Looking Back
/There's no question about it. Uncertain times require focused, well thought out political activism. And the best way to be good at it is to look for guidance from organizations and people who have been there, who have done successful actions that got positive results. That's why the release of A Time to Rise, a book that chronicles the anti-Marcos struggles and the quest for social change for Filipino Americans by the Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino (KDP) in the '70s and '80s, is timely and valuable at this point when the siren call for resistance and change cannot be ignored. History professor James Sobredo writes an extensive review of the book.
If you lived in the Philippines during the Marcos regime, you will certainly remember Ricardo Silverio, who owned the Toyota franchise, among others, at that time and was one of the more well-known cronies. The Silverio business empire did not survive the fall of the regime in 1986 and PF Correspondent Myles Garcia tells us why in "Tales of the Late, Last Toyota King of the Philippines."
Switching now to a more soul-enriching topic, artist/writer France Viana gives a glimpse of the Philippine Art Exhibition of San Francisco's Asian Art Museum (AAM) in "Myth, Magic and Madonnas in the Eye-Opening Philippine Art Exhibition." It is a very tiny collection -- just 25 objects, all donated -- on display but, as the author asserts, the exhibit nonetheless provides "insights into racial makeup, ancestral trade routes, and migratory histories." A puny beginning for the AAM which hopefully will lead to a bigger, richer one.
Salted egg whatevers are the rage in Manila right now and PF Correspondent Rene Astudillo, who also has a food blog, is right there with his Crispy-Fried, Salted-Egg Fish Skins version, our recipe for the Happy Home Cook.
We have an interesting array of In the Know links for you this week:
Filipinos of the Year 2017: Pinoy Ako Blog and other voices vs. fake news
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/958077/filipinos-of-the-year-2017-pinoy-ako-blog-and-other-voices-vs-fake-news#ixzz53mjehdvx
Filipino Film ‘Ang Larawan’ Sets the Bar High for Movie Musicals
https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2018/01/09/filipino-film-ang-larawan-sets-the-bar-high-for-movie-musicals/
Are These The 20 Most Beautiful Places in the World?
http://www3.forbes.com/lifestyle/are-these-the-20-most-beautiful-places-in-the-world/
Why the Market for Skin Whitening Products is Growing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjzvvgmg1NU
For Video of the Week, BBC News features Mitos, one of the many victims of modern day slavery in the U.K. She tells about her everyday life working as a domestic helper in Britain until she escaped her employers.