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.