Some of the best Filipino movies were created in the mid-1970s to the mid-80s when the likes of Lino Brocka, Ismael Bernal, Mike de Leon, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Peque Gallaga, Eddie Romero and Lupita Kashiwahara dominated the directorial scene.

Not surprisingly, the period also brought about the elevation of production design as an award category, in recognition of its role in setting the overall look and feel of a movie. Setting the gold standard for production design was Fiel Zabat, who worked on some of that era's most critically acclaimed films and won many awards for her work.

The Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino recently awarded Fiel with the Natatanging Gawad Urian, the lifetime achievement honor, for her body of work. Manunuri stalwart Butch Francisco writes an extensive feature on Fiel's filmography and dishes out some juicy behind-the-scenes stories of the making of a number of Filipino film classics. ["Fiel Zabat: A Film Production Designer’s Production Designer"]

Meanwhile, the world is hopefully in the homestretch of the war against the Covid-19 virus and contributing writer Susan Araneta sums up the large role of Filipino health workers in various countries who were the frontliners in this, the most severe public health challenge of the century. ["A Virus Among Us: Filipinos and COVID-19"]

In Hawaii where many Fil-Ams won elective positions in the state legislature, long-time Honolulu resident and professor Belinda Aquino writes about the distinguished career Senator Donna Mercado Kim. ["State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim: A Household Name in Hawaii"]

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