Poultry in Motion

What happens when twelve inebriated teenage boys get exceedingly hungry at 10 o'clock on a hot and humid night? They get into mischief, of course. In this lengthy but laugh-out-loud funny piece "Which Comes First, the Chicken, or the Scruples?", first-time contributor Albert J. Lesaca provides the lurid details of a prank that exploded out of control and eventually entered the annals of UP (University of the Philippines) campus lore in the '60s. He was one of them so he knows whereof he speaks.

A powerful book by E.J.R. David titled "We Have Not Stopped Trembling Yet: Letters to My Filipino-Athabascan Family" is reviewed by Jen Soriano, writing it as a letter to her four-year-old son. The book is one of the very few that focuses on the life of an "Eskipino" (a mix of Eskimo and Filipino) family and the historical trauma and oppressive colonization that accompany a minority community in America. 

And speaking of colonization, here's a fitting Read Again from poet/author/academic Oscar Penaranda who writes about how he was reconciled with an authentic flag from the Philippine-American War, a long-lost flag that had his grandfather's name literally on it. Florentino Peñaranda, the grandfather, was one of the last combatants of the war for Philippine Independence to surrender to the Americans at the turn of the 20th century. 

Some stories you may have missed from other publications:

Filipino natives forced out of their ancestral lands by Chinese capital
https://www.efe.com/efe/english/destacada/filipino-natives-forced-out-of-their-ancestral-lands-by-chinese-capital/50000261-3984140?fbclid=IwAR0o_NRKD1RHynuH8SsMkAcVn5ij1FbVu6yCDVmlc2B5MsWVeLX7l3e8dkY

Duterte Opposes Gay Marriage in the Philippines, Reversing Campaign Pledge
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/20/world/asia/duterte-same-sex-marriage-philippines.html?fbclid=IwAR0OXHwoB7f19Cqk0MB5oRKjqW36yGCKlTZ8QiXsWSJRi3uWukGKRu3yBvA

The 19th Century African-American Soldier Who Fought For Filipino Liberation
https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2019/04/16/19th-century-african-american-solider-fought-filipino-liberation/ideas/essay/?fbclid=IwAR0o_NRKD1RHynuH8SsMkAcVn5ij1FbVu6yCDVmlc2B5MsWVeLX7l3e8dkY

Fil-Am screenwriter Michael Golamco on new Netflix film ‘Always Be My Maybe,’ and on seeing ourselves on screen
https://www.asianjournal.com/entertainment/showbiz/fil-am-screenwriter-michael-golamco-on-new-netflix-film-always-be-my-maybe-and-on-seeing-ourselves-on-screen/?fbclid=IwAR0om-j8qKYXO8QWgZVOKfUgfP-3XicSbaKrW2nb6co7H8cRVUMlnTiY8N0

A Letter to My Daughter: The Things in Life You Shouldn't Forget
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/notes-and-essays/a-letter-to-my-daughter-the-things-in-life-you-shouldn-t-forget-a1515-20170614-lfrm?fbclid=IwAR3EqLhL2RBeVpzpx7awljtUv3HEHhnUTELEZIeTiYXp3lZDPAuuv_VeteM

To prepare for Father's Day, here's a recipe you can make ahead from writer/author Cecilia Manguerra-Brainard, Leche Flan Vietnamese Style.

And for another touch of levity, a funny and clever Video of the Week from Canadian Filipino singer/comedian Mickey Bustos: If Freddie Mercury was Filipino...

Death Hogs the Headlines

With a 91-percent approval rating in his first month in office, it seems like President Rodrigo Duterte can do no wrong. But two controversial issues he had committed himself to during the campaign are now stirring dissent.

His war on drugs has led to extrajudicial killings while his promise to allow the burial of ex-president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani is reigniting the fire of anti-Marcos groups. This week we have two excellent pieces for you to ponder: "Where Will President Duterte and His War on Drugs Take Us?" by Criselda Yabes and "Eulogizing Marcos" by Greg B. Macabenta.

For a compelling end-of-summer read, we bring you a review by Canada-based Alfred Kwong of his fraternity brother Ted Yabut, Jr.'s ambitious memoir, "Brown Rice." A coming-of-age story set in Manila through the turmoil of martial law, the scenes described in the book will surely bring memories to those who were there during that period.

A story you will want to Read Again: Filipino American author/teacher Oscar Peñaranda's account of "A Reunion of Strangers," which involves Dumaguete, the Filipino American War, eBay and a blood-stained revolutionary flag. 

Our Happy Home Cook recipe, a traditional favorite -- Rellenong Talong.

Our Video of the Week celebrates the ties that bind a Filipino nanny named Auntie Yolly and an Olympic Gold Medalist, Joseph Schooling.