Of Philippine Democracy and Heroes

This issue marks the 8th year of Positively Filipino's publication. As some of you know, there are only four of us putting this e-magazine to bed but we are supported by our writers pool of over a hundred contributors (and counting). To them and to all of you, our readers, we owe our continued existence. Thank you for sticking with us.  

We begin 2022 with the continuing dissection by the former chair of the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Andres Bautista of the realities of the Philippine electoral system.  For this issue, he continues debunking "the Big Lie" of 2016, which has real-life repercussions on the 2022 election. 

A controversial decision by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to redesign the 1,000-peso bill by replacing the images of three WW II heroes -- Josefa Llanes Escoda, Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos, and General Vicente Lim -- with the Philippine Eagle has triggered an uproar. Historical researcher and author Desiree Ann C. Benipayo makes a case for keeping the three in the 1K bill.

Aside from the martyrdom of Escoda, Abad Santos and Lim in the hands of the Japanese conquerors, they have another thing in common as history professor Jose Victor Z. Torres states. Find out more in "The Last Time They Were Seen Alive."

One of the best memoirs I've ever read on growing up a Fil-Am male is the late Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Alex Tizon's Big Little Man, published before he wrote that highly controversial essay, "My Family's Slave." Retired Philippine Ambassador Virgilio A. Reyes, a regular PF contributor, writes about Tizon's heartbreaking deep dive into the psyche of being male, gifted and brown in a society that values white the most. 

New Year toasts may be over and done but a Meyer Lemon Frozen Margarita is timeless. For the Happy Home Cook, Elizabeth Ann Quirino shares her concoction.

Our Video of the Week  offers a good start to the New Year: a frank, painful and ultimately inspirational TED talk by former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach on her mental health challenges. 

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In The Know

Yssa Mei Panganiban talks Hawkeye and representing her Filipino Heritage in exciting interview
https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2021/12/30/yssa-mei-panganiban-hawkeye/?fbclid=IwAR2nyjlAaHSxWFbiT6rYRqPMdWC7okbuM4b3KoIqDhNv0KY4zUNAPWlsCcc 

Everybody’s Favorite 24-Hour Filipino Bakery Has Finally Reopened
https://www.kqed.org/arts/13896138/ling-nam-starbread-filipino-bakery-senorita-bread-24-hour-daly-city-open?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=202101127Arts&mc_key=00Q1Y00001xHmruUAC

The Untold Story of the Igorots' Revolt
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/the-untold-story-of-the-igorots-revolt-a00293-20201023-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20211211-fbnp-long-reads-the-untold-story-of-the-igorots-revolt-a00293-20201023-lfrm-fbold&fbclid=IwAR2DyzvtS3H8THJ1OWk4Shzc14iQiek905O2XFPf5Q7h82Yq47-Vn0xAiSY

Listening to the lost peoples of Philippine history
https://philstarlife.com/geeky/482691-philippine-history-regalado-trota?page=3&fbclid=IwAR2axT4AMVCY48c-OxOjrJJlzDTkhY3HWZudUWVfNI12SnLjHsVmEUrIIEU

Scars of Empire: Harvard’s Role in U.S. Colonialism in the Philippines
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/12/13/wikstrom-scars-of-empire/?fbclid=IwAR2TNvBMUBtkW4mrHAo4P2NJkx6NEyex3CVqbbx_J5pLrwbx0U3qJ4WCQX0

Quezon City: The History of New Manila & Doña Magdalena Hemady
https://lakansining.wordpress.com/2019/02/06/quezon-city-the-history-of-new-manila-dona-magdalena-hemady/?fbclid=IwAR1QT7NOv452xdsVnZ6wRhOs2wsqN4EFa98xsefvNDWEZSEctEsB-rgzB7Q

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Blazing Trails and Digging Up Memories

If you're in Washington, D.C. next week (January 27-31), consider yourself lucky to be able to watch Stella Abrera, the first Filipina American principal dancer of the American Ballet Theater. Stella will be dancing in "Sleeping Beauty," Tchaikovsky's well-loved creation, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts. For those who will miss this star performance, we have Anthony Maddela's feature, "Stella's Star Turn" for you this week.

Another must-see, if you're in New York, is "Allegiance," the gripping musical about a little known tragedy in American history -- the internment of Japanese Americans in remote camps during World War II simply because they were of Japanese heritage and therefore suspected of not being loyal Americans. This is George Takei's story and he appears here with Lea Salonga who gives another masterful performance in Broadway. Joyce Ibardolasa, who flew to New York to watch the musical, gives us her take on this memorable -- and timely -- piece of theater. Something not to be missed, if you're in the Big Apple.

Speaking of memories, Isabel Taylor Escoda shares one she can never forget: her meeting with Hollywood hotshot Tyrone Power when she was 12. It was 1950 and the dashing star was in the Philippines to film the movie, "An American Guerrilla in the Philippines," another story that emanated from WWII.

And still another commemoration: the centenary of literary giant NVM Gonzalez brought together 17 writers, educators and cultural workers to the Philippines for a workshop organized by NVM's son, Myke. In "Pilgrimage to a Literary Legacy," Lisa Suguitan Melnick takes us with her to UP Diliman and Mindoro for a week she'll always remember.

Our Happy Home Cook feature this week: two recipes for Bicol Express from the book Pulutan: From the Soldiers' Kitchen by Elmer Cruz and Emerson Rosales. The two were Navy ensigns when they were incarcerated for participating in the 2003 "Oakwood mutiny," a failed military rebellion. With the considerable free time they had in prison, and fueled by their love for food and drink, the two compiled recipes from various sources into this one-of-a-kind book.

And our Video of the Week: we can't get enough of Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach's media blitz, this time on New York's Hot 97 radio where she talks about how she trained for Miss Philippines, admits to a big crush on James Franco and hints at a future political career. Quite a witty and delightful subject, this Pia. 

It's Our Third Birthday!

This issue marks our third year of putting out Positively Filipino. We'd like to thank all of you -- our talented writers, our loyal readers and our advertisers -- for your unwavering support as we gather stories of Filipinos all over the world and share them with you. We hope this magazine has created a community of kindred spirits proud and happy to be Filipino wherever they may be,  whatever their circumstance and citizenship. Our staff of four is grateful for all the words of encouragement, the accolades and the prizes that have been sent our way. We are truly humbled and inspired. 

Have you ever wondered how you got your surname? If you go back several generations, chances are it was assigned to your ancestors through some random act or event when the Philippines was still under Spanish friar rule. Regular contributor Dr. Penelope V. Flores uses her obsession for onomastics (new word of the day - look it up!) to trace the origin of Filipino surnames and comes up with some pretty interesting insights. Read "How Filipinos Got Their Surnames" and learn.

Check out our delicious new masthead when you click on "Flour Power," the feature of Contributing Writer Rey E. de la Cruz on the Palasigue brothers of Morton Grove, Illinois. Jojo and Jing own and operate Cakes 'n Crumbs Gourmet Bakeshop, and graciously offered to come up with a cake with the Positively Filipino logo. It looked inviting and though we never tasted it, I'm sure it's as good as the brothers' reputation for gourmet cakes, pastries and other baked goods. Jing Palasigue's own Brazo de Mercedes recipe is our offering for the Happy Home Cook this week so even if you're not in Chicago, you can bake yourself one of their bestselling products. Let us know how it goes.

We've published almost 500 stories and we'd like to re-post some of them for you to Read Again. "The First Quarter Storm Was No Dinner Party," a two-parter by prominent Filipino writer Jose F. Lacaba, takes us back to Philippine history during the tumultuous early '70s.

"Love Baskets for Betty"  is a heartwarming backgrounder on some of the handmade collectible baskets created by Jose Formoso Reyes, and won for Contributing Writer Myles A. Garcia a Plaridel Award for feature writing.

Our Video of the Week: Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach shows that she's indeed worthy of the title in her first interview on ABC's Good Morning America.