As if we haven't had enough anxieties -- and it's just 15 days into 2020 -- Taal volcano, the second most active in the Philippines, spewed out ash and sulfuric smoke 9 miles or so into the atmosphere, showering Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and parts of Metro Manila and Bulacan with deadly volcanic particulates. We dare not ask what's next in these disquieting times.

But let's not fret too much because there are some reasons to celebrate. One of them is the emergence of several groups of ice hockey teams that are working towards representing the Philippines in Winter Olympics. Huh? An ice hockey team from a tropical country? PF Correspondent Myles Garcia gives us a rundown on these audacious Pinoy and Pinay athletes in "Pinoys' Ice Rink Wishes and Bobsled Dreams."

In Ballesteros, Cagayan, a local musician named Dondon Catli dares to become the town's baker par excellence and a bakeshop named Don Catli de Ballesteros was born. Famous for his wedding cakes, Catli also doubles as organist for various bands in the area. Merlita Usita Campañano, a Ballesteros native, writes about her kabayan.

From Manila, cultural columnist Pablo Tariman fondly remembers his friend, the late iconic director of many award-winning films, Marilou Diaz Abaya in "Marilou, 1955-2012."

For the Happy Home Cook, an Ilocano comfort food with a modern twist: Inabraw na Hipon at Gulay from our resident food expert, Elizabeth Ann Quirino.

Here's a collection of stories worth reading from other publications:

In Taal’s Shadow: Dangers and Blessings
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/specials/content/129/howie-severino-dangers-and-blessings-in-taal-volcano-s-shadow/?utm_source=GMANews&utm_medium=Twitter&fbclid=IwAR0L_j3lw7krgWIXXs1vXnUhQJpRszRbkXvtm0Y3wZ76GgA2e-RnGezxBQ4

Military report confirms spying risks in deal with China-backed telco
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/247306-military-report-confirms-spying-risks-deal-china-backed-telco-part-1?fbclid=IwAR3vzT2TgINeVK0J8LpZbyJUAW9Zdv5nI_pKFXfnSn9j-KBSav7HoHIyvM0

Young, and Accomplished, This Filipino Pastry Chef Is Making Waves Globally
https://hbrascend.org/topics/young-accomplished-and-entrepreneurial-this-filipino-pastry-chef-is-making-waves-internationally/?utm_source=Facebook_website&medium=website_share&fbclid=IwAR13zjL2ERmfwhtQGHxOjRFX_cd1KXfD-c3dIjt1TV4Fl5hs5mDYvfNjJY4

‘Giving Back’: Wife shares a tycoon’s life with Alzheimer’s
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/354511/giving-back-wife-shares-a-tycoons-life-with-alzheimers/?fbclid=IwAR1H41yOFKBJ-gSbt2UdXB5JImP228Gsyj2e34a6HoqTWC4dW8uA9BNOko8

Column: Here’s how HiFi, or Historic Filipinotown, got its name
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-01-06/filipinotown-cool-enclaves?fbclid=IwAR0K_bbmXdDdjkeAyc9mTtuOKI2PmhYNXz36YgFvLAYU--hT3VkuzyviD9w

Our Video of the Week, an informative documentary on Taal volcano's surprise explosion in 1965.