A Silent Revolution

Our webinar last week, "Our Climate, Ourselves," was both an enlightening expose on the nitty-gritty of plastics and toxic pollution of the earth's marine life and environment, and an inspiring call to action to fulfill our shared responsibility to take care of the planet and of each other. If you missed it or you want to see it again, you can watch it here.

Shared responsibility is also the motivation behind the sprouting of community pantries all over the Philippines, a phenomenon that was started by a young woman, Ana Patricia Non, who felt compelled to do something to help those struggling to survive the covid pandemic. "Give what you can, take what you need" should be a simple and basic human instinct but, in a divided society with trigger-happy (both verbal and physically violent) elements, the missive has been politicized and stigmatized. PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes brings us up-to-date in "Community Pantries -- A Silent Revolution?"

We have an array of fascinating stories this week: the evolution of the yo-yo (not invented by a Filipino, as commonly believed), the Filipino art of naming food, a review of the delightful book by a Fil-Am named Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and, to commemorate the 17th death anniversary of arguably the greatest Filipino writer Nick Joaquin, a repost of the memories of someone who knew him well, the poet/writer Marra PL. Lanot. 

Our Stories This Week

[Webinar Video] Our Climate, Ourselves

Community Pantries – A Silent Revolution? By Criselda Yabes

Pedro And The Yo-Yo: Man And Myth By Myles A. Garcia

Using Beauty To Overpower Racism By Anthony Maddela

The Filipino Art Of Naming Food By Vicente Salas

Read Again: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/remembering-nick

Video of the Week: Why Italy Loves Filipinos

In The Know

The Philippines’ drug war is putting more pregnant women behind bars. What happens to their children?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/04/06/women-jail-births-philippines-duterte/?fbclid=IwAR0uFE54V4q4S1qMwkUUfHwZwzXpB_W2eP6u5_udyu2LcZe-i_pU7Ex40GY

How Veganism Helped This Filipina Recipe Developer Reconnect With Home
https://www.livekindly.co/veganism-filipina-recipe-developer-reconnect-home/?fbclid=IwAR1yL76Bbp7iOg7GfvMRrUDhQBOOgQkZ0COwx5ydJlGJNrdjoQJYvca243w

Long Pushed to the Margins, Pacita Abad’s Art About the Immigrant Experience Gets Global Recognition
https://www.artnews.com/feature/pacita-abad-artist-tate-walker-art-center-exhibitions-1234589919/?fbclid=IwAR06aRYm5hKOq7iLKjN0hFtIEu3Va6Xp0aM-Jw1vzXlgjOOq2di-4RCUYB0

Enduring Legacies: The Bautista and Santos Ancestral Houses of Malolos
https://bluprint.onemega.com/bautista-santos-ancestral-houses-malolos/ 

Historian: 9 things to learn about Philippine culture from P-pop group Alamat
https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/arts-and-culture/2021/04/20/2092434/historian-9-things-learn-about-philippine-culture-p-pop-group-alamat

31 Years Ago This Month

Let's join our homeland in commemorating the 31st anniversary of the assassination of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., a tragedy that changed the course of history. Read again "Ninoy's Final Journey," the up-close-and-personal recollection of then-ABC News correspondent Ken Kashiwahara, the martyr's brother-in-law.

Meanwhile, what do Portugal and the Philippines have in common other than Ferdinand Magellan (who was, in fact, Spanish)? A growing worldwide diaspora, that's what. Our regular contributor, Tiago Gutierrez Marques, who is Filipino-Portuguese, gives an insightful analysis of the two countries' labor export market in "Brain Drain, Portuguese Style."

Another good dissection, this time on the issues confronting the Asian male in America, is presented by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Alex Tizon in his book, Big Little Man.  In "Race and the Asian Male in America," another regular contributor Anthony Maddela offers an incisive review of Tizon's frank and fascinating memoir.

The yoyo's Filipino component is told by Luisa Igloria in "The Yoyo: A Story of Downs and Ups," which also provides a brief history of Filipinos in Chicago in the early- and mid-20th century.

Robin Williams is never far from our mind, just as he will always be in Chary Ozaeta-Gohh's memory of her encounter with the late lamented comedian. "A Moment with Robin Williams" is one of those testimonials on his goodness of heart.

Our Video of the Week is a BBC report that shows why the Philippines will always be a fascinating place.

And finally, my blog this week is about a recycled romance that many readers are probably familiar with.