For Kids' Sake

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Giving up a successful business to engage fulltime in volunteer civic action is a giant step for anyone. That's what Vicky Vergara Wieneke did when she set up Kabisig ng Kalahi, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that started as a feeding program for malnourished children in Batangas and has since expanded as a full-fledged nutrition and livelihood program in various provinces. Kabisig's projects has the support of both the Philippine government and private corporations. PF contributing writer Gia R. Mendoza gives a first-hand report on Kabisig and her sorority sister, Vicky VW.

Collecting trading cards of sports heroes is arguably a rite of passage of young people interested in sports. But for FilAm collector Mark John Sanchez, who teaches Asian American Studies at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, trading cards of 20th century Filipino and FilAm sports personalities are a valuable source of history and nostalgia. He gives us a glimpse of his collection and the historical information it provides.

If you're searching for a meaningful book for children in the first- to fourth grade, here's a highly recommended one: Philip Vera Cruz by Karen Su, a fitting introduction to the Filipino working class hero who was a leading light in the US labor movement.

Famous Moms and the Bayanihan Spirit

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That was an enlightening and heartwarming session with "Loving Kids Talk About Their Famous Mothers" yesterday, Positively Filipino's Mother's Day webinar. The four articulate panelists paid tribute to their mothers while revealing some pretty interesting insights and anecdotes about the persons behind the celebrity.  If you missed the event or want to view it again, here's the link: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/webinar-video-loving-kids-talk-about-their-famous-mothers

Community pantries continue to sprout in the Philippines as the Filipino bayanihan spirit flourishes during the pandemic. In Baesa, Quezon City, the Sombillo family pooled their resources and generously shares with the less fortunate in the area. Toronto-based contributor Patria Cabatuando-Rivera shines the spotlight on them in "Bayanihan to the Rescue."

Veteran scriptwriter Marina Feleo-Gonzalez gets a comprehensive tribute from regular PF writer (and her former student) Virgilio A. Reyes Jr. in "Songs Her Father Taught Her."

And from a cooking event in the Bay Area, Miguel Carrion writes about Chef Rocky, the personal chef of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and her luscious french toast that she serves through her company, BriqueLA. Crave the treat in "Chef Rocky Rocks French Toast for The Rock."

The continuing violence against Asian Americans begs the question, if you see it happening, what can you do? Here's a must-watch video on the "5Ds of Bystander Intervention." I hope you take it to heart. 

Stories of the Week

[Webinar Video] Loving Kids Talk About Their Famous Mothers

Bayanihan To The Rescue By Patria Cabatuando-Rivera

Songs Her Father Taught Her By Virgilio A. Reyes, Jr.

Chef Rocky Rocks French Toast For The Rock By Miguel Carrion

[Cook It Again] The Happy Home Cook: Arroz A La Cubana By Elizabeth Ann Quirino

[Video of the Week] 5Ds of Bystander Intervention

In The Know

H.E.R, Olivia Rodrigo, Saweetie, Patrick Starrr Among Fil-Ams On Gold House’s Annual A100 List Of Impactful APIs
https://www.asianjournal.com/life-style/arts-culture/h-e-r-olivia-rodrigo-saweetie-patrick-starrr-among-fil-ams-on-gold-houses-annual-a100-list-of-impactful-apis/

Pandemic Pantries in the Streets? You Communist!
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/07/opinion/philippines-covid-pantries.html?campaign_id=39&emc=edit_ty_20210507&instance_id=30378&nl=opinion-today&regi_id=47563992&segment_id=57460&te=1&user_id=a6813a01d20d50942afadad6c6f1e549

WATCH: The Story Behind Spain's Infamous Zoo That Featured Philippine Animals... And Then Filipinos
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/filipino-human-zoo-madrid-spain-crystal-palace-a00293-20201006-lfrm?fbclid=IwAR1iVyeWIwEpuNQkw4ALD5nRppE_nXwcVJLhB0pI6XmNkIyA0BpsHrAafhA

How and why Johnny became Johnny Air Cargo
https://www.thediarist.ph/how-and-why-johnny-became-johnny-air-cargo/

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Quezon City Is a Stunning Example of the Importance of Restoration
https://www.spot.ph/things-to-do/the-latest-things-to-do/73673/las-casas-filipinas-de-acuzar-in-quezon-city-is-a-stunning-example-of-the-importance-of-restoration-a1125-20180508-lfrm?fbclid=IwAR0Mj_gg4hhUYGaldbo4276UEnjlXE8NvUtX-Z2K_083dk8hvayz53uAbJ0

Shaken or Stirred? Just Sit Back.

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As we move towards a vastly different Thanksgiving holiday this year, let's use this post-election, surging-pandemic week to take a break from high emotions, and to sit back. It's interesting to watch how traditions and institutions work toward resolving the current political uncertainty being spearheaded by a stubborn incumbent and fanned by his spineless ilk. If you need some reading to quell, or enable, your anxiety, I suggest Gabriel Garcia Marquez's book, Autumn of the Patriarch. The title itself is an apt metaphor for this time, along with "the winter of our discontent".

Nevertheless the world continues to turn, with or without our participation. In Positively Filipino this week, James Bond dies, a young Fil-Am comic rises and, as our Motherland heaves from yet another hurricane, regular people carry on the best way they can amidst the pandemic.

Our Stories This Week

Pinoys Love James Bond, And Vice Versa By Men Sta. Ana

[PARTNER] The Typhoon Victims Need Your Help

JR De Guzman Shows Filipinos Are Truly Funny By Anthony Maddela

Covid Guys By Criselda Yabes

The Happy Home Cook: Oriental Beef With Fried Noodles By Nora V. Daza and Nina Daza Puyat

Video of the Week: Fides Enriquez and Chef Cocoy Ventura’s new documentary series, Ilocandia, which features the Ilocos region’s rich culinary tradition.

In The Know

[ANALYSIS] What will a Biden presidency bring to China, Manila, and the Asia Pacific? 
https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-what-will-biden-presidency-bring-china-manila-asia-pacific?fbclid=IwAR3PRlgwNNjI2Ce1_h-ICVvfsgkMq3RKGdxicT_eD6J3CZMszo-9bjlick0

Things May Get Worse Before They Get Better for the U.S. 
https://fpif.org/things-may-get-worse-before-they-get-better-for-the-u-s/?fbclid=IwAR0DKLpWGt1SIJhski9RPlbDwPcj7b_sXj7hK6N48arU1Zc_gCA2BlIaTdQ

12 Exceptional Filipino Restaurants in SF and the East Bay
https://sf.eater.com/maps/best-filipino-restaurants-food-san-francisco-bay-area-east-bay-oakland

A New ‘Blue’s Clues’ Episode Will Feature Filipino Family Traditions
https://www.vice.com/en/article/7k9bpd/blues-clues-nickelodeon-filipino-family-traditions-lola-grandmother?fbclid=IwAR1vwyhD_b16Y2oWbPaiK30OVkUtjfyrjweNSEKt7w-YP30eU6Y6zUYdc34

Their neighbor allegedly painted a swastika on their driveway. Now they’re getting bullets in the mail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/13/louisville-harassment-couple-swastikas-racial-slurs/

A Whirl Through the Philippines with Jeepney’s Meal Kits
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/16/a-whirl-through-the-philippines-with-jeepneys-meal-kits?fbclid=IwAR0gsstldoTVp66WzDELSaIAsqXcCniSD2Q_65KZw2TMhCbKQUhIzInnTgc