We end 2022 as we have done every year -- on a hopeful, optimistic note especially now that the Covid pandemic seems to be better controlled. It hasn't been an easy 12 months, politically and personally, but 2022, at the very least, was when the world returned to as close to normal as it can get after two years of debilitating lockdowns and isolation.

Our Motherland inaugurated a new administration this year which didn't really change much of anything other than the faces of those in charge. Here's the Philippine yearend report as summarized by political journalist, Ernesto M. Hilario.

Two days from now, on December 30, the 124th anniversary of Jose Rizal's execution by the Spanish colonialists will be commemorated. Writing from the Netherlands, first-time PF contributor Jacob Apostol revisits the "controversy" around Rizal's National Hero designation.

One of the more enduring FilAm woman city mayor/council member in the San Francisco Bay Area is Joanne del Rosario of Colma, CA. A former Maryknoll College schoolmate, PF Correspondent Cherie Querol-Moreno, recalls their college days and celebrates their subsequent friendship.

If you did some cooking this holiday season, chances are you used Chorizo de Bilbao, a mainstay of Filipino dishes for special occasions. It's the Spanish touch that actually isn't, as PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia reveals.

In case you missed out on some of our issues this year, here's our Top 10 Most Read Stories.

And for your New Year celebration, PF Correspondent and author of multiple recipe books, Elizabeth Ann Quirino, shares her favorites. http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/recipes-for-your-new-year-celebration

[Video of the Week] 26 Year Old Filipino on the Road to Sainthood

Here's to a healthier, happier 2023.