Mothers and Passings

Shortly after National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva passed in February this year, Fr. Jason Dy, a Jesuit and an artist himself, paid tribute to the "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture" by dedicating his homily to Abueva's religious works. We share this homily with you to honor this great Filipino artist whose body of work is immense and timeless.

The past week saw the demise of three outstanding Filipinos and we join the Filipino nation in mourning their passing and celebrating their legacies:

National Artist for Literature Cirilo F. Bautista, 76, poet/essayist/author/critic/
columnist/literature professor and Palanca Awards Hall of Famer, died on May 6.

Architect and world-famous heritage conservationist Augusto "Toti" Villalon, 73, the first Filipino member and past president of the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), died on May 5.

Read Again our recent feature on him: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/nation-building-with-suman-and-stone

Ed Maranan, the most awarded Filipino writer (33 Palanca Awards in multiple categories both in English and Filipino) and PF contributor, passed away on May 7 at age 72.

Read Again two of Ed's pieces: 
http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/postscript-my-life-before-and-after-the-first-quarter-storm

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/in-search-of-the-cupang-i-used-to-know

Amidst the sadness, it's also Mother's Day week and we're not going to let it pass without paying tribute to mothers:

PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia recalls the most memorable family trip of his life, courtesy of his mother in "Of Mom and Maritime Memories."

Millennial poet Janice Sapigao shares her heartfelt essay about her mother and their struggles together in "Me and the Little Girl Inside Me."

We compiled a variety of links for you in our In The Know section this week:

Humans were in Philippines 700,000 years ago
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/02/world/early-humans-philippine-islands/index.html

A Transgender Paradox, and Platform, in the Philippines
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/29/world/asia/transgender-philippines-discrimination.html

Back to Batanes—where there’s still no garbage on the roads
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/293094/back-batanes-theres-still-no-garbage-roads/

Christian Louboutin's Latest Bags Feature Philippine Textiles
https://www.preview.ph/ fashion/christian-louboutin- has-released-a-line-of-manila- themed-tote-bags-a00192- 20180503

And our Happy Home Cook recipe is for Krispy Pata and Liver Pate Sauce from Chef Angelo Lubiano of E + O Food and Drink Restaurant in Mount Prospect, Illinois.

Our Video of the Week is fitting for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: honoring Minerva Tantoco as one of the outstanding Asian American women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Culture and Spirituality

Heritage awareness, history and spirituality are the focus of our offerings this week as we try to slow down the too-quick turnover of days (or so it seems, this year already two months gone).

At the forefront, our Manila-based writer, Menchu Aquino Sarmiento profiles the esteemed conservation architect and heritage planner, Augusto Villalon, recently awarded an Honorary Membership to the International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), one of only 84 in the world and the first Filipino endowed with such stature. Villalon is a long-time advocate of cultural and eco-tourism that goes beyond monuments and artifacts. In "Nation-Building with Suman and Stone," Villalon's world view is given a proper airing.

Veteran journalist Sylvia L. Mayuga gives us the history of the tarot, the ancient art of divination, as a way of introducing Cartas Philippinensis, a set of 22 tarot cards created by Saul Hofileña and painted by Guy Custodio that interprets archetypes in Philippine colonial history. 

And from independent filmmaker Collis H. Davis, Jr. comes a book review of jazz artist/historian Richie Quirino who wrote The Amen Vibration Volume II about his mystical journey towards spiritual enlightenment.

For more secular concerns, here is an updated list of benefits for senior citizens (both resident and visiting) in the Philippines.

We are also posting Wikipedia's latest list of fake news sites in the Philippines.

And our Happy Home Cook recipe this week is a version of Pinakbet from New Jersey-based Melanie Q. Suzara.

Here's our In The Know links for this issue: 

The Bolo Wielding Peasant: The Biggest Misconceptions About Andres Bonifacio
https://www.townandcountry.ph/people/heritage/the-bolo-wielding-peasant-the-biggest-misconceptions-about-andres-bonifacio-a1957-20180223-lfrm2

Conversations at the Edge of Carnage
https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2018/march/conversations-edge-carnage-laurel-flores-fantauzzo#.WpSo9AEJIJM.twitter

The struggle for Marawi has only just begun
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2018/02/02/the-struggle-for-marawi-has-only-just-begun/?utm_content=buffer56144&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

House panel approves divorce bill
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/21/18/house-panel-approves-divorce-bill

For Video of the Week, GMA's I-Witness uploaded a video featuring the revelations of the Duterte family during Martial Law.