September Reverie

It's September once again, and those of us who have lived through many Septembers may be feeling anxious and somewhat discomfited. The month after all has not been kind, historically, to the US and the Philippines. We cannot forget September 11, 2001 (Read Again: “9/11, Day of Days”) and we are reminded starkly this year of September 1972 when martial law was declared. Will this September bring about cataclysmic events, or will it be a benign one? We can only hold our collective breaths.

If you are planning a trip to the homeland, do include Baler in your itinerary. Known more famously as the hometown of the Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel Luis Quezon, Baler is the provincial capital of Aurora province northeast of Manila. Contributor Omar Paz writes about his visit to this emerging tourist destination in "Surf's Up in Baler."

In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Dr. Agnes Alikpala encounters a Filipina restaurateur about to open her own restaurant called Flavors of Manila. Meet her in our Pinoyspotting feature this week.

In Washington D.C., Contributing Writer Elizabeth Ann Quirino introduces Patrice Cleary and her Purple Patch DC restaurant, chosen one of the top 25 restaurants in the area in 2015.

For our Happy Home Cook recipe this week, we have another recipe from Louise Mabulo who we featured last week. This time, this young Filipino chef offers her unique take on baby back ribs.

Our Video of the Week is another CNN Philippines feature on The Story of the Filipino, this time focusing on musician Coke Bolipata.