Confusions, Mixed Feelings, and Hate

Nobody tells the colorful stories of the good 'ol days of mass media in the Philippines than Greg Macabenta, who has done it all --  journalism, script writing, advertising, publishing, column writing, even occasionally performing -- and who was responsible for some of the most memorable ad campaigns in the annals of Philippine advertising history. Already a career multitasker when it wasn't yet a thing, Greg puts his stories on print with his newly published memoir, Confusions of a Communications Man, which is a must-read for anyone who has aspirations of hitting it big in media. PF contributor Lorna Lardizabal Dietz reviews the book in "A Jack of Many Communication Trades."

Author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard reveals her mixed feelings about her recent visit to Japan, whose beauty she totally appreciated while not completely forgetting WWII, Hiroshima and the cruelty of war. Read "Japan: A Thoughtful Travelogue" to understand what she means.

Racism and its concomitant terms - white supremacy, hate crimes - are once again fueling dastardly acts that have targeted minorities in the US. History shows that the crimes are nothing new and Filipinos are not spared. Lest we forget (or before we get lulled into thinking that this current wave will not affect us), let's look back:

Just 20 years ago, a Fil-Am postal worker Joseph Ileto was gunned down by an avowed white supremacist looking for a kill. Ileto's only "crime"? He was a brown man who inadvertently crossed the path of the perpetrator. Filipinas Magazine in October 1999 had this story: "Death by Discrimination" by the late Bert Eljera.

And further back in time, another crime against Filipinos in Watsonville, California. Read Again Alex S. Fabros Jr.'s "In the Heat of the Night: The Exeter and Watsonville Riots 1929-1930."

Our In The Know stories this week:

PH now among main cyberattacks targets
https://business.inquirer.net/276283/ph-now-among-main-cyberattacks-targets

Lives lived and lost along Manila's Pasig river
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49203752?fbclid=IwAR1nX26dgDXI6wrKmuuxD2P-tp1hXsXBTWEvHdwhrscdNmu9EQXRedMHgL4

Rodrigo Duterte is losing interest in creating a federal Philippines
https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/08/01/rodrigo-duterte-is-losing-interest-in-creating-a-federal-philippines?cid1=cust/dailypicks/n/bl/n/2019087n/owned/n/n/dailypicks/n/n/na/290433/n

A thriving Filipino community makes Juneau home away from home
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/travel/destination/08/07/19/a-thriving-filipino-community-makes-juneau-home-away-from-home?fbclid=IwAR2596WX3E6JxCCswO8N8O6ssgaB2_1tYOkCWZNxEdgp-93K67FqJVlqoK4

What Makes An American?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/09/sunday-review/immigration-assimilation-texas.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share#commentsContainer

Born in Israel, hundreds of Filipino children risk expulsion
https://news.yahoo.com/born-israel-hundreds-filipino-children-risk-expulsion-021046223.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

For the Happy Home Cook, we bring back this plant-based treat: Ensaladang Talong with Coconut Vinaigrette.

For Video of the Week, we feature a Pan Am Airlines travelogue on the Philippines from the 1960s.

Marriage Migrants and the Price They Pay

This week, we situate our stories in two of our Asian neighbors, the first as a source of financial succor at the cost of marital practicalities, the second as a place for discovering new sites and experiences.

Manila-based journalist and community activist Rochit I. Tañedo covers the fate of Filipinas who choose to marry South Korean husbands in their quest for a better life for their families. In "Pinay Migrants Gasp for Air in South Korea's Closed Society," the realities of mixed marriages in a society that both embraces and looks down on the concept are poignantly described.

In "Taking It Easy in Japan Islands," PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes takes us with her on her meanderings in the land of Mount Fuji, goddesses and public baths.

From another PF Correspondent, Serina Aidasani, comes a profile of noted pianist Charisse Baldoria, who also sees herself as a writer, photographer, composer and cultural worker whose compositions salute her cultural roots as a Filipino.

Some compelling stories are in our In The Know lineup this week:

Reuters journalists win Pulitzer for reporting on Philippine 'drug war'
https://www.rappler.com/nation/200391-reuters-journalists-win-pulitzer-2018-report-war-on-drugs-philippines

How a secretive police squad racked up kills in Duterte's drug war
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/philippines-drugs-squad/

The Filipino tribe that hangs its dead from cliffs
http://www.bbc.com/travel/gallery/20180405-the-filipino-tribe-that-hangs-its-dead-from-cliffs

Meet Davao's Willy Wonka who put PH chocolate on the world map
http://news.abs-cbn.com/life/04/17/18/meet-davaos-willy-wonka-who-put-ph-chocolate-on-the-world-map

12 Longtime Pampanga Businesses That Are Still In Existence Today
https://kaplistorian.blogspot.com/2018/04/78-12-longtime-pampanga-businesses-that.html

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week comes from Chef Barb Batiste, whose Big Boi restaurant in LA we featured last week. Here's her own recipe for Chicken Adobo.

For our Video of the Week, we feature Houston-based Filipino Food Truck, “Flip n' Patties.”