Independence, Ramadan, and Father's Day

As we celebrate 120 years of Philippine Independence, let's take a look back to how it all began. Read Again "Why June 12 Is Different From Other Days" by contributor John Silva.

In San Francisco, this year's celebration featured, among other highlights, an Independence Day cake created by Bettina Santos-Yap, a marketing person who recently embarked on her second career, this time in the culinary world. PF Correspondent Cherie Querol-Moreno reports.

We wish our Muslim brothers and sisters a meaningful celebration of the Eid ul Fitr on June 15, marking the end of this year's month-long Ramadan. How is Marawi City faring after the horrific fighting and bombing there? Our PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes updates us on the remnants of what used to be a glorious showcase of Muslim life in Mindanao.

And for our Father's Day feature, a touching story on how a son found his father and how the father accepted his previously unknown son. Derrick Reyes, the son, tells us his story in "May I Call You Dad?" while Ricardo "Dick" Taylor reveals what he felt when he found out that he had a son he never knew.

In our In The Know links this week, we pay tribute to Anthony Bourdain, the chef/media celebrity/adventurer/sage who, in two episodes of this highly rated series, publicly declared a lot of affection for Filipinos and Filipino food. 

A tribute to Anthony Bourdain, one of the OG champions of Filipino cuisine
https://coconuts.co/manila/lifestyle/tribute-anthony-bourdain-one-og-champions-filipino-cuisine/

This valedictorian began to talk about sexual misconduct at her graduation. Then her mic was cut.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2018/06/09/this-valedictorian-began-to-talk-about-sexual-misconduct-at-her-graduation-then-her-mic-was-cut/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f331545d609f

The Price of ‘Machismo Populism’ in the Philippines
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/06/duterte-kiss-philippines/562265/

Filipina Equestrian Spreads The Olympism Message
https://www.olympic.org/news/filipino-equestrian-spreads-the-olympism-message?esi=true

For your Father's Day celebration, here's a simplified version of our favorite Filipino dessert, Leche Flan from contributor Melanie Q. Suzara.

And for our Video of the Week, enjoy Anthony Bourdain's tribute to our people. 

All About Independence

Philippine Independence Day is once again upon us and Filipino communities worldwide are celebrating in various ways to convey to their children the richness of their historical roots and to remind themselves of their Filipino-ness.

Positively Filipino Contributing Writer Myles A. Garcia channeled his nostalgia for his ancestral home and discovered an uncanny historical link to the women who sewed the original Philippine flag in1898. "The Flag of Their Forebears" traces some complicated affinities and provides a brief lesson on the evolution of the Philippine flag.

A story of valor and courage is a must for an Independence Day issue so Read Again historian John Silva's "A Valiant People's Army" featuring rare photos of Filipino soldiers fighting the Filipino-American War at the turn of the 20th century.

Switching now to the 21st century, Daniel Olivan of Kalibrr, a Manila-based recruitment tech startup, profiles Karen Batungbacal who he calls the "mother" of the business process offshoring (BPO) industry in the Philippines. "Touch of Gold" introduces an amazing woman and gives us a primer on one of the most important engines of the Philippine economy.

And in Silay, Negros Occidental, architect and urban planner Nathaniel von Einsiedel takes us on a tour of the "green" house he built for his family.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is for Batangas-style Bulanglang with the famous Batangas fish, tawilis.

With our Video of the Week, we join the world in commemorating the life of the late great Muhammad Ali with a short documentary on the Thrilla in Manila, his 1975 historic bout with Joe Frazier at the Araneta Coliseum.