Passion and Romance

Passion -- or the ability and persistence to pursue what your heart wants, no matter the odds -- separates genius from ordinary mortals. His passion for music made Ryan Cayabyab break his promise to his late mother, an opera singer, on her deathbed; it was also what drove him to drop out of business school and lie about his age in order to pursue his music. Of course, there's also talent -- and no doubt Ryan, now acknowledged as The Maestro -- has an inordinate share of that. But how did his music career begin? PF contributor and Ryan's sister-in-law Bella Bonner dug up family stories and shares them with us in "Music Man Ryan Cayabyab Came Up the Hard Way." Read it and be inspired.

Passion of the romantic variety enabled our Toronto-based contributor Corito Fiel to embrace all the good things and bad in a love affair with someone who made the earth move for her. In "Love and Magic in Baguio," she shares the story of her One Great Love, with whom she spent only two years before he passed on. 

And from our Seattle-based contributor Gia R. Mendoza, her curiosity and delight on her "First Glimpse of Cuba."

Let's not let up on romance this month, with our worthy Read Agains:

Manuel L. Quezon and his American fiancee: http://www. positivelyfilipino.com/ magazine/the-untold-story-of- nina-thomas?rq=Nina%20Thomas

Hilda Koronel and Becca Godinez and their new, happier lives: http://www. positivelyfilipino.com/ magazine/second-springs?rq= Hilda%20Koronel

Here are the links to the In The Know lineup this week:

In the Philippines, political trolling is an industry – this is how it works
https://www.opendemocracy.net/digitaliberties/jonathan-corpus-ong-jason-cabanes/in-philippines-political-trolling-is-industry-this

In an Anchorage professor’s letters to his family, the reality of racism is revealed
https://www.adn.com/arts/books/2018/02/17/in-an-anchorage-professors-letters-to-his-family-the-reality-of-racism-is-revealed/

Where heroes and kin used to tread
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/969562/where-heroes-and-kin-used-to-tread

Figure skating: Filipino skater got call to Olympics less than a month ago
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2018-figs-m-phl-martinez/figure-skating-filipino-skater-got-call-to-olympics-less-than-a-month-ago-idUSKCN1G00AQ

If you feasted on Valentine's Day, here's a recipe to bring you back to a sensible diet: Richgail Enriquez's Vegan Arroz ala Cubana.

For Video of Week, upcoming comedian Jeppy Paraiso recently posted his latest for Valentine's. Paraiso broke out last Thanksgiving with his Filipino Tita videos on social media.