Ghosts, Priests, Publicity

While August 21, 1983 will be forever remembered as the day Ninoy Aquino was assassinated, there was another August 21 tragedy 12 years prior that should also be enshrined in our homeland's collective memory: the bombing of Plaza Miranda in 1971. The heinous crime almost wiped out the entire opposition (the Liberal Party) to Ferdinand Marcos who promptly responded by suspending the writ of habeas corpus and subsequently, declaring martial law.

To jog our memories, we are reprinting "The Ghosts of Plaza Miranda," an excerpt from investigative journalist/historian Gregg Jones' book, Red Revolution: Inside the Philippine Guerrilla Movement. Likewise, author and former revolutionary Mila D. Aguilar gives us a personal account of where she was on that fateful day.

Filipino priests are now making their mark in the US as about 800 of them are ministering to the spiritual health of Catholics in various states. Harvey I. Barkin in "OFWs of the Cloth" relates the journeys and the challenges that Pinoy priests have faced as they try to organize themselves into the National Assembly of Filipino Priests (NAFP), under the encouragement of LA Auxiliary Bishop (and the highest ranking Filipino in the US Catholic Church hierarchy) Oscar Solis.

Regular contributor Anthony Maddela scores another major story in "Go-Getter," about Sony Pictures' Senior Vice President of Worldwide Publicity Fritz Friedman. Friedman, who immigrated to the US from Manila when he was a young boy, has chalked up impressive accomplishments in the movie and video industry as a publicist par excellence, and his name is worth dropping if you're in that industry. He retires this month after 34 years with Sony Pictures.

Everyone's talking about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, so we're riding the wave and giving you links to the Filipino celebrities who have gotten wet, all in the spirit of fun and charity.

We are also posting a video interview of Michelle Pozon, a Filipina entrepreneur in Paris, who has joined the thousands of people all over the world helping out the victims of Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda.