Washington D.C. has a long history of Philippine connections, ever since the US officially annexed our archipelago as its first foreign territory in 1898. PF has ran some stories about these historical and cultural milestones, such as the Philippine Constabulary Band playing at the inauguration of President William Howard Taft in 1909: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/2013/4/a-dc-springtime-concert-born-in-manila

We also had a story about Sofia de Veyra, the wife of the Philippine Resident Commissioner, who wowed D.C. society with her intellect and dynamism: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-thoroughly-modern-sofia-de-veyra?rq=sofia%20de%20veyra

And then there was the star-crossed romance of then-Resident Commissioner Manuel L. Quezon with Nina Thomas, an American lawyer: The Untold Story of Nina Thomas: The American Woman who could have been First Lady of the Philippines — Positively Filipino | Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora

These stories and more are the products of the historical sleuthing of Georgetown U economics professor Erwin Tiongson and his writer-wife Titchie Carandang-Tiongson. The intrepid couple has unearthed interesting documents and artifacts about Filipinos who lived and worked, or just passed through Washington D.C.

The couple will be sharing some stories about romances and heartbreaks in the first of our series of FREE webinars for 2021. We hope you can join us.

And enjoy our stories this week on the new crop of women mayors in California; on Felipe Tempongko, one of the soldiers of Emilio Aguinaldo's army, and an opinion piece on Trump's impeachment. If you're snowed in, how about savoring an easy Instant Pot Arroz Caldo.

Our Stories This Week

A Rising Wave Of Fil-Am Women Mayors By Cherie M. Querol Moreno

The Brown Man’s Burden By Virgilio A. Reyes, Jr.

[Opinion] Impeachment: Dems Should Do An About-Face By Andres D. Bautista

[PARTNER] Philippines-U.S. Ties Under The Biden Administration: Prospects For Cooperation In Key Areas
By Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez

The Happy Home Cook: Instant Pot Arroz Caldo By Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Video of the Week: Rapper Ez Mil’s “Panalo”

In The Know

‘I want to go home’: Filipina domestic workers face exploitative conditions
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/27/domestic-workers-philippines-coronavirus-conditions

Blessed Consunji Group pays it forward
https://business.inquirer.net/316341/blessed-consunji-group-pays-it-forward?fbclid=IwAR2YiNk3K0aBY7Hsdq0BSYJOfapIqHUwGlEdx7IkMXOh6pdPp3b1zLucS5I

Championing local textiles the right way means a lot to our indigenous communities
https://mb.com.ph/2021/01/25/championing-local-textiles-the-right-way-means-a-lot-to-our-indigenous-communities/?fbclid=IwAR0uEkVk1QizgNJcBhbtRqv0UmTMfU3dALaqbs1RBUwH2p9W72co6qISVrc

The Filipino writer’s task in the age of Facebook, according to Jose Y. Dalisay
https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/376155/the-filipino-writers-task-in-the-age-of-facebook-according-to-jose-y-dalisay/?fbclid=IwAR0KFItzh88zTMh46-3yY_Hm9aGfcFihP4O-rHKAgjDBa-rTsgo4CCNubfQ

Why Filipino voters turn their lonely eyes to strongman leaders
https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Why-Filipino-voters-turn-their-lonely-eyes-to-strongman-leaders?fbclid=IwAR2LOg9LA8B6rNr_38PevLHWfNGmmJZ-1PYao1c18mxo6mz5xxBOvxPvGlY

On Wednesday morning, January 6, I texted my daughter in the East Coast to watch the counting of the electoral college votes in Congress. We may never be able to watch this again, I said, because in normal times the process is procedural, quick and uneventful, not worthy of TV coverage. But these are not normal times so my husband and I settled in (which is a redundant phrase while in a California covid lockdown) and watched.

Little did we know that in a matter of minutes, the assault on the Capitol building would begin. We watched appalled, shocked and deeply saddened as the mob of Trump supporters vandalized, defiled and temporarily took over the seat of American democracy, presenting a clear and present danger to the lives of legislators and legislative police in the process.

This was one of those historical moments that will be indelibly imprinted in our memory, the kind that will trigger recollections of what-I-was-doing-when-it happened details. Having lived a long life, mine is already a list:

• the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963

• the declaration of martial law in the Philippines in September 1972

• the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in August 1983

• the EDSA People Power revolt in February 1986

• the election victory of Barack Obama in November 2008

What are yours? Share your list with me at PFeditor@yahoo.com.