August 30, 2023

What Makes a Hero?

August 30, 2023/ Staff

Today, August 30, marks the 160th birth anniversary of the Philippines' other National Hero, Andres Bonifacio. Last Monday, August 28, our motherland celebrated National Heroes Day as a national holiday, an omnibus celebration that covers all the country's heroes, regardless of generation. National Heroes Day began as a commemoration of the Cry of Pugad Lawin (aka Cry of Balintawak), when Bonifacio as the leader of the Katipunan (KKK), tore his cedula and declared the beginning of the Philippine war of independence against Spain. That happened on August 23, 1896.

So many historical transitions have taken place since then, of course, and so many heroes and heroines have passed through. Even the term itself - heroism- has undergone multiple definitions, many of them self-serving or partisan, thus often undeserved or untrue.

What makes a hero then, in this day and age? Perhaps instead of bestowing the title of hero to a person, which would beget intense scrutiny likely to unearth non-heroic elements, it would be better to use a description -- "heroic" to label a life commitment for a cause beyond one's self-interest. No more heroes, just heroic deeds.

Today would have marked the 72nd birthday of a woman who defied convention and chose to lead an altruistic life. Two days from now (September 1) is her first death anniversary. Nelia Sancho was more than just a beauty queen/activist as she was popularly labelled. Manila based artist/illustrator Lynett Advincula-Villariba tells us more about her sorority sister and lifelong friend.

Since September 1 is Labor Day in the US and September 8 is the 58th anniversary of the beginning of the Grape Strike in California, we pay homage to the Filipino farm workers who, in addition to working the fields, organized labor unions to fight for their rights. Read "From Spain to Delano: The Radical Roots of Farm Workers Unions" by writer/photographer David Bacon.

Stories This Week

Nelia Sancho: The Last Conversations by Lynett Advincula-Villariba

From Spain To Delano—The Radical Roots Of Farm Workers Unions by David Bacon

Jollibee Invades North America by Anthony Maddela

The Postmodern Barong Tagalog By Barge Ramos by Charlize Mendez Legaspi

Read Agains:

Andres Bonifacio, The Other National Hero by Penélope V. Flores

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 1 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

[Make It Again] The Happy Home Cook: Atsarang Repolyo (Pickled Cabbage) by Nina Ines Garma

[Video of the Week] Clark International Airport

In The Know

[ANALYSIS] Brace yourselves for higher rice prices under Marcos

https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-brace-higher-rice-prices-marcos-jr-administration/?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3969&pnespid=qrDOmYMOuKmX9rfouRG0sqRH_EEOvyMskAJ5HUZooxCVC2asPCq5FJqMXgCGDdUgt9hSNXtV&fbclid=IwAR23f4fFWB8ulfRdHB3OCXmDIJEIqy0ulRvPo1rTr9PldZUOujXISUxEsc8

The Genius of Eduardo Masferré: Father of Philippine Photography

https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/eduardo-masferre-father-of-philippine-photography-a00007-20230811-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20230813-fbnp-long-reads-eduardo-masferre-father-of-philippine-photography-a00007-20230811-lfrm-fbnew&fbclid=IwAR0imovAJH6o2vqmR7uWv5acqW7lwMivOUsWsH1uXNseF5dqoZODzxQk20o

Sarangani village comes alive with roasted flavors of Pinadapla

https://www.rappler.com/nation/mindanao/sarangani-datal-batong-comes-alive-roasted-flavors-pinadapla-festival-august-25-2023/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwAR3tWz3SDL81JjNExMlbDqc2Vg61QZjMKLaJ7D-yTIoEbp9QIOSoqwaTZr4

Video: Filipino American bride shares how she incorporated Filipino culture into her wedding

https://nextshark.com/filipino-american-wedding-tiktok

Ube Just Keeps Getting More Popular

https://www.pastemagazine.com/food/ube/ube-just-keeps-getting-more-popular?fbclid=IwAR1e-3k99ZDz_FkY-AR3nW2aF01c2I89p-g-4cZDKrFDHPJqvCXgCkcAyFY

How a Streetwear Designer Shifted the Culture of Import Drag Racing

November 29, 2022

Our Heroes Old and New

November 29, 2022/ Staff

November 30 is National Heroes' Day among Filipinos. Let's take the time to honor our national and personal heroes who came before us, recognize the heroes that live among us and bring out the hero within us.

As the World Cup grabs the world's attention and passions, here are some football history trivia with Philippine roots:

Did you know that...

* before the legendary Lionel Messi of Argentina established the record for number of career goals in world football, the record that went unchallenged for 87 years was held by Paulino Alcantara, a Spaniard born in Iloilo, who wowed as the star player in the Barcelona team (1912-1927?)? His Barcelona football career was interrupted for two years when he returned to the Philippines with his parents to settle personal matters between 1916-1918. While in Manila, Paulino joined the Philippine Commonwealth National (Football) Team which he steered towards the championship of the Far Eastern Championship Games in Japan in 1917. That feat remains unmatched in Philippine football history.

* Filipino-French Alphonse Areola, a backup goalie for the 2018 World Cup champion French team, is the only footballer of Filipino descent with a true World Cup victory and medal to his name?

PF Correspondent Myles Garcia regales us with Paulino Alcantara's story and more in "Bend It Like Paulino...and Friends."

In the predictable arena of beauty contests, an outlier has created waves by being herself. Such a strange concept, this refreshing authenticity, as noted by first-time PF contributor Ian Layugan who profiles one of the Binibining Pilipinas winners, Herlene Budol.

They were the soft power that provided the counterpoint to a basically brutal US colonial conquest of the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century. They were the American teachers largely responsible for shaping the Philippines and Filipinos in America's image. From the US-Philippines Society, a report on a new book that tells the story of the Thomasites.

And when we speak of heroes, we look at our own.

Read Again about our other National Hero, Andres Bonifacio:

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/andres-bonifacio-the-other-national-hero

Read Again about some less-celebrated but no less worthy ones:

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/six-profiles-five-in-valor-one-in-villainy

For the Happy Home Cook, here's a dish that can delight any day.

Cook Again: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-happy-home-cook-chicken-curry

Video of the Week: Maria Ressa Talks About New Book

In The Know

The rise and false ‘sacking’ of Cardinal Tagle

https://opinion.inquirer.net/159074/the-rise-and-false-sacking-of-cardinal-tagle?fbclid=IwAR1SJtTQZfhZFLZ4vsCikB4JSNuS3wT-EVODnYSRyamK4E6HgcPy4tcgf9w

Filipino fast food chain lauded for having menu for blind, visually impaired

https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2022/11/23/235516/filipino-fast-food-chain-lauded-for-having-menu-for-blind-visually-impaired/

There’s No Jollibee In Montreal, But A Hip Filipino Spot Has Recreated Its Menu

https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/theres-no-jollibee-in-montreal-but-a-hip-filipino-spot-has-recreated-its-menu?fbclid=IwAR3bq6ZDCARWOmQcMb3Yt7YLLyxZVeCspJpJQU7coaaVKdMWiATEGfoS9EY

Don’t call him ‘Next Jo Koy’—this rising Filipino comic has humor, style, story all his own

https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/11/27/22/everything-we-know-about-rising-comedy-star-jr-de-guzman?fbclid=IwAR07DvhgpdlJO9AUS8mNNqG8tXvXbrPHaKVKWxyAh7h6U_MNF5LfMzHjf_k

The first Filipino movie star in Hollywood is a woman

https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/11/25/19/the-first-filipino-movie-star-in-hollywood-is-a-woman?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwAR2u7J0A5nOZzgdkyUKpi8VUKCudr0-c-81TcOxzx_e0gfuuF64wHSrRRdw

Marking Santa Barbara’s Filipino Legacy

https://www.independent.com/2022/11/16/marking-santa-barbaras-filipino-legacy/

Jose Mari Chan reacts to Pentatonix-Lea Salonga cover of 'Christmas in our Hearts'

https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/11/16/22/jose-mari-chan-reacts-to-pentatonix-lea-salonga-cover?fbclid=IwAR3zKFRjgGjH__C6v9Tlg1DCOcylJ2dQylO2JCG-WN0ybSufiIy6hWg83Yw

November 23, 2021

Critical Myth Theory

November 23, 2021/ Gemma Nemenzo

One of the very first books I bought when my children and I immigrated to the US more than 30 years ago is Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen. I knew that they were in for American history from a certain point of view so it was important to prepare for some counter-mythmaking. The book was too complex for my little kids to appreciate at that time but its presence in our bookshelf was a constant and symbolic reminder that stories/lessons (particularly historical ones) passed on as "facts" should be examined before they are believed.

I just reread Loewen's chapter on "The Truth About the First Thanksgiving" because, well, it's Thanksgiving. This "feel-good" holiday is not as pure and innocent (and celebratory) as has been drummed into American schoolchildren through generations. There was another side to the story and it was dark and diabolical, involving, among other things, the slaughter of Native Americans. This ugly side has been exposed by other historians, not just Loewen.

Historical myth-making or revisionism is not limited to long-ago events; some evil souls are even trying to rewrite contemporary history -- events that many still living can easily remember and expose as lies. (I'm looking at you, martial-law-as-golden-age liars.)

"The antidote to feel-good history is not feel-bad history but honest and inclusive history," Loewen says. It means "...allowing students to learn both the 'good' and the 'bad' side...."

It is in this same spirit that we encourage you to read "The Conservation President's Troubling Legacy," our lead story this week about President Theodore Roosevelt whose monumental legacy is the protection of millions of acres of land that we visit and appreciate to this day. Roosevelt, however, was also a hard-core imperialist who considered Filipinos as an inferior specie. First-time PF contributor Mikko Jimenez, a conservation biologist and academic, de-mystifies the 26th US president.

There's nothing mystifying about our Living Legends series which hails the very real achievements of some Filipino Americans. Part 2 of Mona Lisa Yuchengco's compilation features Historians and Archivists, the Academe and the Arts.

Sisig, that crispy, savory pork sensation that has surpassed adobo and lumpia as the Filipino dish of choice, has an interesting -- and accidental -- beginning, as chef and food historian Claude Tayag relates. And to top his delectable story, Claude is sharing his own recipe for this Pampangueño delicacy, for the Happy Home Cook.

Our Video of the Week is a short video documentary on the disappearing art of making Asin Tibuok in Bohol, one of the rarest salt in the world.

Read Again:

We commemorate the 147th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio on November 30:
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/andres-bonifacio-the-other-national-hero