would like to see
them portrayed in positions of authority. 

"What I like about _The Pitt_ is that it shows one character who is
not a nurse, but actually a doctor, the character played by Isa
Briones, because I think that is very underrepresented in Western ,"
Hortelano said.

Miller also emphasized the need for mainstream media to showcase the
backstories of Filipino health-care workers, acknowledging their
sacrifices in leaving the Philippines to support their families from
abroad.

[Doctor wearing protective glasses and surgical gown in emergency
department trauma room.]

Isa Briones plays Dr. Trinity Santos, an ambitious and competitive
first-year resident, in Season 1 of The Pitt. Briones had asked for
her character's last name to reflect her Filipino heritage. (Warrick
Page/HBO Max)

It would reflect the complexity of Filipino characters, she says,
allowing community members to see themselves as multifaceted
individuals.

"We can be more than what we are, and it might encourage younger
generations [to say], 'You know what, I'm not just going to be a
nurse, I'm going to be higher up, and I can probably dream big.'"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christine Pagulayan
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Journalist

Christine Pagulayan is a producer with CBC News based in Toronto. She
has produced for CBC News Network and The National. She has worked as
a multiplatform reporter for CBC News in Toronto, Winnipeg, Halifax,
and Moncton. You can reach her at [email protected].

* the pitt
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* Filipino workers
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* Healthcare
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* representation
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