From Rizal to Bagoong

What does it take to get a kiss from a Filipina woman of yore?

In this issue, we are reprinting a satirical piece published in La Solidaridad, the revolutionary newspaper of Filipino exiles in Spain, 114 years ago on July 15, 1890. While the style and the pathos point to Jose Rizal as the author, the article came out under the byline "Taga Ilog," which is the known nom de guerre of General Antonio Luna. So who wrote this piece? And who is the woman the author is clearly besotted with? Enjoy reading "Rizal's Kiss" with an intro by our ardent Rizalista, Penelope V. Flores.

At the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco until September is a source of pride for Filipinos everywhere, but especially for our Tausug compatriots. In "Tausug Textile 'Hangs' with Mondrian Abstraction at the Asian Art Museum," artist France Viana reports that the traditional headcloth with its distinctive design and colors is among 72 pieces chosen among thousands for the museum's exhibit entitled GORGEOUS. "It is a big deal," France emphasizes, because the Tausug textile is placed beside a Mondrian and holds its own.

For balikbayans looking for a place to spend a weekend, Excel V. Dyquiangco points us to a city up north that boasts a museum loaded with World War II artifacts, and factories of its world-famous bagoong (shrimp paste). "Lingering in Lingayen" tells us about the attractions of Pangasinan's premier city, quickly accessible now through the freeways that traverse the central plains of Luzon.

And if you missed the video that went viral, you can watch the heart-tugging deathbed wedding of Rowden and Liezl Go Pangcoga in our Video of the Week.