Intense
/The Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the bible of the living, breathing English language, adds words from various languages annually. Last week, it added the Filipino word gigil to its more than 600,000 recognized words, listing it as one of the "untranslatable" words, meaning those that do not have equivalents in the English language. Indeed how do you explain gigil to a non-Filipino without using many words? The OED lists gigil as a noun and an adjective.
Gigil (noun) is "An intense feeling caused by anger, eagerness, or the pleasure of seeing someone or something cute or adorable, typically physically manifested by the tight clenching of hands, gritting of the teeth, trembling of the body, or the pinching or squeezing of the person or thing causing this emotion." As an adjective, "Of a person: overwhelmed by an intense feeling caused by anger, eagerness, or the pleasure of seeing someone or something cute or adorable." The OED cites some awkward examples of the use of the term. Most writeups in media announcing the addition of the word focus on the cuteness aspect, which is understandable. But we Filipinos know that there is more to the word than that.
We know that we are nanggigigil on something so outrageous that it triggers intense ire, like the vloggers who invent stories without any truthful bases, post fake news and cyberbully those who dare call them out on their lies. Philippine-based PF Correspondent Rene Astudillo writes this week about how his name was cited by a Duterte-biased fake news peddler as one of the cyberbullies that should be investigated by Congress, triggering an avalanche of hate messages on him. Read all about it and be informed about relevant laws in "The 'Bully' That I Am."
Another form of panggigigil: when we're overwhelmed by intense admiration of a person or a creative work, much like what we can anticipate when the Filipino movie "Sisa" comes out with the consummate actress Hilda Koronel in the title role. PF contributing writer Cathy Sanchez Babao talked to her friend Hilda (aka Susan Reid) after the latter wrapped up production of director Jun Robles Lana's historical thriller.
And now that we're on the subject of history, there's a new book on the objects of plunder -- a vast collection of paintings and objets d'art -- owned by a certain Jane Ryan and William Saunders (ultimately exposed as Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos). Authored by UK-based artist Pio Abad, the book Fear of Freedom Makes Us See Ghosts has a canary yellow cover, a political statement in itself, and is described by PF contributing writer, Ambassador Virgilio A. Reyes, Jr. as "handsome." That makes it worth buying.
World War II stories take center stage when April comes around because of the commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) on April 9. This national holiday remembers the Fall of Bataan, a significant turning point in the Pacific theater on April 9, 1942.
Here's a first-person WWII story that chronicles the bombing and its aftermath in Iloilo, from the eyes of a young girl, Maja Teresa Concepcion-Guerrero. She wrote about the events upon the prodding of her younger brother, Rogie Concepcion (a PF contributing writer), who shares the excerpts with us, following Maja Teresa's recent passing at the age of 91. How her recollections were triggered by a random picture of a staircase is a story in itself.
Read Again:
Death of an Army by Antonio A. Nieva
The Spies Who Came in from the Sea by Virgil N. de la Victoria
Re-enacting the Bataan Death March: A Personal Journey by Jon Melegrito
[Video of the Week] Mambo Magsaysay — The first viral campaign jingle
In The Know
Fil-Am, living in US with citizenship claim, detained by ICE – groups
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/overseas-filipinos/alma-bowman-us-citizenship-claim-detained-ice/
Overcome when struck by cuteness? There’s a word for that feeling.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gigil-overcome-cuteness-oxford-english-dictionary-new-words-rcna198316?
[DECODED] Women leaders pay heavy price for criticizing government
https://www.rappler.com/technology/features/women-leaders-criticizing-government-consequences-price-attacks/
Learning about Filipino resistance to the Japanese occupation 80 years ago
https://verafiles.org/articles/learning-about-filipino-resistance-to-the-japanese-occupation-80-years-ago
Brown Filipino Alliance pushes for new Tagalog language program
https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2025/03/brown-filipino-alliance-pushes-for-new-tagalog-language-program
Today I Learned: How an Ilonggo Doctor Discovered Erythromycin
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/today-i-learned-how-an-ilonggo-doctor-discovered-erythromycin-a7921-20250110?
