January 11, 2023

Our Sports Hall of Famers

January 11, 2023/ Staff

It may come as a surprise to this Instagram generation familiar with the accomplishments of Manny Pacquiao, Hidilyn Diaz, EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo that once upon a time, during their grandparents' and even their parents' lifetimes, the terms "Filipino" and "sports champs" were very rarely used in the same sentence.

Once in a generation, there might have been a Flash Elorde or a Eugene Torre or a Paeng Nepomuceno who dazzled with their prowess, but they were flashes-in-the-pan, so to speak -- rare occurrences. Thus, it's no surprise that in the long history of sports, only ten Filipinos so far have been recognized as Hall of Famers in their respective arenas. Our Iloilo-based contributing writer Vicente Salas introduces the "Filipino Sports Greats and Hall of Famers," a slim list that will soon expand.

Nearer to the present, Fil-Am small businesses, other than the usual karinderya, hardly made a ripple even in the Fil-Am community beyond their neighborhoods. Today, Fil-Am entrepreneurs like Raibyn Cabiling of San Diego have established a presence in both mainstream and social media, peddling such products as t-shirts, headwear and an innovative "barongorak" that invokes Filipino culture. PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela reports.

The itch to travel is universal but does it have to be done alone? PF contributing writer Ian Layugan dissects the different facets of traveling solo, and presents words of caution and the challenge of daring.

What does it take to be surrogate mother/caregiver/mentor to a chess prodigy? Lotis Key, once a star in Philippine movies and theater, found herself assuming that role and wrote about it. Read Again "A Traveling Fool." http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/a-traveling-fool

His name no longer rings a bell so PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia reintroduced him to a new audience. Read Again "Before Elorde and Pacquiao, There Was Luis Logan" on a boxing hero that should not be forgotten. http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/before-elorde-and-pacquiao-there-was-luis-logan

Always a comfort food, here's Sizzling Bangus Sisig for the Happy Home Cook: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-happy-home-cook-sizzling-bangus-sisig

[Video of the Week] The Fight Over Manila's Last Forests: Masungi Watershed

In The Know

Policymaking in 2023

https://www.bworldonline.com/opinion/2023/01/08/497120/policymaking-in-2023/?fbclid=IwAR0JfGTO34GOcsr8PIQ4pMuo2npMG4YopszYZTno19RGhz6TxQ47x6I-kWY

The Fallout of a Failed Jihadist Insurgency in the Philippines

https://newlinesmag.com/review/the-fallout-of-a-failed-jihadist-insurgency-in-the-philippines/?fbclid=IwAR1vjXUgC1sEuNsD8ri-soFvq2JczWjs9CQgfY12CiitGQWA8-mrqVqiUPk

The Continuing Imprisonment of Leila de Lima Is an International Scandal

https://www.thenation.com/article/world/leila-de-lima-philippines-imprisonment/

Teen girls aren't the only ones squealing over BTS. Meet the 'Titas of BTS,' a group of older women who are giving younger boy band fans a run for their money.

https://www.insider.com/meet-titas-of-bts-where-older-fans-of-bts-can-celebrate-their-favorite-boy-band-2023-1?fbclid=IwAR35KtF6YxTSnywN9pBFNIZS4gFUqYLfr0tTF0XFQURKvi_HTyhV83CSrys

Dolly De Leon is the Captain Now

https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/dolly-de-leon-interview-january-2023-a2765-20230109-lfrm3?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare-Photo&utm_campaign=20230109-fbnp-long-reads-dolly-de-leon-interview-january-2023-a2765-20230109-lfrm3-fbnew&fbclid=IwAR3hinLRAJqC1rwu9cTX2cYYcGEg8IIuxAAygKfvZtsEhZA3MmS60ZuW_78

January 04, 2023

Filipino American Milestones and Millstones 2022

January 04, 2023/ Staff

How did Filipino Americans fare in 2022? PF Correspondent Cherie Querol Moreno describes the year as a roller coaster, good things juxtaposed with the bad, crimes and misdemeanors interspersed with the triumph of many who ran for public office, several of them for the first time, in multiple states. Take the ride in "Fil-Am Milestones and Millstones 2022."

What is without doubt is that 2022 was a sad year. Many mourned family members and Filipinos felt the loss of some of its beloved icons. PF Publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco pays tribute to them in "In Memoriam 2022."

On a brighter note, FilAm author Angela Garbes -- she who has written two hot selling books and was interviewed by Trevor Noah on his nightly show -- converses with PF contributing writer Claire Mercado Obias on how her Filipino heritage inspired her to write about motherhood and immigration. Her latest book, Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change, is listed as one of the best books of 2022 by both NPR and the New Yorker.

Some reposts of timeless topics:

How Filipinos Got Their Surnames
Dr. Penelope Flores gives us a history lesson on how we got our surnames.

Filipino Terms of Endearment
Myles A. Garcia explores the terms we use to express love.

Another reason to keep coconut water handy:

[Make It Again] The Happy Home Cook: Binacol na Manok (Chicken Stewed in Coconut Water)

[Video of the Week] A Passion for Ube

In The Know

The Philippines' food worries amid Ukraine war and typhoons

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64053059?fbclid=IwAR2UNPq6kwqdIIi76axIbwNXlqR5ssqpKxk7YtlCLJaau6yX8rPu214C7uU

Heading East Bay Filipino food manufacturing, distributing company a labor of love

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/12/30/heading-filipino-food-manufacturing-distributing-company-a-labor-of-love/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_content=fb-eastbaytimes&utm_source=facebook.com&fbclid=IwAR2lbQ2iiUqm6BrKST3_ewveuar3TRnvNWGN8HEjDqZvCMsbtTfqsRRJviU

The making of a movie queen: Susan Roces, her growing up years, her leading men, her fiercest rival

https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/05/29/22/susan-roces-and-the-making-of-a-movie-queen?fbclid=IwAR2Vd-T_RgD8nuUUvxcqMUaqlV7kvp3sPzSRPbA49zU3HduW5ypqrW8p1uY

The first Rizal books on Audible are read by acclaimed British actor Richard Grant

https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/12/28/22/you-can-now-listen-to-the-noli-and-fili-on-audible?fbclid=IwAR2MeqP4vvHwKK-Z8xtwx70IjBVVns_hWC9bJa3jSS22A8SZy0rSnWuozao

Dolly De Leon On Her ‘Triangle Of Sadness’ Golden Globe Nomination And What It Means To The Filipino Community

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffconway/2022/12/29/dolly-de-leon-on-her-triangle-of-sadness-golden-globe-nomination-and-what-it-means-to-her-filipino-community/?fbclid=IwAR1-wa8sNyTiHxvltnDD2tgXAOKcX8L_m3TYMPi4I-A75YHm2Jkvr0wII6E&sh=51b3aa067fc9

How Two Former Fragrance Execs Are Using Travel To Inspire A New Organic Beauty Company

https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2022/12/31/how-two-former-fragrance-execs-are-using-travel-to-inspire-a-new-organic-beauty-company/?sh=27d8169c7572&fbclid=IwAR1PivYvudQWCLTWcOHfyEQ7Pty5rQUGkE6Hn7AU0gkwguGR_ObSQSQtovM

October 19, 2022

If You Want to Know Who We Are

October 19, 2022/ Staff

For those of you who have just Subscribed to get this Positively Filipino newsletter in your Inbox every Wednesday, you can go to our website, positivelyfilipino.com to get the lay of the land, so to speak. PF as you know, is purely online and we've been around since 2013. Thus, we have a rich collection of Filipino diaspora stories from our impressive roster of writers. Click on Collections and Series to peruse our archives. And if you want to know who we are, here's the link: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/editorial/

In addition to this week's lineup of stories, you can also check out our In Brief section http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/in-brief for quick updates on news about Filipinos worldwide. Our Community News section http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/community-news links you to events you might want to join or support.

Don't miss out on our curated In The Know links to significant stories from other publications below. The links are accessible only through this newsletter, in the same way that our chosen Video of the Week can only be accessed below.

As always, PF strives to be the unifying thread that links us through generations, to our motherland, to Filipinos wherever they may be in the world, to our history and culture, and to each other via the vast variety of stories we have gathered and continue to collect.

Like PF contributing writer Lourdes Sobredo's kwento about her late grandpa, Perfecto delos Santos, who was one of the manongs who arrived in California in 1929 and worked the farms along with thousands of young, Filipino males who left the Philippines to seek better opportunities in the US.

From Japan, long-time resident Amadio Arboleda gives a synopsis of his book about his decades-long search for Atsuko Nambu, a gold medalist in the 100-meter relay during the Asian Games of 1954. The teenage athlete unwittingly softened the hearts of Filipinos still bitter over the Japanese occupation just a few years before.

From Washington D.C., historian Erwin Tiongson tells of his visit to the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center, where he saw the Boeing P-26, a short-lived war plane that nonetheless played an important part in the WW II history of Philippine aviation.

From the Netherlands, Maya Butalid -- leftist, revolutionary, feminist, community activist -- chronicles her journey from "true believer" to one who had to leave, in her recently published memoir reviewed by our regular contributor, Patricio Abinales.

And for those who missed last week's webinar on the "HANAPEPE Massacre Mystery 1924," here's the link to the recording.

There is never a dearth of interesting, heartwarming and provocative stories from Filipinos, and if you have one, we encourage you to write and share.