Canny Assignations

It's almost Valentine's Day so let's talk about lust. 

Oscar Peñaranda, beloved teacher of many, poet/author and master raconteur, recounts his young, wild days as an Alaskero (Filipino cannery worker), when dark nights, stinky corners, and hordes of mosquitoes did not stop lonely hearts from having intimate parties for two. "Lust Among the Ruins" is LOL funny. And poignant. A salve for pandemic Valentine blues.

Another kind of love, this one for the fave candy of one's childhood. PF Correspondent Rey E. de la Cruz reignites his love for White Rabbit, the candy created in Shanghai, and finds kindred spirits almost everywhere. ["Down the 'White Rabbit' Hole"]

When our publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco started the series of notable and famous/infamous Fil-Ams, she thought it would just take a few chapters. But names kept cropping up as friends and readers sent in their suggestions, so now "Fil-Ams Among the Remarkable and Famous" is already Part 15 (with more coming in our future issues; watch out for them).

Since February is Black History Month, it's a good time to commemorate Pvt. David Fagan, a Black American soldier sent to the Philippines to fight the Filipino rebels at the onset of the Filipino-American War of 1898-1902. Fagan chose to defect to the Philippine forces and fight the Americans. Read Again Rene G. Ontal's timeless retelling of "A Black Man's Burden."

And for more stories about romances and heartbreaks, join us for our webinar on February 16. See below for details.

Our Stories This Week

Lust Among The Ruins By Oscar Peñaranda

Down The ‘White Rabbit’ Hole By Rey E. de la Cruz

Fil-Ams Among The Remarkable And Famous, Part 15 By Mona Lisa Yuchengco

Read Again: A Black Man’s Burden By Rene G. Ontal

The Happy Home Cook: Boneless Bangus Donburi By Rene Astudillo

Video of the Week: Team Kidlat in Marawi and Tagoloan

In The Know

Europe's Army of Filipino Domestic Workers
https://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/modern-slavery-europe-s-army-of-filipino-domestic-workers-a-93346a29-3899-470c-9221-4cf7000295aa

Indigenous Filipino Fabrics Are Making a Comeback
https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/design/philippine-indigenous-fabrics-are-making-a-comeback-a00225-20171017-lfrm?fbclid=IwAR36DHhb2DRBcGcM7CZL7xxrrUYluH7aYsNEPIiFMy7SDFLOGtHz5F1KkBk

Journey Frontman Arnel Pineda on the Band’s New Record, Dreams of a Steve Perry Reunion
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/arnel-pineda-interview-journey-album-steve-perry-1117594/?fbclid=IwAR0fmFaKIdQVOywspJYRc5vylOOZA6JCDocVoCUsTVYpSauhDWjSJEpp6rs

The Original Chefs From Bad Saint Open the Fil-Am Fast Food Counter of Their Dreams
https://dc.eater.com/2021/1/27/22250817/pogiboy-opening-past-bad-saint-chefs-jollibee-inspired-tom-cunanan-the-block-dc?fbclid=IwAR3x1vkKluOcLfSrLfvWfjhMF0e-QPHscpivWbo9AknWt4bimJwE926Fjws

Girl, 12, leads fundraising for coral rehab in Camiguin
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1126886?fbclid=IwAR2P75j0Mn1FrXYDUBtALMxUfjJYjnGNCUTwUMkZZPBzPM8vgU-hcovdwZw

Seattle mural to depict Filipino and Fil-Am history
https://usa.inquirer.net/63055/seattle-mural-to-depict-filipino-and-fil-am-history?fbclid=IwAR3XhNuXT5LOOozCyr5vJdmn51yhKjv0auQt7AsP5BnTs_LZrpdowPdByYM

May Is for Dancing and Feasting

There's something about the month of May that feels like the psychological cobwebs and lethargy of winter have lifted and sunshine and celebrations have taken over. For Filipinos, particularly, May is fiesta time when many towns celebrate the feast day of San Isidro de Labrador, for instance, on May 15. San Isidro is the patron saint of farmers, and it's understandable that a still largely agrarian Catholic country pays homage to his patronage. Other towns have their own saints whose feast days fall on different months, but the May-born ones have the advantage of summer, when town folks are in the mood for celebrating.

In the US, there's a big list of commemorations in May, but the significant ones (for us) are the Asian American-Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Older Americans Month, Mental Health Awareness Month and of course, Mother's Day. 

Always in the spirit of celebration, we have new stories for you this week:

"Dancing with the Kalinga: Homage to a Brave Past" is Dr. Michael Gonzalez's riveting account of his visit to Kalinga province where he immersed in the musical traditions of the indigenous people and paid silent tribute to the late warrior/activist Macli-ing Dulag, who inspired and led the resistance to the massive dam project that would have drowned the lands and history of his people.

In "Incarcerated 6x9 Gets You on the Cell-ular Level",  PF Correspondent Lisa Suguitan-Melnick provides a sneak preview of the forthcoming dance theater creation of Alleluia Panis, whose name is synonymous with passion and artistry.

PF's resident food expert Elizabeth Ann Quirino introduces Chef Jam Melchor, an advocate of the Slow Food Movement, whose advocacy focuses on bringing back the traditional methods and dishes of Filipino culinary history. From the Chef, who is a Kapampangan, comes his recipe of Sisig Babi, our Happy Home Cook feature for the week. 

Here's our In The Know lineup:

The Philippines Genocide 3 million Filipinos Killed
https://britsinthephilippines.top/philippines-genocide-3-million-filipinos-killed/

Boracay: From pristine island to fragile paradise
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/201094-boracay-history-island-paradise-fragile-closure

Patis Tesoro
http://artinsite.org/2018/04/patis/

Sisig with egg and mayo? Thanks, but Kapampangans aren't having any of that
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/food/651699/sisig-with-egg-and-mayo-thanks-but-kapampangans-aren-t-having-any-of-that/story/?utm_source=GMANews&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=lifestyle

White Rabbit, China’s beloved homemade candy, tries to modernise whilst maintaining tradition
https://www.scmp.com/video/china/2142468/white-rabbit-chinas-beloved-homemade-candy-tries-modernise-whilst-maintaining

For Video of the Week, we feature the trailer of director Alexandra Cuerdo's documentary “ULAM: The Main Dish,” which will be shown on May 11, 2018 at the San Francisco CAAMFest.