June 12, 2024

Happy Independence Day, Philippines!

June 12, 2024/ Staff

Funny how such a mundane task like gardening can dig up bittersweet childhood memories of a father who, much to the son's distaste, savored such "weird" food like ampalaya (bitter melon) and squid; scolded him with such aphorisms as "You don't know your ass from a roll of toilet paper"; and loved listening to John Coltrane. That's what happened to Fil-Am poet Tony Robles who, for the first time in his life, dug a garden and realized he had become his father (well, almost).

*****

Rights delayed are rights denied. This could be the battle cry of LGBTQIs in the Philippines who have been waiting for the passage of the SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression) bill, a universal human rights initiative supported by the United Nations. It has been more than 20 years since the first version of the bill was proposed. Now the Senate is trying again. Will it finally pass this time around? Abangan...

*****

National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes is in her early eighties now but shows no sign of slowing down. We pay tribute to her art, achievements and longevity through cultural writer Pablo Tariman's feature story on her.

*****

This week, the winners of the James Beard Foundation Awards, the "Oscars of the food world," were announced and a couple of them are Fil-Ams. Chef Lord Maynard Llera of Kuya Lord's in Los Angeles won the coveted best chef in California title. Read Again our stories on some of the winners:

On Kuya Lord: https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/praise-kuya-lord

On Abi Balingit, James Beard Foundation Book Award Winner - Emerging Voice: https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/in-the-dusky-kitchen-with-abi

On the occasion of June 12 and its significance in Philippine history, two pieces by John Silva:

Why June 12 Is Different from Other Days

A Valiant People's Army

And a menu for Independence:

Dishes for Independence Day

[Video of the Week] O Bayan Ko

In The Know

The 3 stars in the Philippine flag actually represent Luzon, Panay, and Mindanao, here’s why
https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/28/the-3-stars-in-the-philippine-flag-actually-represent-luzon-panay-and-mindanao-here-s-why-1?

The Massacre America Forgot
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/books/review/massacre-in-the-clouds-kim-a-wagner.html?

A family rest house in Batangas transforms into an exclusive garden resort
https://nolisoli.ph/109228/el-jardin-de-zaida/?

Ateneo Goes Green as Campus Shifts to 100% Renewable Energy
https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/culture/109016/ateneo-100-renewable-energy

This L.A. chef just won the James Beard award for Best Chef: California
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-06-10/los-angeles-chef-2024-james-beard-award-winner-kuya-lord?

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

Hate Crime Trends in California
https://www.ppic.org/blog/hate-crime-trends-in-california/

Man beaten in hate crime in coma in upstate New York
https://asamnews.com/2024/06/10/hate-crime-victim-coma-restauranteur-albany/

Man sentenced for anti-Asian and antisemitic threats
https://asamnews.com/2024/06/11/racist-remarks-religious-bigotry-self-harm-andre-lackner/

Man sentenced in hate crime against San Diego police officer
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/story/2024-06-05/man-convicted-of-hate-crime-against-a-san-diego-police-officer?

FBI: Hate crimes down in Pennsylvania, but up in Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland
https://www.phillytrib.com/news/state_and_region/fbi-hate-crimes-down-in-pennsylvania-but-up-in-delaware-new-jersey-and-maryland/

L.A. Pilot Program Addressing Asian American Hate Could Be California Model
https://sdvoice.info/l-a-pilot-program-addressing-asian-american-hate-could-be-california-model/

Funding provided by the State of California.

June 05, 2024

Time To Swoon in June

June 05, 2024/ Staff

It's June and, like clockwork, summer weather (now commonly termed a heat wave) begins in the western hemisphere. In our motherland, June is expected to bring the monsoon rains so desperately needed for the parched earth of the long, extremely hot summer of 2024.

Like the previous month, June is packed with celebrations: LGBTQ Pride Month and its string of parades and revelry happens this month. For Filipinos everywhere, the annual Independence Day festivities gather communities for parades, dances, competitions and food. And then there's Rizal Day, celebrated every year on June 19, and Fathers' Day on June 16. In the US, it's also Immigrant Heritage Month, a little-known commemoration that should interest us who have made the US our adopted country.

June of course begins the travel cycle, and the travel industry is anticipating the full impact of what has become a post-pandemic byword: revenge travel. We have been posting stories about enticing places to visit since spring, and will continue to do so this summer. One of them, in this issue, is the journey of a daring couple, both septuagenarians, who completed the challenging Kumano Kodo, Japan's equivalent to the Camino de Santiago of Spain. Since they've done both pilgrimages, the two got their Dual Pilgrim Certificate, earned by just about 5,000 long-distance walkers.

Last month, we posted a couple of articles from Canada and reached out to Filipino-Canadians to write more. So this issue, we're posting another two; from Toronto, our regular contributing writer gives us the story of the making of the first anthology of Fil-Can writing; and from Vancouver, a first-time contributor writes about a Filipino who was a high-ranking official in Metro Vancouver but, upon retirement, returned to her first love and is flourishing.

A look back: One afternoon in 1999, Fil-Am mail carrier Jojo Ileto was doing his rounds when a man asked him to mail a letter. There was nothing unusual about the request and Ileto gladly acceded. As he turned, the man took out a gun and shot Ileto twice. He was a random choice, clearly a hate crime. So much has happened since, yet so much still remain the same. We're reposting the story from 25 years ago because we must not forget.

Read Agains

Exceptional Philippine Churches by John Silva

Death by Discrimination by Bert Eljera

[Partner] Helping AAPI Communities Heal From The Pain Of Racism

[Video of the Week] LGBTQ Couple Excited By Their Baby Boy

In The Know

Yuka Saso, 22, captures second U.S. Women's Open title
https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/40264293/yuka-saso-captures-second-us-women-open-title

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/celebrating-aapi-heritage/san-josewoman-preserve-filipino-american-culture

The Forgotten Houses of Quiapo
https://www.spot.ph/arts-culture/the-latest-arts-culture/109008/forgotten-quiapo-heritage-houses

The rise of quiet luxury in Philippine architecture
https://thepost.ph/architecture/the-rise-of-quiet-luxury-in-filipino-architecture

What I've Learned: Jim Paredes
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/what-ive-learned/what-i-ve-learned-jim-paredes

Anti-Asian Hate Watch

National organizations call out anti-Asian bigotry in Congress
https://asamnews.com/2024/06/03/organizations-sign-letter-against-anti-asian-bigotry-in-congress/

The Ongoing Fight Against Antisemitism and Anti-Asian Hate: Legislative Developments
https://nysba.org/the-ongoing-fight-against-antisemitism-and-anti-asian-hate-legislative-developments/

Chinese Americans still reeling in the wake of anti-Asian hate
https://goldengatexpress.org/107116/campus-original/chinese-americans-still-reeling-in-the-wake-of-anti-asian-hate/

Man who lived in Fontana is charged with hate crime for allegedly punching woman in the head
https://www.fontanaheraldnews.com/news/man-who-lived-in-fontana-is-charged-with-hate-crime-for-allegedly-punching-woman-in/article_7519572a-1f7b-11ef-a22c-9ff3bfb428d0.html

Connecting to AANHPI seniors on mental wellness
https://www.kalw.org/2024-05-30/connecting-to-aanhpi-seniors-on-mental-wellness

Funding provided by the State of California.

May 29, 2024

Anthropological Skulls of Thought

May 29, 2024/ Staff

How many of you are willing to brave a long boat ride, take a challenging hike through forest and mountain, and slither down a cave for the singular purpose of seeing human remains? It's not many people's idea of fun, certainly not for those past the age of dreaming they are Indiana Jones. But for a group of 20 students of anthropology, the journey was well worth the hardship, and the reward of seeing up close the strangely modified skulls was a dream-come-true.

The vaunted site (at least for those into the study of humanity, as anthropology is defined) is the Guyangan Cave System in Banton, the northernmost island of Romblon. Guyangan is network of caves known to hold a rich trove of archaeological treasures that could well hold the key to understanding in greater detail the evolution of our race.

The skulls there are unique in its inexplicable deformity: the foreheads are much higher than a regular human. How did this happen and why? The answers are still in the speculative stage but our lead story this week by UP anthropology major Aidrielle Raymundo about their trip to Banton is fascinating.

Just as fascinating is cultural writer Pablo Tariman's story about Damodar Das Castillo, a cello prodigy who is just 16 years old but has already won five first prizes in international competitions, performed in various international stages and earned standing ovations from ecstatic audiences.

An anthropological documentation of a different kind is the story of a pandemic as seen through the experiences of Fil-Am health care workers in its frontlines. There is a book about it and we're appreciating it this week.

And speaking of books, book designing is a specialized art that few have mastered. But a Filipino artist named Felix Mago Miguel has done just that and he's profiled by PF correspondent now based in France, Criselda Yabes.

With deep sorrow, we pay tribute to Barbara "Tweetums" Gonzalez, one of the Philippines' best columnists, who passed away in Manila on May 28. Her first publisher, Karina Africa Bolasco, writes a stirring tribute to this lady who wrote so beautifully about life. We are also posting a piece from her Facebook page, which was her column for the Philippine Star on April 24.

[Video of the Week] South China Sea Tensions: Onboard A Philippine Convoy Boat That Sailed Towards Disputed Reef