Feast or Famine

This June has been a momentous month, in both bad and good ways. The Philippines is about to begin a new era on July 1 and, depending on which side you're forecasting from, there's a "feast or famine" dichotomy involved. The incoming administration will either be the best of times or the worst of times.

What is undeniable is it's bogged down by an inherited ignominy that involves dictatorship, unprecedented corruption, and attempts to rewrite history. How will it govern effectively with these historical albatrosses weighing it down? At this point, one can only surmise; the President-elect is characteristically reticent about his plans and policies, hinting only through his choice of people to head key positions, and most of them are unknown.

Meanwhile, as the curtain closes on the Rodrigo Duterte administration, here's an objective look at what he has done: Read Again Prof. Patricio Abinales' analysis, "Duterte's Mixed Legacy." 

And if you're still gobsmacked by the results of the May elections, here's a controversial take by political analyst/defeated candidate Walden Bello: [Opinion] A Disaster Waiting To Happen: Marcos Jr. And The 2022 Elections

And yet, there are silver linings as always. The 2022 roster of National Artists is an impressive and deserving lot. Leading the pack is Nora Aunor, the long-hailed superstar who started out as a singer and evolved into one of the best actresses the Philippines has ever produced. Movie expert Mauro Feria Tumbocon Jr. wrote a story on Nora for PF and it's as timeless as its title: The Timeless Nora Aunor

Seltzer water with Filipino flavors, anyone? That's NY-based Fil-Am Sandro Roco's Sanzo brand, available through such giant retailers as Amazon, Whole Foods and Target, among others. Sanzo comes in mango, lychee, calamansi and yuzu with ginger flavors as PF Correspondent Anthony Maddela reports.

This Makes Us Smile: Mommy’s Brew

The actress Caridad Sanchez's love affair with coffee, as described by her unica hija, Cathy Sanchez Babao.

Another Read Again, this time a last hurrah for Pride Month and exquisite writing by early PF contributor, Migs Bassig: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/2/via-del-mar

And who can beat Filipino humor? Another sampling of Funny Signs: Forgive Us Our Signs 15

[Recipe of the Week] The Happy Home Cook: Bulanglang Batangas-Style With Crispy Tawilis And Calamansi Dipping Sauce

[Video of the Week] Halimaw

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In The Know

Ressa says Philippine courts to decide Rappler closure order
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-hawaii-honolulu-3fab6d6081c5fc57ca0dd307bdf433eb 

‘The Punisher’: Rodrigo Duterte’s violent reign as Philippines president to end
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/28/the-punisher-rodrigo-dutertes-violent-reign-as-philippines-president-to-end?utm_term=62bae63b411cb8a3e2ab3a5d96cff1b7&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email

In the Philippines, Will Marcos Give the Media Hell Like Duterte Did?
https://niemanreports.org/articles/philippines-ferdinand-marcos-duterte/

Kumu Founder Roland Ros on How Social Media Can Spark Social Change
https://www.tatlerasia.com/power-purpose/technology/roland-ros-founder-kumu?utm_campaign=ASIA_DIG_FULL20220402&utm_medium=email&utm_source=tatlerasia.com

Liwayway magazine brings back physical circulation after changes due to pandemic
https://interaksyon.philstar.com/hobbies-interests/2022/06/21/219972/liwayway-magazine-brings-back-physical-circulation-after-changes-due-to-pandemic/?fbclid=IwAR0XdWL0uG6iuYCVt0A1JvYvNtIwXTOKr37FjlhqS_JdZ8a4bPt2KWTRK_4

It has the largest collection of late 19th century houses in PH, but the houses are fast disappearing
https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/06/21/22/why-manilas-san-nicolas-district-needs-to-be-rescued?fbclid=IwAR2jTkxTMzOZ8O9CimVR5g62RcpBxoVtGY98mk-21ij7AyFih5ZGYhRpgds

What Manila Looked Like in Its Heyday
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/lifestyle/manila-glory-days-a1729-20190408-lfrm?utm_source=Facebook-Esquire&utm_medium=Ownshare&utm_campaign=20220622-fbnp-culture-manila-glory-days-a1729-20190408-lfrm-fbold&fbclid=IwAR2L3Yj2Vky2__-RIGlY0eQukYp7rfZdSfjTdoGyhaJqiyjTANbqAcYAADw

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Meet the Alaskeros

They call themselves Alaskeros, Filipinos who are seasonal workers in the fish canneries of Alaska. In his youth, author/poet/beloved teacher Oscar Peñaranda was one of them, but he did something more than scaling and slicing salmon. He chronicled in vivid detail the grit, the color, the toughness and of course the joy of being an Alaskero, a job or a circumstance that lends itself to a lot of riveting stories. Here, in "Pieces of the (Midnight) Sun: Sketches of An Alaskero" are those stories, with some name changes for privacy. 

What is a Poet Laureate and what does she have to do? Apparently plenty, as Filipino American poet Aileen Cassinetto describes her day. She was chosen by the San Mateo County (California) Board of Supervisors as its third Poet Laureate, the first Asian American to be thus honored. In addition to telling us what her mandate is, Aileen shares the poem she wrote and read before the county board's first meeting this year. 

This week, we join our homeland in mourning the passing and celebrating the life of Armida Siguion-Reyna, TV personality and cultural activist, who long-lasting TV show, "Aawitan Kita," preserved the legacy of Filipino music, particularly the kundiman. Read Again the profile written by her granddaughter, Sara Siguion-Reyna, "We Call Her Mahal."  

To add flavor to your Valentine's Day, how's about baking some Meringue Cookies with Toffee, a recipe from PF Correspondent and cookbook author Elizabeth Ann Quirino for the Happy Home Cook. 

And here's a Read Again that should make you appreciate better your unencumbered Valentine's Day: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/when-hilario-met-sally-the-fight-against-anti-miscegenation-laws 

Here are our In The Know links for your reading pleasure:

Journalists, institutions decry 'absurd legal attack' against Rappler
https://www.rappler.com/nation/222921-journalists-institutions-decry-absurd-legal-attack-against-rappler?fbclid=IwAR10bwPmbR03zPzJFTXBM4AkKlke0sxwSOKlrq3TJoVs-BRXx_E0rll7f4Y

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=IwAR2xfo8QBIsxQJ2KRBP0oOorhqOLix9fWXSPY9b99JHL50PPlSInGFO8QJA

This place in Metro Manila takes you on a gripping Martial Law tour
https://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/travel/ph-travel/146918-martial-law-tour-bantayog-ng-mga-bayani?fbclid=IwAR0iZ9vTP-Ms_cKMJynrFQIZZpOJDSSX6MW72WzYAph7VLxbistXjuq_LNQ

'Comfort women' activist, dead at 92, fought for reparations 'until the end'
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/comfort-women-activist-dead-92-fought-reparations-until-end-n964936?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_aa&fbclid=IwAR10bwPmbR03zPzJFTXBM4AkKlke0sxwSOKlrq3TJoVs-BRXx_E0rll7f4Y

For Video of the Week, educator Dr. Carl E. Balita posted an informational video on facebook on the importance of the Philippines to the world.

Remember Bataan!

On April 9, 1942, from the depths of Corregidor island, this beautifully crafted but heartbreaking message written by then-Captain Salvador P. Lopez (much later ambassador and UP president) was read over "The Voice of Freedom" by Lieutenant Norman Reyes:

Bataan has fallen. The Philippine-American troops on this war-ravaged and blood-stained peninsula have laid down their arms. With heads bloody but unbowed, they have yielded to the superior force and numbers of the enemy.

The world will long remember the epic struggle that the Filipino and American soldiers put up in the jungle fastness and along the rugged coasts of Bataan. They have stood up uncomplaining under the constant and grueling fire of the enemy for more than three months. Besieged on land, and blockaded by sea, cut off from all sources of help in the Philippines and America, these intrepid fighters have done all that human endurance should bear.

For what sustained them through these months of incessant battle was a force more than physical. It was the force of unconquerable faith -- something in the heart and soul that physical adversity and hardship could not destroy. It was the thought of native land and all that it holds most dear, the thought of freedom and dignity and pride in those most priceless of all our human prerogatives.

Our men fought a brave and bitterly contested struggle. All the world will testify to the almost superhuman endurance with which they stood up until the last, in the face of overwhelming odds.

The decision had to come. Men fighting under the banner of an unshakable faith are made of something more than flesh, but they are not impervious to steel. The flesh must yield at last, endurance melts away, and the end of the battle must come.

BATAAN HAS FALLEN! But the spirit that made it stand -- a beacon to all the liberty-loving people of the world -- cannot fall!

Today, 76 years hence, we continue to pay tribute to the veterans of World War II. Read Again:

http://www.positivelyfilipino. com/magazine/remember-bataan? rq=bataan

http://www.positivelyfilipino. com/magazine/re-enacting-the- bataan-death-march-a-personal- journey?rq=bataan

Our new stories this week:

Anting-anting (amulet) as artwork is the focus of Dr. Michael Gonzalez's review of Michael Arcega's ongoing exhibit at the University of San Francisco's Thacher Gallery.

PF Correspondent Rene M. Astudillo got the surprise of his life when his tongue-in-cheek piece on "selfitis" in his satirical blog, The Adobo Chronicles, was picked up by an academic journal and actually became the subject of an academic paper. Indeed, life can imitate satire.

From Chicagoland, PF Correspondent Rey de la Cruz writes about the upscale E + O Food and Drink Restaurant, highly rated by Zagat, that offers Filipino dishes. No surprise because it's owned by a Filipino. The restaurant shares with us its own recipe of Pork Belly Adobo, our Happy Home Cook feature of the week.

We hope our links to a variety of stories will keep you In The Know:

6 Filipino female scientists who are improving the way we live
http://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2018/04/02/filipino-female-scientists.html#.WsMZL1v5nFE.facebook

How to Transfer a Land Title from a Deceased Parent in Philippines?http://www.affordablecebu.com/load/real_estate/how_to_transfer_a_land_title_from_a_deceased_parents_in_philippines/43-1-0-30273

'America Is Not the Heart': Elaine Castillo's debut novel offers a tender portrait of Filipino-American culture
http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/sc-books-america-is-not-the-heart-elaine-castillo-0404-story.html

Reflecting on the Legacy of Doreen Gamboa Fernandez
http://fnbreport.ph/features/reflecting-on-the-legacy-of-doreen-gamboa-fernandez-mickyf-20170401/

For Video of the Week, Rappler's correspondents share the dangers they face while on the job.