News Capsules From Us and Advice from a Fil-Am Writer

If you're too busy to read online news sites daily, you can get capsule reports on Filipino-related news from all over the world in Positively Filipino's In Brief section: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/in-brief/

And if you missed reading Filipino-related news in various publications, we have In The Know, a listing of links to interesting stories. This week, here are the stories you may want to read:

Philippine ambassador’s views on challenges and opportunities in bilateral ties
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1042679.shtml

Fil-Am couple indicted for Medicare fraud, human trafficking http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/pinoyabroad/606940/fil-am-couple-indicted-for-medicare-fraud-human-trafficking/story#sthash.tPvmM37T.dpuf

Filipino youth stage musical against Duterte's deadly drugs war
https://www.yahoo.com/news/filipino-youth-stage-musical-against-dutertes-deadly-drugs-085741064.html?.tsrc=fauxdal

How a Photographer’s Work Helped a Homeless Girl From Quiapo Finish College
http://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/profiles-and-features/rick-rocamora-quiapo-a1521-20170412-lfrm2?ref=home_featured_big

This Little Girl Cosplayed Jyn Erso So She Could Deliver The Death Star Plans To Princess Leia
https://www.buzzfeed.com/kassycho/people-are-loving-this-little-jyn-erso-cosplayer-who?utm_term=.gh4Xo7DoQ#.knPr9ZX9p

Many people dream of being a writer, but very few actually become one. Award-winning fictionist Cecilia Mangguera-Brainard is one of those who followed her calling and has authored nine books and edited or co-edited 10 more. This week, she shares with us her story on the women who have influenced her writing as well as some advice for beginning writers.

PF Correspondent Myles Garcia researched the strange story of Lucio and Simplicio Godino, conjoined twins born in Samar in 1908 that became celebrities of sorts and were adopted by Filipino diplomat/businessman Teodoro Yangco. In "The Unusual Life and Times of the Godino Twins," Myles also traces the stories of conjoined twins in history.

Another PF Correspondent Rey de la Cruz introduces some Filipinos he met in Aruba in Pinoyspotting.

No Filipino knows French cooking like Nora Daza, the original chef superstar of the Philippines, who set up the first French restaurant in the country, Au Bon Vivant. Our recipe for the Happy Home Cook this week is Daza's Chateaubriand, a dish that originated in France.

For our Video of the Week, Our Awesome Planet Originals features their Top 10 Pampanga Restaurants. Do you agree?

Heroes

To commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Cry of Pugad Lawin (aka Cry of Balintawak) in 1896, which signaled the beginning of the Philippine Revolution against Spain, it's a good time to get to know better the hero of that hour, Andres Bonifacio. Here are "Seven Little-Known Facts About the Supremo," which we borrowed with permission from Filipiknow.net, the popular historical blog of Lui Batungbacal. 

Still on the subject of heroes, Read Again Robby Tantingco's tribute to the brave women of his forebears, "Why Women Rule Pampanga."

And for those seeking information on the heroes in their family, historical researcher Marie Silva Vallejo points the way. Marie has successfully done research on her father Saturnino Silva, a US Army soldier during World War II who valiantly led the Battle of Ising in Davao against the Japanese. The records are from the US National Archives and Marie is part of a massive digitization project that has made the records available to Filipino researchers.

Switching now to food, Contributing Writer Elizabeth Ann Quirino profiles Louise Mabulo, a 17-year-old Filipina chef who shares with us her own recipe for Kinilaw ng Tanigue Topped with Lechon-style Pork. Note: tanigue is Spanish mackerel. 

For fans of songwriter Jose Mari Chan, here's a treat for you, our Video of the Week. 

As you may have noticed, we have a new set of photos for our mastheads from Joni Ramos, a visual artist/photographer based in Santa Barbara, Pangasinan. Thank you, Joni, for adding color to our pages.