Once In A Lifetime

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The Filipina actor Cherie Gil was a once-in-a-lifetime talent that graced Philippine movies and television for almost five decades. She belonged to showbiz royalty with her parents Eddie Mesa and Rosemarie Gil, her brothers Michael de Mesa and Mark Gil, and a big bunch of nephews and nieces who are likewise making their mark in the entertainment industry. Cherie's demise announced on August 5 led to a deluge of tributes, one of them from her friend, PF contributor Pablo Tariman. ["Cherie Gil, A Beautiful Soul"]

Five years ago, a distinguished Filipino was flying to New York via Vancouver when he suffered a heart attack. When the airline crew called for a physician among the passengers, a Filipino doctor and his wife, also a doctor, rushed to resuscitate him, but it was too late. The distinguished gentleman was Washington SyCip, 96 years old, an icon in the business community. The doctor who tried to save him was Blas Bermudez who wrote about the heartbreaking experience on his Facebook post, which we are reposting here. ["Last Flight Home"]

Filipinos of a certain age crooned and swooned to The Association's big hits like "Never My Love," "Cherish," "Windy," and "Along Comes Mary." What we didn't know then was that a Filipino-Hawaiian was a big part of that cherished pop group and in fact became the group's leader in 1984. Larry Ramos was a Bridge Generation Fil-Am worth extolling and Peter Jamero, another Bridge Generation stalwart, does so. ["Along Comes Larry"]

 If you haven't yet, go and watch Easter Sunday, the movie starring a delightful cast of Filipino Americans led by Jo Koy. One of them is Rodney To, who plays Tito Arthur. PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela profiles this real-life professor of dramatic arts at the University of Southern California. ["Rodney To is More Than Just Jo Koy's Uncle in Easter Sunday"]

Hometowns was one of our popular series that collected personal nostalgia stories about places in the Philippines that defined one's character and memories. Here's one of those narratives about the tiny island of Cuyo, where writer Noni Mendoza grew up and continues to yearn for. ["My Island in the Sun"]

[Read It Again]

The yo-yo is not a Filipino invention but a Filipino, Pedro Edralin Flores, got the first commercial trademark for the toy in the US: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/pedro-and-the-yo-yo-man-and-myth

The beauty of indigenous Filipino tattoos is on full display in this story:

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/mark-of-four-waves

{Cook It Again] The Happy Home Cook: Marinated Baby Back Ribs 

[Video of the Week] Little Girl Does T’boli Dance

[Partner] Sinehan sa Konsulado 2022 - As part of the Sinehan sa Konsulado 2022, Positively Filipino presents a special screening of Mona Lisa Yuchengco’s MARILOU DIAZ-ABAYA: FILMMAKER ON A VOYAGE. The film will be available VOD (video-on-demand) for FREE from 12 noon August 19 to 12 noon August 25 PST on this access link: https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/marilou-diaz-abaya-filmmaker-on-a-voyage

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Staff

Women Power

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We join the celebration of Women's Month with stories by, about and for Filipino women, so keep reading us in the next few weeks as we honor those that hold up half the sky. Like artist Imelda Cajipe Endaya, as profiled by Serina Aidasani in "Presents from the Past." Her art is inspired by her passion for Philippine history and her exploration of what it means to be Filipina in today's world.

And then there's author F.H. Batacan whose book, Smaller and Smaller Circles, a whodunit set in Metro Manila's Payatas garbage dump, won the Palanca Memorial Award, the Philippine National Book Award and the Madrigal-Gonzales Best First Book Award. The murder mystery is considered the first Philippine crime novel. This must-read book, now international distributed, is reviewed by veteran journalist Ben Pimentel.

In "Looking for My Father in Cuyo Island," contributing writer Gia R. Mendoza revisits her family history as she returns to the island of her birth where her father was once the resident physician. It was an eye-opening, nostalgic journey for her and she shares the experience with us.

Our publisher, Mona Lisa Yuchengco, likewise shares her thoughts on the joys and the challenges of returning to our homeland, something which she does regularly but still looks forward to and savors. "Four Funerals and a Surgery" is something most balikbayans can relate to.

And here's something you might want to Read Again: Journalist Aurora Almendral's profile of Henry Motte Muñoz, a French-born Filipino whose crusade against corruption led him to set up a social enterprise called Bantay PH. Motte Muñoz was recently named by Forbes magazine as one of "30 Under 30" outstanding young people to watch out for. 

Our Happy Home Cook featured recipe this week is an easy one for dinner: Ginataang Tilapia from Rene Astudillo.

And our Video of the Week: from the Broadway hit "Hamilton," creator and lead actor Lin-Manuel Miranda introduces new Filipina cast member, Karla Puno Garcia, in this rap song "!0 Taglish Duel Commandments."

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Gemma Nemenzo

Editor, Positively Filipino