Life's A Beach

How does Boracay look now after the big cleanup? First-time PF contributor Willie Vergara, who had seen the island in its pristine state in the 1980s and has returned twice since, provides an honest look-see in "Boracay in Rehab."

Another first-time contributor Dr. Aileen Soriano-Pisaturo, the Director of Palliative Care Services at Kent Hospital in Warwick, Rhode Island, explains what palliative care, a new field in medicine, really means in "The Fuzzy Wuzzy of Medicine."

Batanes, the Philippines' northernmost province, has been in the news because of the twin earthquakes that caused deaths and destruction in Itbayat, one of its islands. Read Again Omar Paz's travel essay, "Batanes Beckons," and see why the islands have become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

And. for a touch of levity, Read Again Lotis Key's award-winning and very funny story, "White Men Can't Jump-Start."

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is PF Correspondent Rene Astudillo's innovative Garlic Cloves Adobo with Mushrooms.

Our In The Know links, ICYMI (in case you missed it):

Going Back to the Philippines to Retire: A How-to Guide
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/120315/going-back-philippines-retire-howto-guide.asp?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons&fbclid=IwAR00B6-pqOwn6rsOq7atDeMtEf0fvMrMaPb7tMyNvuoRHJYf8v2okaBnY4w

Why crafty Internet trolls in the Philippines may be coming to a website near you
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/why-crafty-internet-trolls-in-the-philippines-may-be-coming-to-a-website-near-you/2019/07/25/c5d42ee2-5c53-11e9-98d4-844088d135f2_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4c31350cd0e4

Where the Wealthy Go in Private Jets, From Bahamas to Barbados
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-26/where-the-wealthy-go-in-private-jets-from-bahamas-to-bora-bora?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews

Everything’s coming up roselle
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/251494/everythings-coming-roselle/?fbclid=IwAR27NPQ8efeladshXIbJN5zVUHVGA4XgkRBz4TpxI7mzylFzPapjLy_Eh9I

Why It Is Important to Know the Story of Filipino-American Larry Itliong 
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/why-it-is-important-know-story-filipino-american-larry-itliong-180972696/?fbclid=IwAR2Z9ZWi6PkLldomZOlLJl1hblhbt0QHo7CTWKTLNLIUp1YXJoSAi0DKDU8

For our video of the week, we feature the 2019 Little Manila Rising Community Showcase “Dawn.”

Lost Literary Treasure, Cebuanos, and Torture

Another noteworthy Filipino went quietly into the good night -- Alberto "Bert" Florentino Jr., playwright/author and promoter of Philippine literature is given a proper farewell by author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard whose latest novel, The Newspaper Widow, was a finalist in the Best Novel in English category of the National Book Awards in Manila.

Why do Cebuanos consider themselves a superior tribe? Cebuana writer Isabel Taylor Escoda proffers her not-quite-humble reasons.

We continue our series of Martial Law Stories, this time with writer/poet/journalist/editor Jose "Pete" Lacaba's account of his horrendous torture.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week, Beef Caldereta cooked in an instapot, comes from our resident foodie Elizabeth Ann Quirino's new book, Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Philippine Food in a Multicooker Pot. Try it out and see how fast a meal cooks with this appliance.

Our In The Know links this week:

Boracay’s back cleaner and greener. But something’s missing: jobs
https://ph.news.yahoo.com/boracay-back-cleaner-greener-something-040320323.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=fb&fbclid=IwAR0Wq6vP_2zZgMQ7vlWZfN9orRchdivov3dTD_ZsOoq-UIhFob1sO4etHJM

Bulalacao, Coron–its quiet majesty
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/224627/bulalacao-coron-its-quiet-majesty/?fbclid=IwAR2KCfQCzuwNMe9dqjP01noOkyPWjrAD5BNPe9mMS3-m6e_QfSw-gh_ME-o

Stuck in traffic: How Manila’s roads are making love elusive for Filipinos
https://coconuts.co/manila/features/stuck-traffic-manilas-roads-making-love-elusive-filipinos/?utm_source=Coconuts%20Media%20Mailing%20List&utm_campaign=7e0e70e2ac-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_11_02_08_10&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c10d7999ee-7e0e70e2ac-81681529&fbclid=IwAR0SIPRMu4qH4qBDAvTRavhFxU4UrkGYi-GD9yQvsvJpVP8dGdvTTyswnLU

A Brief History of the Most Popular Filipino Street Food
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/food-and-drink/filipino-street-food-a1729-20170526-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20181102-fbnp-culture-filipino-street-food-a1729-20170526-lfrm-fbold&fbclid=IwAR2oLIsGvGTPV88-bWNEloor0QR2QgH0Q29hvMO8I0WYMtUKbYSZTkEEu8c

The second-generation Dazas are making home cooks out of anyone
http://fnbreport.ph/features/fb/the-second-generation-dazas-are-making-home-cooks-out-of-anyone-septm-20180620/?fbclid=IwAR0MoA4yFH1k7AeXP8SpmI524UksbZQt2hXQgzQALsd7zi8IJmPfmUOuQfk

For video of the week, Esquire Philippines posted an interview with long time Philippine actor Eddie Garcia on his long career in showbiz.

May Is for Dancing and Feasting

There's something about the month of May that feels like the psychological cobwebs and lethargy of winter have lifted and sunshine and celebrations have taken over. For Filipinos, particularly, May is fiesta time when many towns celebrate the feast day of San Isidro de Labrador, for instance, on May 15. San Isidro is the patron saint of farmers, and it's understandable that a still largely agrarian Catholic country pays homage to his patronage. Other towns have their own saints whose feast days fall on different months, but the May-born ones have the advantage of summer, when town folks are in the mood for celebrating.

In the US, there's a big list of commemorations in May, but the significant ones (for us) are the Asian American-Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Older Americans Month, Mental Health Awareness Month and of course, Mother's Day. 

Always in the spirit of celebration, we have new stories for you this week:

"Dancing with the Kalinga: Homage to a Brave Past" is Dr. Michael Gonzalez's riveting account of his visit to Kalinga province where he immersed in the musical traditions of the indigenous people and paid silent tribute to the late warrior/activist Macli-ing Dulag, who inspired and led the resistance to the massive dam project that would have drowned the lands and history of his people.

In "Incarcerated 6x9 Gets You on the Cell-ular Level",  PF Correspondent Lisa Suguitan-Melnick provides a sneak preview of the forthcoming dance theater creation of Alleluia Panis, whose name is synonymous with passion and artistry.

PF's resident food expert Elizabeth Ann Quirino introduces Chef Jam Melchor, an advocate of the Slow Food Movement, whose advocacy focuses on bringing back the traditional methods and dishes of Filipino culinary history. From the Chef, who is a Kapampangan, comes his recipe of Sisig Babi, our Happy Home Cook feature for the week. 

Here's our In The Know lineup:

The Philippines Genocide 3 million Filipinos Killed
https://britsinthephilippines.top/philippines-genocide-3-million-filipinos-killed/

Boracay: From pristine island to fragile paradise
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/201094-boracay-history-island-paradise-fragile-closure

Patis Tesoro
http://artinsite.org/2018/04/patis/

Sisig with egg and mayo? Thanks, but Kapampangans aren't having any of that
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/food/651699/sisig-with-egg-and-mayo-thanks-but-kapampangans-aren-t-having-any-of-that/story/?utm_source=GMANews&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=lifestyle

White Rabbit, China’s beloved homemade candy, tries to modernise whilst maintaining tradition
https://www.scmp.com/video/china/2142468/white-rabbit-chinas-beloved-homemade-candy-tries-modernise-whilst-maintaining

For Video of the Week, we feature the trailer of director Alexandra Cuerdo's documentary “ULAM: The Main Dish,” which will be shown on May 11, 2018 at the San Francisco CAAMFest.