A Visayan Surprise International Hit

Some Filipino songs have been recognized internationally and one of them is the Visayan (Cebuano) song "Rosas Pandan," currently a staple among choirs in various countries, thanks to the intricate vocal arrangements of San Francisco-based musical arranger George Gemora Hernandez. PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia gives us the story behind this popular song's unexpected success and lists 22 different renditions in "The Late, Surprising 21st Century Success of Rosas Pandan." 

Ambassador (Ret.) Virgilio A. Reyes Jr. chronicles the story of the Tempongko family, originally of Pulong Mayaman, Malate, whose evolution spans over a century in "Portrait of History as a Filipino Family."

February may be the month of love but Philippine history also marks it as a month of bloodshed. On February 4, 1899, the bloody Philippine-American War began which resulted in over 20,000 Filipinos and over 4,000 Americans dead. Forty six years later, on February 3, 1945, the battle to liberate Manila from the Japanese began. Read Again our stories on these two monumental events in our motherland's history:

"A Valiant People's Army" by John L. Silva

"The Battle of Manila, WWII" by James M. Scott 

Here are our links to stories you may have missed:

The Philippine War - A Conflict of Conscience for African Americans
https://www.nps.gov/prsf/learn/historyculture/the-philippine-insurrectiothe-philippine-war-a-conflict-of-consciencen-a-war-of-controversy.htm?fbclid=IwAR0DgXk4c2t2I4FvTp_dKFtQVQvCV0le4IYezQsn7Ei-JTwo-eZuLPMugs0

The Black Presence in The Philippines
https://atlantablackstar.com/2014/06/28/the-black-presence-in-the-philippines%e2%80%8f/?fbclid=IwAR3pyfW_4wTU7aGKg18fOK7PdiEYaTVI450OMS0GvgzK7qnMvwaYjkzukNY

A Son of Immigrants Contemplates What His Life Might Have Been
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/lens/manila-philippines-dead-to-rights.html?fbclid=IwAR116ER81c_Dx3Q5NkGLJNxBrDB41zh7FpaG7IYZorkYxNYiZf12YNV9YT4

Small Filipino restaurant in New York sees popularity skyrocket after Esquire names its among best
https://news.yahoo.com/small-filipino-restaurant-york-sees-110001290.html?soc_src=community&soc_trk=fb&fbclid=IwAR1P71G-IZt_59cJgJIgu8hrRlvpH5fQE5m6fvNDXV9CJHZfQ4wLji266xs

5 Filipino Marine Scientists Who Are Saving Our Seas
http://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2018/07/24/Filipino-marine-scientists.html?fbclid=IwAR0KvKqg41UkVjyIL8RhdxyuQjwNC9a_PFruebEcoQY_bysoJfE1cvAqhpQ

Our Happy Home Cook features another recipe from San Francisco-based foodie, Voltaire Gungab: Longganisa with Apples and Asian Pear.

For Video of the Week, South China Morning Post features how a family in Marawi was ripped apart by fighting between ISIS and the Philippine military. 

Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino