They Who Heal Us

At the beginning of 2020, our world was still what we had known it to be. Our daily routines were simple: work; play; love; travel; enjoy.  

Two weeks into the year, the Philippines suffered its first major tragedy, but it was localized. Taal Volcano erupted, spewing tons and tons of ashes that turned some parts of Batangas and Cavite gray, forcing large-scale evacuations and rendering farms and orchards dead. 

And then Covid-19 happened towards the end of January and, just like that, the world as we knew it was completely upended. Within a few weeks, lockdowns would be imposed in almost all countries, businesses destroyed, international travel banned, and mass deaths became the norm.

We're now on the 8th month of the pandemic and the end is nowhere in sight. In the Philippines, 80 health care groups representing 80,000 doctors and a million nurses have petitioned the government for a "timeout" to recalibrate its strategy (or the lack of it) in fighting the virus because the entire health care system is now in danger of complete collapse, its frontliners exhausted to their human limits.

The US is not doing any better. The country is on top of the list in covid infections in the entire world and every day, records are broken for new cases. Toiling at the forefront, side by side with the doctors and other health care workers are the 150,000-strong Filipino nurses scattered in most states but mainly in California and New York, where they make up about 20 percent of the labor force caring for coronavirus patients. Do a Google search and you'll see many reports on how Fil-Am nurses have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Watch our Video of the Week -- a CBS news report by Fil-Am journalist Elaine Quijano on precisely this topic. 

Our story this week on Zenei Cortez, the president of the California Nurses Association and co-president of National Nurses United, the US' largest nurses' union, is both a call to action and a tribute to these heroes of the moment, many of whom are our kababayans. PF Correspondent Cherie Querol Moreno reports.

Writer and long-time activist Bonifacio P. Ilagan gives us a capsule post-mortem on the real state of the nation, following President Duterte's address last July 27. 

And, if you haven't yet, register for Positively Filipino's webinar on "Immigrants in the Time of Racial Unrest, the Pandemic and Trump" featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Jose Antonio Vargas and veteran immigration lawyer Lourdes Tancinco. The webinar happens on Monday August 10, 6pm PST/ 9pm EST (Tuesday 9 am Manila time). Here's the link: bit.ly/ImmigrantsRacialUnrest.

Stories This Week

A Compassionate Healer And Fierce Fighter For Fellow RNs By Cherie M. Querol Moreno

The State Of The Nation In A Day By Bonifacio P. Ilagan

Master Watercolorist Josė Honorato Lozano—The Sequel By Myles A. Garcia

Architect With A Personal Touch By Rafaelito Sy 

Read Again:
Murder Most Foul By Alex Fabros, Jr. 

The Happy Home Cook: Instant Pot Beef Caldereta By Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Video of the Week: Asian Americans report increased discrimination, even as some work on the front lines of pandemic

[PARTNER] Watch It Again: Philippine International Aid’s Giving Hope to the Children 2020 Online Fundraiser

In the Know

Philippine capital returning to lockdown as virus surges
https://news.yahoo.com/philippine-capital-returning-lockdown-virus-055713263.html

Meet the Bay Area rapper working on a COVID vaccine
https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/Bay-Area-rapper-COVID-vaccine-Ruby-Ibarra-15450383.php?fbclid=IwAR1A8QZEyXedtt9yNbRqhh3zl_08lP16KKVnxNbotvvZp_YOYMEZ6UoWpMU

Why Filipinx Americans Should Be In Solidarity With Black Lives Matter: Lessons From American History
https://www.facebook.com/notes/filipino-american-national-historical-society-fanhs/why-filipinx-americans-should-be-in-solidarity-with-black-lives-matter-lessons-f/10158420594771602/

On Adobo and Anxiety
https://www.southernfoodways.org/on-adobo-and-anxiety/

Amy Schumer just shared her Emmy nomination with her nanny who is from the Philippines
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/07/30/20/amy-schumer-just-shared-her-emmy-nomination-with-her-nanny-who-is-from-the-philippines?fbclid=IwAR112EuPUsXXD2R31DL-KcyItX07l6euegi5MUvMAF1Rd-alBgsNFV2nktk

A New Generation Heeds the Call of the Times

Our generation who grew up in the Philippines has had our share of pivotal historical moments when we felt the world shifting, for better or for worse. The First Quarter Storm of 1970, the declaration of martial law in 1972, the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, and the biggest one of all, the EDSA People Power Revolt in 1986 --  all these were monumental events we have lived through. Now, I can’t help but watch with pride as younger Filipino Americans across the country take action. 

In the past week we've witnessed an uprising--in reaction to the brutal murder of George Floyd--unlike any other I’ve seen since moving to the U.S. in 1988. Many from my children’s generation, and even younger, have shown their support by joining the massive protests that have sprung up in large and small cities, and surprisingly, even in some rural towns not typically known for mass actions.

What I am most intrigued about are all the new ways to show resistance beyond the protest signs. Of those who are not at marches, many are at home grappling with the larger questions: Why were Fil-Ams able to ignore how we treat black rights issues for so long? How can I start a conversation with my parents and relatives? How do I challenge casually uttered racist comments when they come up?

Social media have opened up a new avenue for action, from reposting content, rapidly sharing petitions and letters to politicians, to enabling Fil-Ams to engage their circles more deeply. My daughter Maia launched ongoing discussion groups via Zoom for Asian Americans to unpack questions of identity, learn more about Asian American history, and build solidarity with their African American friends. She announced it on her Instagram account and expected 15 attendees, but 80 people showed up.

Her husband, Jensen, a passionate cyclist, rallied his friends and his bike community to donate to black causes by committing to bike one hour for every $100 donated. He expected $1,000, but raised nearly $7,000. Last weekend alone, he completed 37 hours. Friends joined him on the ride for hours at a time to show their support.  When they saw donations pour in for the largest foundations, Jensen chose four lesser known black causes for the collective donation, to raise awareness about them and redirect the next round of giving.

Their peers are buzzing with ideas about what they might do next to keep up the momentum: organizing teach-ins with other people of color; putting pressure on their employers; volunteering their time; offering their skills in video editing, graphic design, fundraising; and the list goes on.

All of these -- the questioning, the soul-searching, the creative initiatives, the springing into action -- have made a septuagenarian like me, already a veteran of marching and protesting, teary-eyed and incredibly hopeful. Yes, our children have taken up the baton of change. Yes, the world will be a better place in their hands. And yes, they might be able to talk sense to their elders (some of whom are saying some pretty ignorant, disgusting and wrong comments about the current turmoil), as long as they are willing to listen and learn. 

This week in Positively Filipino:

Why The ‘Anti-Terror’ Bill Imperils Philippine Democracy By Ernesto M. Hilario

How Filipinos Are Coping With COVID-19, Part One: Canada, Singapore, UK, Italy
By Cecilia Manguerra-Brainard

Mark Dacascos Defines Cool Onscreen And In Quarantine By Anthony Maddela

Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 5 By Mona Lisa Yuchengco 

[Partner] Reflections On June 12, 1898: Philippine Declaration Of Independence Amid A "Dangerous International Environment" By Dr. Frank Jenista 

Read Again: A Black Man’s Burden By Rene G. Ontal

Cook Again: The Happy Home Cook: Adobong Dilaw, A Timeless Recipe By Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Video of the Week: Wake Up in the Philippines from the Philippine Department of Tourism

ITKs: Timely Stories from other Publications

Stories from the Frontlines: Filipinos in the U.S. on George Floyd, Protests, Racism, and Fear
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/george-floyd-protests-a00202-20200604-lfrm4?fbclid=IwAR0nwDoRwHlnlLIgH_RKKxmsHuACwBlWvssxtiK2PqMZXRBCw9BfpF_VP-Q

Shooting the Invisible, With Photographer Xyza Cruz Bacani
https://waytogo.cebupacificair.com/xyza-cruz-bacani-photography/?fbclid=IwAR3qXI1TGO3WlvE2lkU9mNByr6srsgVsR5PCd2pA-Ic3EcQOQmxvMGB9-rI

In a Philippine indigenous stronghold, traditions keep COVID-19 at bay
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/04/in-a-philippine-indigenous-stronghold-traditions-keep-covid-19-at-bay/?fbclid=IwAR13p6hXxv048tp-dfeMugOp_ocpFkiF18UxiQJb1asHzcifXr8i22foObQ

These horrifying ‘human zoos’ delighted American audiences at the turn of the 20th century
https://timeline.com/human-zoo-worlds-fair-7ef0d0951035

These Two Labour Leaders Were Assassinated 40 Years Ago In Seattle
https://philippinecanadiannews.com/canada/editorial-celebrating-the-legacy-of-filipino-labour-unionism/?fbclid=IwAR3lrHvkarFoqDiF6UlUZaM39WhDV3p1TiJg5CthPlfYSOpv4TbSzMGbvYo

Top 10 Books of Filipino Stories for Children
https://www.tagaloglang.com/top-10-books-of-filipino-stories-for-children/?fbclid=IwAR0r6kDOAmX6PzJYsx87QIIagRt6Nv2s0huRgM35ywiKnQKukTvOdjrcsY8