Yes, Women Can

We join the entire world in celebrating Women's History Month 2018, well aware that through persistence and unity, women are making their voices heard loud and clear against their oppressors. We will be featuring stories of Filipino women who have made their mark in various fields, among them Armida Siguion-Reyna, whose long-running TV show Aawitan Kita kept the kundiman tradition alive through the generations. Armida isn't just an entertainer; during her heyday, she was also a feisty cultural activist, a producer of shows, and most of all, a doting mother and grandmother to her brood. In "We Call Her Mahal," Sara Siguion-Reyna writes lovingly about her beloved grandma.

PF publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco recalls a visit to the small town of Amagi in the Tokunoshima island in Japan and tells of the historic role Filipino women played in keeping the town alive.

For my blog this month, I focus on the poet Angela Manalang-Gloria, one of the leading lights of early Philippine literature in English, whose famous poem "Soledad" captivated me when I was younger, and titillates my imagination to this day.  

It's official, folks. And it has been official since it was enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution: the national language of the Philippines is Filipino, not Pilipino. How did the F win out? Poet/translator and language expert Marne Kilates gives us the backstory on how the F, along with C, J, Ñ, Q, V, and Z have now been added to the previously 20-letter Filipino alphabet.

Our Happy Home Cook recipe this week comes from graphic artist/writer Alex G. Paman who just came out with his second book, Filipino Barbecue. Enjoy Alex's version of Chicken Inasal.

Here's the In The Know line-up:

The 19 Best Filipino Restaurants in Los Angeles, 2018 Edition
https://la.eater.com/maps/best-filipino-restaurants-los-angeles-adobo-lumpia

Oscars 2018: Robert Lopez becomes the first person in history to double EGOT
http://ew.com/awards/2018/03/05/oscars-2018-robert-lopez-double-egot/

Rita Moreno wears the same Pitoy Moreno dress she wore to Oscars in 1962
https://www.today.com/style/rita-moreno-wears-same-dress-oscars-she-wore-1962-ceremony-t124430

To design costumes for 'Black Panther,' this artist drew on his Filipino upbringing
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/design-costumes-black-panther-artist-drew-his-filipino-upbringing-n852856

For Video of the Week, CNN Philippines The Story of the Filipino looks into lives of 3 women: Aya Fernandez (founder and head of Project Lily PH), Cha Roque (a filmmaker and Dakila Communications Director) and Kelsey Hadjirul (a young LGBT and Women's Rights Activist).