Better Late than Never

The US Department of Labor finally came around to honoring three Filipino American labor leaders in its Hall of Honor at the Francis Perkins Building in Washington, D.C. The three -- Larry Itliong, Philip Vera Cruz and Peter Velasco -- were leaders of the 1965 Delano Grape Strike in California, a five-year struggle that led to higher wages, better working conditions and a union health plan for farmworkers. Definitely a case of better-late-than-never, the November 20, 2024 event drew a crowd of 300 including PF contributing writer Titchie Carandang, who writes about this historic gathering.

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The rise in hate incidents all over the country, but with few convictions, begs the question -- when does, say, a random public assault against another person rise to the level of a hate crime? It's complicated, apparently, because there are prerequisites involved. Since hate crimes -- of the racial, gender, sexual orientation and disability varieties -- are here to stay, it's important to understand the legalities. Prominent San Francisco lawyer Lourdes Tancinco explains.                                                  

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Liquid inihaw? Is it even a thing? For those who are not (yet) as entrenched in Filipino cooking, here's one illuminating instructional for you from innkeeper/heritage advocate/culinary history geek An Mercado Alcantara. An's essay won first prize in the 2023 Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing competition.                                                

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If you're seeking to invest in real estate in the Philippines, you're strongly advised to look beyond Manila towards certain provinces that will give you more bang for your buck. Realtor Vlad Capistrano gives a bird's eye view of lucrative regional markets.

Read Agains:

Lulu’s Fifty-Peso Christmas Gift
Elizabeth Ann Quirino 

Delicious Dishes for Your Christmas Table
Staff


In The Know

Bishop Ambo David takes oath as 10th Filipino cardinal
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/bishop-pablo-virgilio-ambo-david-takes-oath-10th-filipino-cardinal/

Who is Sofronio Vasquez, the first Asian winner of ‘The Voice USA?’
https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/music/things-to-know-sofronio-vasquez-the-voice-usa-winner/

Aglipayan Church, known for activism, hails Cardinal Ambo David
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/aglipayan-church-congratulations-cardinal-pablo-virgilio-david/

Wrong Guillermo: Cebu town mixed up patron saint for centuries
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/visayas/wrong-guillermo-cebu-dalaguete-town-mixed-up-patron-saint-centuries/

Jose Rizal's 'Josephine Sleeping' sculpture sells for a record P31.2 million
https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/283484-jose-rizal-s-josephine-sleeping-sculpture-p31-2-million?L8Iykw5lgVYoyIckOdOvKlBw_aem_Mqa8HG68Uc0qSbFJbDaShg

‘Bona’: A Filipina Superstar Wreaks Vengeance in a Two-Fisted Melodrama
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/05/movies/bona-lino-brocka-metrograph.html? 

Man accused of duping Filipino churchgoers into investing in video Covid-test tech to plead guilty 
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/man-plead-guilty-filipinos-video-covid-19-wire-fraud-rcna183428 

Kidnapped American YouTuber likely dead in Philippines
https://asamnews.com/2024/12/11/mindanao-zamboanga-del-norte-vlogger-southern/


What Makes a Hero?

Today, August 30, marks the 160th birth anniversary of the Philippines' other National Hero, Andres Bonifacio. Last Monday, August 28, our motherland celebrated National Heroes Day as a national holiday, an omnibus celebration that covers all the country's heroes, regardless of generation. National Heroes Day began as a commemoration of the Cry of Pugad Lawin (aka Cry of Balintawak), when Bonifacio as the leader of the Katipunan (KKK), tore his cedula and declared the beginning of the Philippine war of independence against Spain. That happened on August 23, 1896. 

So many historical transitions have taken place since then, of course, and so many heroes and heroines have passed through. Even the term itself - heroism- has undergone multiple definitions, many of them self-serving or partisan, thus often undeserved or untrue.

What makes a hero then, in this day and age? Perhaps instead of bestowing the title of hero to a person, which would beget intense scrutiny likely to unearth non-heroic elements, it would be better to use a description -- "heroic" to label a life commitment for a cause beyond one's self-interest. No more heroes, just heroic deeds. 

Today would have marked the 72nd birthday of a woman who defied convention and chose to lead an altruistic life. Two days from now (September 1) is her first death anniversary. Nelia Sancho was more than just a beauty queen/activist as she was popularly labelled. Manila based artist/illustrator Lynett Advincula-Villariba tells us more about her sorority sister and lifelong friend. 

Since September 1 is Labor Day in the US and September 8 is the 58th anniversary of the beginning of the Grape Strike in California, we pay homage to the Filipino farm workers who, in addition to working the fields, organized labor unions to fight for their rights. Read "From Spain to Delano: The Radical Roots of Farm Workers Unions" by writer/photographer David Bacon. 


Stories This Week

Nelia Sancho: The Last Conversations by Lynett Advincula-Villariba

From Spain To Delano—The Radical Roots Of Farm Workers Unions by David Bacon

Jollibee Invades North America by Anthony Maddela

The Postmodern Barong Tagalog By Barge Ramos by Charlize Mendez Legaspi

Read Agains:

Andres Bonifacio, The Other National Hero by Penélope V. Flores

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

[Make It Again] The Happy Home Cook: Atsarang Repolyo (Pickled Cabbage) by Nina Ines Garma

[Video of the Week] Clark International Airport


In The Know

[ANALYSIS] Brace yourselves for higher rice prices under Marcos

https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-brace-higher-rice-prices-marcos-jr-administration/?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=3969&pnespid=qrDOmYMOuKmX9rfouRG0sqRH_EEOvyMskAJ5HUZooxCVC2asPCq5FJqMXgCGDdUgt9hSNXtV&fbclid=IwAR23f4fFWB8ulfRdHB3OCXmDIJEIqy0ulRvPo1rTr9PldZUOujXISUxEsc8

The Genius of Eduardo Masferré: Father of Philippine Photography

https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/eduardo-masferre-father-of-philippine-photography-a00007-20230811-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20230813-fbnp-long-reads-eduardo-masferre-father-of-philippine-photography-a00007-20230811-lfrm-fbnew&fbclid=IwAR0imovAJH6o2vqmR7uWv5acqW7lwMivOUsWsH1uXNseF5dqoZODzxQk20o

Sarangani village comes alive with roasted flavors of Pinadapla

https://www.rappler.com/nation/mindanao/sarangani-datal-batong-comes-alive-roasted-flavors-pinadapla-festival-august-25-2023/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&fbclid=IwAR3tWz3SDL81JjNExMlbDqc2Vg61QZjMKLaJ7D-yTIoEbp9QIOSoqwaTZr4

Video: Filipino American bride shares how she incorporated Filipino culture into her wedding

https://nextshark.com/filipino-american-wedding-tiktok

Ube Just Keeps Getting More Popular

https://www.pastemagazine.com/food/ube/ube-just-keeps-getting-more-popular?fbclid=IwAR1e-3k99ZDz_FkY-AR3nW2aF01c2I89p-g-4cZDKrFDHPJqvCXgCkcAyFY

How a Streetwear Designer Shifted the Culture of Import Drag Racing

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a44820090/how-a-streetwear-designer-shifted-the-culture-of-import-drag-racing/?utm_source=facebook_ign&utm_medium=cpm&utm_campaign=ign_remarketing&fbclid=IwAR3018Lj7mVWNuhHMziDpRC_AWErPjQ_YK1CyJcmUG2bhK7YEh6ryqMOcMQ


For Kids' Sake

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.