Francesca Manto
New York, USA
Eater
*Changemakers is a Cross Cultures series spotlighting inspiring women who are creating and doing in the F&B ecosystem; eading the way and helping better the world.
New York-based Francesca Manto is a video shooter/ editor at Eater. She is also a familiar face to many, having spotlighted Filipino-American cuisine on Eater’s “Halo-Halo,” series, which CNN Philippines described as “mak[ing] Fil-Am history bite-sized and scrumptious.”
Born in Southern California, raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Francesca completed high school in Tallahasee, Florida, and college in Los Angeles. While living in LA, she had always been a fan of Eater, and when a Social Video Creator position opened up in New York, she took it up, and has been with the company for over three years now.
Since the pandemic, Francesca has been remotely editing and producing an ongoing Eater series called “First Person” with freelancers all around the world.
Tell us about you. Where were you born, raised, and what you are making or doing at present?
My name is Francesca Manto. I was born in SoCal’s San Gabriel Valley, but grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada from the age of 3 to 16. My family and I then moved cross-country to Tallahassee, Florida where I lived during my last 2 years of high school. I returned to Los Angeles for college, and a few weeks after graduating moved to New York for work where I’ve been ever since.
I am currently a video shooter/editor at Eater.com. I usually travel to film at restaurants all over the country, but since the pandemic, I’ve been remotely editing and producing an ongoing Eater series called “First Person” with freelancers all around the world.
How did you end up working at your present career? How long have you been doing this/ When did you start?
It was all in good timing. I’ve been a fan of Eater LA since I lived in LA, and religiously read it while I was in college. Before Eater, I worked in news, which broke my soul right after the 2016 election. Looking for a change, I came across an Eater job that had unfortunately just been filled, but there was suddenly an opening for a Social Video Creator position, and that worked out. I’ve been at Eater for over 3 years now.
What was the biggest challenge you have faced?
I think I’m currently facing my biggest challenge yet. One of the hardest things for me to do is slow down when it comes to work and my career. I used to believe that I should never lose out on any opportunity because 1) I’m a woman of color in media (which is a lot of work), and 2) I’ve quickly learned that no one expects much from 5’0” lil’ me when they first meet me. So there was always this sense of urgency to prove myself, and, unfortunately, oftentimes resulted in burnout.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, I also started experiencing health issues that eventually forced me to shift my focus solely on my health. I became so anemic I didn’t have the energy to think about anything else, but myself and getting better. As awful as I physically felt, mentally it was a blessing in disguise. I’ve never afforded myself the chance to take care of my mental health and my body in the way that I’ve been doing these past months. Once you go through an experience like that, you can never go back.
How/ what did you do to get over it?
I’m still working on that! (haha). It takes a lot of mental work, but I take time away from social media when I need to, and I am learning to be kinder to myself when I can’t work on something that I think will benefit my career because right now I can’t. I’ve started to learn to let go. It’s interesting though because simplifying my focus has also cleared my mind and refocused the kinds of stories I want to tell.
What is the best advice you can give to anyone wanting to get into or excel in your field?
Just trust yourself and do the damn thing. Find and surround yourself with people who will both support you and push you to practice your creative potential. Food media is a fascinating space. You can always learn more about a culture, its cuisine, its people, and the stories never get boring or run dry. Food tells a history, helps us better understand the present, and can often paint a picture of the future.
What is your favorite thing about your culture or living in your city?
My favorite thing about being Filipino is our creativity, especially when it comes to Filipino desserts! This also plays into what I’ve been seeing pop up around New York from Kora’s Filipino-inspired donuts to The Dusky Kitchen’s baking blog and pasalubong boxes. There’s hope with these exciting new ventures starting around the United States, and I’m really looking forward to following where it goes next, especially post-COVID.
How did you spend your days during this COVID-19 quarantine period?
There’s been a lot of taking it easy, streaming K-dramas. I haven’t been out much due to my health. I haven’t fallen into the baking mood like many other people, but I’ve cooked dishes that I never had the time to learn before (like scallion pancakes from scratch). My first batch was surprisingly almost perfect, but I doubt I’ll have the will to make them again any time soon.
How have you been shooting/ filming these days since the pandemic broke out? We are big fans of your Halo-Halo series—thank you for shining the light on Filipino food in the US! Do you think you will continue on with a second series?
Unfortunately, Eater has decided not to continue the Halo-Halo series. Despite that, I’m so grateful that Halo-Halo found an incredible audience in the short time of its run. This is just the beginning. I’m looking forward to moving forward and continuing to educate and share our Filipino stories in bigger ways, including food and beyond.
Please feel free to share any COVID-19 initiatives you/ Eater Video may have.
You can see all First Person and Halo-Halo series episodes on Eater’s Youtube or on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Roku.
More importantly, find me on social media @_fmanto! I guarantee it’ll be worth your time, and I promise there’ll be food… just like a Filipino party.