October is not only Fil-Am History Month, it's also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Domestic violence or abuse is a crime so common, so egalitarian (it can happen to anyone) and often so insidious that it may not always be obvious to people other than the abuser and abused. It need not involve physical violence but always involves control and manipulation. Take this heart-rending personal story by Giovannie Espiritu of the abuse she had to escape from. Be warned that it isn't an easy read.

The artist and cultural activist France Viana has taken on a new cause that is in tune with the current movement towards gender-neutral pronouns. She's starting a campaign to have the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) add the Filipino pronoun "siya" to its already existing list of Filipino words. In recent years, the OED officially added "bongga", "halo-halo", "kilig", "bagoong" and "sorbetes" to its lexicon.

A bright star that emerged from the grimness of the Covid pandemic in the Philippines was the community pantries, an open food exchange where people gave and took what they needed, for free. The unique humanitarian project started by a young woman named Ana Patricia "Patreng" Non tapped into Filipinos' innate bayanihan spirit and spread like wildfire to other places in the country. Tokyo-based PF contributor Ian Layugan writes about Patreng.

Hurricane Helene is long gone but its devastation in North Carolina continues. Here's a story about a Filipino food truck in Asheville. They would appreciate a donation (click on link to its GoFundMe page).

Help rebuild a Filipino food truck

The owners of the Master BBQ truck, a Filipino food truck in Ashville, North Carolina, are raising money to help rebuild their truck as well as support their workers.

“Cooking has always been my passion. For more than 20 years, both in the Philippines and here in the US, I have poured my heart into it,” Paul Pike, co-owner of the Master BBQ truck, wrote on the GoFundMe page. “I started Master BBQ with my wife, Julia, and together we turned our dream into reality through pop-ups at different breweries in Asheville. The support we received from these breweries, along with the incredible community, made this journey possible.”

“Our team, who depends on the truck for their livelihood, is now left without income, and our truck requires significant repairs. After only being in business for 7 months, this setback feels indescribable,” he added.

So, far the page has raised $10,000 of its $50,000 goal. You can donate here.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-rebuild-master-bbq-after-hurricane-helene

Read Agains

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 1 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 2 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

We Stand On Their Shoulders, Part 3 by Mona Lisa Yuchengco

[Video of the Week] The Legacy of Larry Itliong

In The Know

Pampanga's Angeles City named Asia's Best Emerging Culinary City Destination
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/food/922753/pampanga-angeles-city-asia-s-best-emerging-culinary-city-destination/story

A Reading List for Filipino American History Month 2024
https://www.clmp.org/news/a-reading-list-for-filipino-american-history-month-2024/

Artist works to restore vintage signs at San Francisco bars and restaurants
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/video/artist-works-to-restore-vintage-signs-at-san-francisco-bars-and-restaurants/

LIST: 6 Philippine hotels make it in the Michelin Guide
https://philstarlife.com/living/691506-list-6-philippine-hotels-make-michelin-guide?page=4

Mattel releases Barbie during Filipino American History Month
https://asamnews.com/2024/10/12/mattel-releases-barbie-during-filipino-american-history-month/

Jo Koy, on edge, reveals a family issue during S.F. tour stop
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/jo-koy-san-francisco-comedy

Imagine this scenario: a poor, chaotic country is holding an election for president. On one side, the incumbent -- ruthless, cunning, steeped in the politics of power; on the other side, a very popular movie actor, beloved by the masses for his standard role as defender of the powerless, but with nary an experience in governance or political maneuverings. The actor would have won, but for the shameless "order" of the incumbent to her appointed election official (of which she was caught when a recording of her phone call was made public, now infamously remembered as "Hello Garci"), with the assistance of some of her loyal generals, for the manufacture of a million votes in her favor.

So now, 16 years later, we wonder: what if that election had been clean and the result an honest reflection of the will of the people, would a president, armed only with sincerity, honesty and an abiding faith in the rule of law, have changed the historical trajectory of our homeland? More curiously, would the masses' hunger for a strongman leader fighting on their behalf have been satiated with the actor/hero at the helm, and thus staved off the need for the authoritarian leader we now have?

On the occasion of what would have been his 81st birthday on August 20, Fernando Poe Jr.'s long-time personal and business manager Susan V. Tagle provides us an intimate profile of the man behind the myth.