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

The recently concluded Olympics in Tokyo was the Philippines' most successful in its 97 years of participation. A medal haul of one gold, two silvers and a bronze from a delegation of 19 athletes is not too shabby for a country that hardly provides institutional support to its Olympic contenders. Here's an informative wrap-up of the Tokyo games by Olympic historian and PF Correspondent Myles A. Garcia. ["Filipino Sports Stars in the Land of the Rising Sun"]

Retired Ambassador Virgilio A. Reyes Jr. provides a valuable history lesson on the parallelism between the Spain during its civil war years (1930s) and the Philippine Commonwealth era. He shines a spotlight on Adelina Gurrea, a little-known (in the Philippines) Filipino-Spanish writer of that period who blazed trails with her writing and her life. ["Philippine Echoes of Spain's Civil War"]

K-pop may rule the pop music world today but P-pop, its Filipino counterpart, is making big waves too, according to Harvey I. Barkin who introduces PF readers to BINI, the P-pop girl band which is a creation of ABS-CBN's Star Hunt Academy in cooperation with MU Doctor, the Korean company of dance and vocal trainers that handled such phenoms as BTS. ["P-pop's BINI: Not Just Eye Candy"]

Fully vaxxed people are reportedly embarking on road trips this summer in the US. It was six years ago when my husband and I began our road trip across the US that took us over 33,000 miles and three months. Read Again my first report on our adventure of a lifetime.

For the Happy Home Cook this week, here's a repeat of a popular Filipino street food: Banana-cue!

For Video of the Week, we feature the mansion Palacio de Memoria in Parañaque.